Damien Mander was a member of the Royal Australian Navy who served three years in Iraq until 2009. Then he decided to put the skills he used in the military to train people to fight against poachers in Zimbabwe. He started training men but quickly discovered that women were better suited to the work as they were better at de-escalating violent confrontations and took fewer bribes. The group, Akashinga (the brave ones), are an all-female ranger unit recruited from women who survived domestic abuse or were single mothers, abandoned wives, or orphaned by AIDS. These women have undergone training similar to those received by special forces and protect their local ecosystems from poachers.
Ideas for Use in the Classroom
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Download and print the provided maps of Zimbabwe, or use MapMaker, to explore the area where Damien Mander works.
- Have learners read the preservation encyclopedic entry and the Conserving the Earth article. Lead a class discussion about the difference between conservation and preservation. After reading, ask: What is the difference between conservation and preservation? What area in our community would you conserve or preserve? Why?
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Help learners become more familiar with the human geography of the continent of Africa with this article.
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Learn more about the Black Rhinoceros with this article. Have your class write down two questions each to ask Damien about how his team prevents poaching of the black rhinoceros.
- Watch the film The Economics of the Illicit Ivory Trade (9:00) to learn more about how supply and demand fuel this illegal industry or Partners in Elephant Conservation (1:53) to explore how local community involvement is necessary for successful conservation.
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Read this short article African Savanna then use the African Savanna Community Web (90 minutes) activity to help students build a community web to characterize and describe the environment, organisms, and feeding relationships of the African savanna.
deserted.
to treat wrongly, or in a harmful way.
(acquired immune deficiency syndrome) disease that debilitates the immune system, making the victim vulnerable to infections.
to describe the characteristics of something.
social group whose members share common heritage, interests, or culture.
idea.
to transmit, transport, or carry.
open conflict.
management of a natural resource to prevent exploitation, destruction, or neglect.
desire to know more about a subject.
having to do with policies or issues within a nation.
to give authority or power.
forbidden by law.
force that effects the actions, behavior, or policies of others.
to include.
living or once-living thing.
person who protects and informs the public about local, state, and national parks. Also called a forest ranger.
lasting, stubborn, or tenacious.
to hunt, trap, or fish illegally.
person who hunts or fishes illegally.
source of information or direction.
being accountable and reliable for an action or situation.
endangered animals native to Africa with leathery skin and one or two upright horns on their snout.
type of tropical grassland with scattered trees.
elite, highly trained military units, such as U.S. Navy SEALS or British SAS.
set of terms used in a specialized subject.
organisms living in a natural environment.
