San Clemente, California Mar 8, 2021 (Issuewire.com) - In celebration of International Women’s Day, Elephant Cooperation (EC) and Wild Tomorrow Fund are spotlighting 14 brave African women who are working on the frontlines of wildlife protection, fighting alien plant infestations, and restoring a wildlife corridor for elephants in South Africa. Referred to as “The Green Mambas”, these strong women are doing heroic work in the Ukuwela Nature Reserve to protect and restore the local ecosystem.
“Women, all over the world, are leaders in conservation,” says Shawn Sugarman, President of Elephant Cooperation. “We are excited to be helping The Green Mambas with their habitat restoration work. At EC, we are committed to protecting wildlife habitats and supporting communities living near wildlife areas. Wild Tomorrow Fund shares our mission and we can have a greater impact when we collaborate.”
In 2020 when the borders closed, many jobs disappeared, and poverty deepened. The Green Mambas were hired by Wild Tomorrow Fund and funded by a generous $23,000 grant from Elephant Cooperation.
“Since October, the team of strong and dedicated women have been knee-deep in grueling work but, equally thankful for the opportunity to support their families again,” said Wendy Hapgood, Co-founder, Wild Tomorrow Fund.
Alien invasive plants are a global catastrophe. They cause both biological and economic havoc around the globe, alter the ecosystem, and become a direct threat to the recovery and restoration of wildlife, birds, bees, butterflies - all of the native biodiversity of fragile ecosystems.
“After a few scares with large pythons, several bee stings, and an encounter with a sleeping leopard in the bushes, the Green Mambas continue their hard work which has become a lifeline of income for them, their children, and extended families within the community,” added Hapgood.
The Green Mambas have continued to make a name for themselves and are now in demand at neighboring reserves.
“When Wild Tomorrow Fund presented ‘The Green Mambas’ project to us during the pandemic last year, we knew women empowerment was needed more than ever,” said Dziem Hoang, Director of Philanthropy, Elephant Cooperation. “We are proud of the women and all they’ve accomplished during this period.”
For more information, please read the blog story here.
Images of Green Mambas are accessible here.
About Wild Tomorrow Fund
Wild Tomorrow Fund is a wildlife conservation charity dedicated to the protection of threatened and endangered species and the habitats they depend on for survival. Wild Tomorrow Fund works on the ground in southern Africa with a vision for a world in which wildlife habitats are expanded and protected for the benefit of people and the planet.
About Elephant Cooperation
Founded in 2016 with the mission of “saving the African elephant before it is too late,” Elephant Cooperation is a unique 501(c)3 focused on finding and funding the most effective ways to help elephants and the communities living near them. Our motto is No Poverty, No Poaching. For more information, visit https://www.elephantcooperation.com/.
Media Contact
Elephant Cooperation christy@diversepr.com https://www.elephantcooperation.com/
