Tag: wildlife

Chris-on-the-Trail

Let’s call it a rebranding of this weblog…

Hello, all – I hope you are well! Thanks for visiting again.

I’ve been delinquent in keeping up this blog during the pandemic, although I was fortunate that the virus didn’t keep me from visiting Namibia a few times – it is always nice to see my friends and former colleagues there in my second home. Throughout the period, I’ve mostly kept busy with some local volunteer activities (elections, census, food bank, and mentoring several foreign small businesses through MicroMentor) as well as enjoying some self-improvement (online courses, lectures, webinars, and gardening).

While I expect (and hope) to spend a lot of my future in Namibia again, and possibly even with the Peace Corps, I’ve spent most of my recent months preparing for some long distance hikes this year. In order to share these adventures with all of you, I thought I would borrow this “Chris-in-Namibia” site and temporarily rename it “Chris-on-the-Trail.” I hope you don’t mind.

Continue reading “Chris-on-the-Trail”

Another Namibian travelogue…

It’s always interesting to come across travelogues about Namibia, the place I’ve called home for nearly 3 years. While I don’t particularly like the commercial aspects of the embedded video, it’s still nice to share this beautiful land.

Photo Credit: 123 RF

Zambezi, Chobe and Victoria Falls

Following the Game Count, I had the chance to hang out on Namibia’s Zambezi River and to visit Botswana’s supreme Chobe National Park – home to the largest collection of elephants anywhere in the world.  I also got to Victoria Falls, on the border between Zambia and Zimbabwe, one of the natural wonders of the world. It was a treat to meet other Africans and to see a bit of our neighboring countries! I hope you enjoy the images! Continue reading “Zambezi, Chobe and Victoria Falls”

Game Count in Zambezi

I recently participated in IRDNC’s wildlife census activity in the Zambezi Region of Namibia, the far northeast corner of the county, at the tip of the extended thin finger of land squeezed between Zambia and Botswana. After a 3-day long road journey from Arandis, hitchhiking about 8 hours a day, the transformation of terrain and population density made evident those words from the national anthem: “contrasting, beautiful Namibia.” Green, Trees and Water – things I don’t often seen in the desert! Continue reading “Game Count in Zambezi”

This happens in Namibia ALL the time!

One unanticipated advantage of living in a thinly-populated country is that all the people who are here seem to know each other – I have met untold numbers of people I wouldn’t think possible to meet in the US. For example, in a recent post about Namibia’s novel approach to wildlife conservation, I brought attention to pioneer Garth Owen-Smith. Well, let me tell you another Namibian small world story…

Continue reading “This happens in Namibia ALL the time!”

A sad update to my recent post…

NPR just reported this sad news about elephant poaching in Botswana. I just returned from a week participating in a game count in Namibia, just over the river border from where this tragedy occurred.  I will post more about my experience shortly, but want to share this information while it’s fresh.

Namibia’s wildlife conservation

I am excited to soon participate in a game count sponsored by IRDNC (Integrated Rural Development and Nature Conservation) in the Zambezi Region of Northeast Namibia. We’ll be conducting an annual wildlife census in the bush and it will give me a chance to see another part of this beautiful country. The links below describe important aspects of Namibia’s leading role in wildlife conservation, including one of its heroes, IRDNC co-founder Garth Owen-Smith. Continue reading “Namibia’s wildlife conservation”

Backpacking the Naukluft 8-Day Trail

I was treated to a very special visit by my son, Tyler, who spent several weeks in Namibia during March and April. A highlight of his visit was backpacking together along the remote, 125km-long Naukluft 8-Day Trail with 9 other American volunteers (from Peace Corps and World Teach). As always in wide open expanses of land, the photos never do justice, but I hope just the same that you enjoy the photos taken by Tyler, PCV Sheridan and me.

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Sharing this beautiful land…

My love made it to southern Africa over the holiday break in December, when I was able to show her why I love it here in Namibia. We started with a few days in South Africa, then flew to Namibia where we saw many of the iconic cultural and natural aspects that one should see on a first visit: wild animals (large and small), the dunes and the sea.

I hope you enjoy some of the photos we collectively took.

Continue reading “Sharing this beautiful land…”