Welcome to the Nyika Vwaza Trust’s second blog entry for 2012.

Nyika is looking beautiful and green at this time of year. The pastures are attracting large herds of eland (200+) and are seen only 3 kms from the Chilinda camp. The zebra are always nearby to greet us as we come and go from home. It is pleasing to note the number of young with the eland, zebra and roan.

There are plenty of beautiful orchids to be seen edging the dambos and settled in attractive
clumps on the northern and eastern slopes of many of the ridges.

When our chairperson Chris Walker and Geoff visited Lake Kazuni at Vwaza Marsh, game was
plentiful, including: a herd of 11 elephant, a small pod of hippos near the shore, a large number
of kudu and impala. Wart hogs were seen trotting into the undergrowth.

At the end of 2011, there were no less than FIVE sightings of African wild dogs on the Nyika! – they have not been seen for many years. Meanwhile, preparation for the indigenous tree nursery has begun, despite the onset of the rains on the Nyika. Brick-making for the new permanent housing for local NVT staff has also started. Silt excavated from Dam 1 is being used to make vegetable gardens for our permanent and casual workers and we continue to clear tourist road drains to prevent unnecessary water-fed erosion. Our volunteer manager, Patsy, continues to work with the local school at Chilinda, sharing new ideas with the teachers, and language lessons for our workers will begin again shortly.

The Nyika-Vwaza (UK) Trust Royal Geographical Society event - 8th Nov 2011

This is just a brief note to let those of you who were unable to attend our promotional and fundraising evening at the Royal Geographical Society in London on 8 November know how the Evening went.

We were delighted to welcome the Malawi Minister of Tourism, Wildlife and Culture, the Honourable Mr. Daniel Liwimbi, together with the Charge D'Affaires at The Malawi High Commission in London, Mr. James Ali and his wife Bridget.

Prof. Jeff Burley, speaking on the topic "The changing role of forestry in conservation and development : why trees are good for Malawi" gave a wide-ranging and lucid explanation of how the environmental, economic and social spheres need to connect for forestry policies to become sustainable. He also made the important point that foresters – and other scientists – must present their arguments not merely for peer review but, just as vital, must connect with policy-makers and the media so that they can influence change. Copies of the lecture in booklet form can be obtained from Harry Foot, Stowford Farm, Harford, Ivybridge, Devon, PL21 0JD. Cost £6 including p&p.

Our Chairman, Tom Lupton, reported several important developments:

He congratulated the Hon. Minister and the Malawi Government for signing the long-awaited Nyika Trans Frontier Conservation Area project Financing Agreement with the World Bank, the Zambia Government and other participants. The NTFCA project will secure the continued sound management of the Nyika and Vwaza, together with adjacent protected areas in Zambia, for at least the next five years. It will also support the socio-economic development of the surrounding communities in both countries. Our Trusts have played an important part in advancing this project through advocacy and by demonstrating our effective operational capabilities within the parks. This culminated in our commitment to the World Bank to continue our funding at current levels for the next five years.

On the conservation front, a spate of orchid poaching is a real concern. On the plus side, two recent sightings of wild dogs on the Nyika, which haven’t been seen there for many years, suggests that the stock of animals is healthy.

In the last financial year, the UK Trust provided the Malawi Trust with over £53,000 to fund conservation work on the Nyika and in Vwaza – the largest amount we have provided to date in a single year.

The UK Trust has launched a prospectus, “Supporting our Projects”, that describes the purposes for which money is required. For more information on this, go to www.nyika-vwaza-trust.org/support/Projects-Funding.html

Peter Lawrance has been appointed as the UK Trust's next Hon. Secretary and Treasurer. Peter has long experience with the Commonwealth Development Corporation in Malawi (especially the north) in senior managerial and financial positions, and his wife Jane was born in Malawi. Peter will take over during 2012.

For a fuller account of the Evening, including the social elements, please see our website www.nyika-vwaza-trust.org

Finally, please note that we meet again at the RGS on Tuesday 6 November 2012.

NV(UK)T launches the "Supporting our Projects" prospectus.

Over the last seven years, the Nyika-Vwaza (UK) Trust, through its Malawian sister charity, the Nyika-Vwaza Trust, has actively supported the work of Malawi’s Department of National Parks and Wildlife in the Nyika National Park and Vwaza Marsh Wildlife Reserve.

Looking forward, we will remain a strong advocate of the Nyika and Vwaza. One way we can do this is by securing funds to support their conservation. To this end, we have launched our prospectus, “Supporting our Projects”. It contains detailed funding proposals for 15 essential projects.

In the longer term, we must also grow our Endowment Fund sufficiently to support the Nyika-Vwaza Trust’s day-to-day activities in Malawi, leaving us to look only for additional funds for capital expenditure and new activities.

If you can help fund one of these projects, or know of others whom we might approach, please contact either me (my details are below) or Harry Foot, our Hon Secretary and Treasurer at Stowford Farm, Harford, Ivybridge, Devon, PL21 0JD; Tel: (0)1752 892632; Email: mailto:stowfoots@southdevon.org. Similarly, if you would like to know more about our Endowment Fund, please do contact us. Thank you.

• 
  New Nyika-Vwaza Trust volunteer managers.
  
  We are very lucky to have two new volunteer trust managers recently arrive on the Nyika. They are Patsy and Geoff Wooles. At the moment, they are going through the process of settling in and getting to know the their new surroundings.
  
  
• The Wooles’ initial tasks over the next few months include:
  
  · Getting to know our eight permanent members of staff on the Nyika, as well as the rest of the guys, and building a team spirit;
  · Preparing the maintenance programme for 2011 – fire control, roads, bridges, invasive species and the like;
  · Re-establishing walks and signs in Chowo Forest and maintaining those in Zovo Chipolo;
  · Arranging the erection of the last few road signs in the Park and maintaining those that have been there for a while; and
  · Getting to grips with the Malawi trust’s various project proposals.
  
  There is a lot for Patsy and Geoff to do and we wish them every success! Chris Walker, chairman of the Malawi trust, has commented of our new couple: “The Nyika is a paradise for Geoff’s botanical background and Patsy has already joined in with life at the school whilst reorganising the homestead! They deserve our full support in any and every way we can give it.” We fully endorse that final statement!

Volunteer Trust Manager Vacancy

The Trustees of the Malawi- based Nyika-Vwaza Trust invite applications for the post of Volunteer Trust Manager which will become vacant at the end of December 2010. The post is best suited to a couple sharing the responsibilities who commit to work for a minimum of 12 months, but preferably 2 years. Free accommodation is provided in a purpose built log cabin located at Chelinda in the heart of the Nyika National Park. Return air fares UK to Malawi on commitment to 12 month’s service and thereafter each 12 month’s service. Moderate subsistence allowance.

For full details apply with information about yourselves to the Secretary of the Nyika-Vwaza Trust, Carl Bruessow [Email: carl@mountmulanje.org.mw Tel: +265 (0)1466 282/179]

The Malawi Trust has completed the new bridge at Dam 3 at Chelinda. Our guys are now camping out, doing vital road slashing and firebreak cutting in the Nyika National Park.