Meet Mompoloki Morapedi and Future African Conservationist

AWF strongly believes that Africans are the ideal stewards of the continent's natural resources and that's why more than 80 percent of AWF's staff are African. But, AWF believes that simply hiring Africans is not enough. In order to empower Africans to help the wildlife and wild lands survive, AWF invests many resources in training and educating future conservationists. Naturally, this includes helping individuals pursue advanced degrees in conservation-related fields. It also includes investing in individuals who have shown a keen interest in helping to conserve Africa's wildlife. We'd like to introduce you to one of these individuals.

Mompoloki Morapedi, a native of Botswana, came to AWF at the age of 23 as a driver. If you had the privilege to ride with Mompoloki you would have immediately recognized his passion for wildlife. He was quick to point out wildlife camouflaged by the landscape.

Not surprisingly, Mompoloki quickly moved from behind the steering wheel to the position of research assistant to AWF's Large Carnivore researcher in Chobe National Park, Gosiame Neo-Mahupeleng. His dedication to the region is legendary. When a wildfire raged out of control in Chobe National Park, Morapedi drove for AWF during the day and helped the Park staff fight the fire by night.

Recognizing Morapedi's passion for Africa's wildlife, AWF has worked hard to find creative ways to invest in Morapedi's future. Working with Jim Brett, under the Jim Brett Global Conservation Education Fund (a fund made possible by a generous contribution from a Hawk Mountain Board Member), AWF helped to identify an internship opportunity for Morapedi at the Silver Lake Nature Center in Bucks County, Pennsylvania (USA).

Jim Brett has been active in African conservation for more than 25 years, working closely with organizations such as the Endangered Wildlife Trust in Southern African, the Tanzania National Parks Associations (TANAPA) and the Ngorongoro Area Conservation Authority. Brett has worked since the 1980s to incorporate international students in conservation internship programs.

Over the course of four months, Morapedi will receive training in education, conservation programs and various natural history course offered by the Pennsylvania Institute for Conservation Education (PICE), and organization founded by Jim Brett in 2002. In addition to broadening his interpretive skills, Morapedi will be a vital link to a cross-cultural endeavor working with the local African-American community. In the end, Morapedi hopes to return to AWF to serve as an ambassador for people visiting AWF's Heartlands.

Needless to say, this is a big adventure for Morapedi who has never left Africa. But, he's in good hands. And, we'll be keeping an eye on him. Stay tuned as we plan on reporting back on Morapedi's experience at the conclusion of his internship. In the meantime, we are excited at the prospect that Morapedi is one step closer to his dream of a career in conservation.