Newsletters - Page 2

If last year was a rich and rough tapestry this year was a fairly cheerful short silky scarf.

We launched into the new year with our new accessories: 3 dogs, security guards, 2 pump-action shotguns, radios and a different routine. Usually we just have to remember our reading glasses before going to bed, now we are far better loaded but we love sharing our bed with Stella who together with Jack and Karla give us plenty to smile about (beware – all we do is talk to or about the dogs!) There have been a few sessions of target practice and our rather wild looking ex poacher was very imaginative and agile in his practice actions. To further add to our sense of security Jeremy Pope and Conservation Foundation built a ZAWA and Police camp at the end of our drive. Thank you very much to Jeremy and CF for this very generous and effective contribution to the security and conservation of this area. ZAWA scouts are installed but no sign of any Policemen as yet. Dont hold your breath....

Four days into the new year brought wonderful news from Dr. Lizanne Roxburgh who told us that while going through her records a bulbul with a ring which she caught during a visit in October 2007 WAS BULBUL!!!! He had left home with his “new friend” in August 2004. After being raised by our nephews from a fledgling it was fantastic news as well as being an interesting story for science (a 3 part series in the ZOS magazine starting from September 08). January also brought a modest beginning to Salamo student scholarships thanks to a request from the headmaster. We were pleased to sponsor 10 orphans which also helped to prevent the classes beyond grade 7 from closing through lack of pupils. (May this little project survive the petty village jealousies it seems to have attracted.)

Dear All,

Our plans to work harder at working less were coming together perfectly for the first half of the year, accounts were absolutely up to date, the staff were gradually making us redundant, Mike’s back operation after a year and a half recovery has been a success, there was plenty of time to give our plant photo collection the attention it needed and our wish list of places to explore and things to do was growing.

Most of the year has sailed by whilst we celebrated the slow but sure repair of Mike's back, the truck being back on the road at last with a new engine and the return of peace and quiet to Mutinondo. The super Kwacha and Government's ban on exports buried our soya bean out growers scheme having only got K650/kg for our remaining 100tons (which we had bought for K1100). It's criminal that the farmers could only sell their soya for K400 this year and tragic that after 10 years of building up the project, the 1500 farmers on our books have since lost an annual income of about K440 million Kwacha. We personally lost K53 million and found it unethical to offer the same price we were offering in 1998 so we reduced our loans from 23 tons to 5.5 tons.

Over 400mm of rain in Dec 2004 promised a well needed refill for our thirsty Musamfushi and Mutinondo Rivers. Other positive starts to the year included the first big batch of accounts completed in February and a great seaside celebration in Malindi with friends and family in April which revitalised us with big plans to make more spare time to enjoy ourselves, our wilderness and long forgotten pleasures like golf. Zambia National Tourism Board made 2005 the year to promote Zambian tourism, the economy and security was so stable for the past 3 years; this was the time for our tourism industry to take off……….