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<em>By Amy Hanna
AAZK Conservation Committee Member
Animal Keeper, Lincoln Park Zoo, Chicago, IL</em>

This is a sequel to the first African trip I took in 2006, where my institution kindly granted me a leave of absence for three months to do conservation work. After saving up money for years and contacting U.S. zoological institutions with collaborations with African conservation organizations (like the Wildlife Conservation Society), the dream became a reality.  Six weeks were spent on a game capture team in South Africa, and six weeks at Munda Wanga Trust in Zambia.  Needless to say, I fell in love and had to go back, a typical story for those interested in Africa.

It took three and a half years of yearning but I finally made it back to Munda Wanga Trust, situated in the heart of Lusaka, the capital city of Zambia, 15 degrees south of the equator in Africa. Munda Wanga is a diamond in the rough, with its botanic gardens, animal sanctuary and advanced education center. The place was as stunning as I remembered it, and many of the changes since 2006 were impressive.

My goals for this two-week visit were to continue what I did the last time assist the animal sanctuary and education departments. I arrived with a plan to accomplish many goals. These goals were chosen based on what Joseph, the education officer, and Raffael, the lead animal keeper, needed done. I came out having accomplished a small portion of those goals, and about 15 other goals that the park needed accomplished. In Africa there is always work to be done, and being versatile is very important. Similar to my first volunteer stint, I worked with the education staff and animal keepers. Since my background is in both areas, and since the staff remembered me from the first time I was there, I was able to act as a friend and a trainer at the same time. This is a unique position to be in because working with the people is the most important way to gain understanding and acceptance in a new culture to move towards positive change.

My goals initially were to assist the education department with the focus of environmental education to:

• Introduce a low cost, inquiry-based education program targeting teachers with school groups, and public tours (this curriculum is called       Zoo Tracks  and was originally developed by the Lincoln Park Zoo [LPZ]). I also wanted to find a donor to support the low cost of printing pamphlets for the program;
• Introduce an animal behavioral study for grades 1-5 and 6-9 (also initiated by LPZ);
• Introduce educational materials within a conference CD donated by an established sanctuary the Pan African Sanctuary Alliance (PASA);
• Send educational materials like pens, markers and books on animal natural history, American Association of Zoo Keeper (AAZK) monthly forums, and conservation magazines;
• Build a large compost bin for the park and teach how to compost;
• Introduce a video, donated by The Anti-Cruelty Society, on how to care for domestic animals;
• Teach about grant writing and find valuable grant websites, such as UNICEF and UNESCO, specifically for Munda Wanga;
• Develop ideas for pilot programs for the future.

The goals that were accomplished in two weeks were an even combination of animal-related and educational tasks:

• I brought all the materials in #4 above on all flights, which cost $80 extra;
• Hosted a Zambian keeper workshop to encourage the keepers about the importance of communication with management, animal records, cleaning and sanitation, enrichment, nutrition, and to introduce AAZK monthly forums and animal behavior magazines;
• Developed a Daily Animal Records template for the Lead Keeper…….

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