Beneath the Baobab, the Conservation and Communities Podcast with Gordon Buchanan.
Right now, up to 1 eighth of the world’s species are at risk of extinction and its down to us to act now, or lose them forever.
In Beneath the Baobab from Jamma International, wildlife filmmaker Gordon Buchanan hosts cutting-edge conversations about conservation work led by communities around the world.
Gordon hears from people living and working alongside wildlife; from elephants to lions, rhinos, wild dogs and endangered plants. In every episode Gordon hears from a unique project that’s seen marginalised community voices brought to the forefront of conservation, with inspiring and empowering stories to tell.
The global conservation movement has never been more urgent in the face of climate change and mass extinction. But there is still much to be learned, and finally the voices, insights and experiences of indigenous peoples are being heard on the international stage.
The places where wildlife and humans touch are not idealistic, harmonious locations, but often have raw edges, blurred boundaries and are fraught with conflict and competition. Furthermore, the external pressures imposed to protect wildlife don’t always support the people whose shoulders this change rests upon.
That’s why we’re looking at examples and hearing from people working and living directly with and within those communities.
In this series learn about Community Based Natural Resources Management, hear from indigenous peoples who are exercising their rights to do innovative work as custodians of resources for generations, then find out how they’ve developed work schemes, governance and management systems that allow them to place a high value on wildlife and build the economic case for conservation.
The future for wildlife and endangered species can be positive, if we are all prepared to listen. Join Gordon and his guests Beneath the Baobab for stories of hope as well as brilliant, radical and innovative ideas for solving the problems faced by humans and wildlife.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Beneath the Baobab, the Conservation and Communities Podcast with Gordon Buchanan.
Right now, up to 1 eighth of the world’s species are at risk of extinction and its down to us to act now, or lose them forever.
In Beneath the Baobab from Jamma International, wildlife filmmaker Gordon Buchanan hosts cutting-edge conversations about conservation work led by communities around the world.
Gordon hears from people living and working alongside wildlife; from elephants to lions, rhinos, wild dogs and endangered plants. In every episode Gordon hears from a unique project that’s seen marginalised community voices brought to the forefront of conservation, with inspiring and empowering stories to tell.
The global conservation movement has never been more urgent in the face of climate change and mass extinction. But there is still much to be learned, and finally the voices, insights and experiences of indigenous peoples are being heard on the international stage.
The places where wildlife and humans touch are not idealistic, harmonious locations, but often have raw edges, blurred boundaries and are fraught with conflict and competition. Furthermore, the external pressures imposed to protect wildlife don’t always support the people whose shoulders this change rests upon.
That’s why we’re looking at examples and hearing from people working and living directly with and within those communities.
In this series learn about Community Based Natural Resources Management, hear from indigenous peoples who are exercising their rights to do innovative work as custodians of resources for generations, then find out how they’ve developed work schemes, governance and management systems that allow them to place a high value on wildlife and build the economic case for conservation.
The future for wildlife and endangered species can be positive, if we are all prepared to listen. Join Gordon and his guests Beneath the Baobab for stories of hope as well as brilliant, radical and innovative ideas for solving the problems faced by humans and wildlife.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Kasungu National Park forms part of the trans-frontier conservation area between Malawi and Zambia. The area used to have a thriving wildlife population but due to poaching, it was left depleted with the resident elephant population coming close to extinction.
A translocation plan, put in place by the Malawian government, IFAW and African Parks, has returned the elephants to the park. Despite a positive long-term vision, the short-term effects have resulted in a number of human deaths, animal predation and crop damage – and with the country’s economy being agriculture-focussed, this aspect of human wildlife conflict is a particular concern in Malawi.
Fences are also proving to be a contentious issue. An area being fully-fenced goes against the principles of landscape-scale conservation and prevents free movement but it does provide extra protection to local communities. The tensions are laid bare in this episode.
Malidadi Langa is an economist and retired public servant with extensive experience across decentralisation, rural development, natural resource management governance and public policy – and community based natural resource management, otherwise known as CBNRM. He’s currently Chairman of the Board of Trustees for the KAWICCODA community association, represents Malawi CBNRM associations in the Southern Africa Community Leaders Network, advocating for community rights around sustainable use and benefit sharing.
Senior Chief Lukwe describes a highly populated country in comparison to its neighbours, the need for civic education of the risks from wildlife, and the importance of compensation for victims of human wildlife conflict.
Catherine Chunga is education and extension officer at the Department of Parks and Wildlife, Leonard Moyo is Education Division Manager and Ndaona Kumanga is National Park Manager at Kasungu. They describe Malawi’s unique relationship with wildlife, the challenges the local communities face, and what they are doing in their roles to manage and resolve human wildlife conflict.
We speak to them all, beneath the baobab.
Visit the website https://jammainternational.com to explore more international projects.
The video of this episode can be seen here: https://youtu.be/YCNrvMNfGQ0
Elephant Conservation in the Context of High Human-Wildlife Conflict | African Parks
ifaw's response to elephant tragedies in Malawi
https://www.voanews.com/a/villagers-in-central-malawi-face-attacks-from-elephants-/7280441.html
https://www.malawitourism.com/regions/central-malawi/kasungu-national-park/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.