Mindset Of Conservation At ALU 2018

By | October 29, 2018

Mindset Of Conservation At ALU 2018

Tony Frost, our Conservationist-in-Residence with the ALU School of Wild Life Conservation reflects on his time with ALU students and explains what he thinks their roles are in environmental activism and conservation space

It has been an extraordinary privilege to be a Conservationist-in-Residence for the 2018 cohort of students at ALU.
They are almost universally imbued with a sense of responsibility for the future and the role they could or should play in that future. There are many and varied areas of interest and focus, but most students share one general need – they are searching for guidance and assistance in designing their future and techniques necessary to realise their dreams.
Some have a reasonably good idea of their chosen area of environmental activism. At the other end of the spectrum, some know they want to work in the Conservation domain but have little idea or knowledge to help settle on a focus area.
One of the most impressive experiences of working with these students is that many, maybe even most are involved with initiatives that they have started themselves, or have been a part of. One shining example is that of Romain Gabiro and his colleagues who are working with young kids at the SOS School in Kigali and teaching them the importance of the environment and also English spelling skills. I was privileged to attend one of their sessions last Saturday morning. Below are a couple of photos of the vibrant activity at the spelling session. You can visit Justspell.org for greater insights of this wonderful initiative.
Overall, the amount of talent and energy is astonishing; the level of passion for playing a leadership role is infectious; and the willingness to share and grow is exemplary. This augurs very well for our collective future!