The Slate Foundation

Wondering How a Well Reduces Poaching?

2011-08-15T10:45:00.000-07:00

My friend, Kelly, recently asked me how a well for children will reduce poaching. I thought it was a great question and wanted to share my answer with you.

There are two ways a well will reduce poaching and hunting of endangered wildlife.

One, by reducing human/animal conflict over shared water sources and two, by freeing up children's time and allowing them to attend school so they can become educated about conservation issues.

Because both animals and humans are fighting for the same water source and because we can't reason with the elephants and other animals, we are going to start by creating the well/clean water source for the humans. This will leave the other water source for the animals for starters. Once the well is finished, we can get a permit from the nearby national park to tap into the well and create an off-shoot pipe that will allow us to direct water a few kilometers away where we can create a fresh waterhole for the elephants and other wildlife.

Many tribes put up "scarecrows" around a water source in an attempt to scare animals away from the water. Some animals, especially elephants get frustrated and very angry when they can't do what they want to do...especially when it comes to finding water. Sometimes they retaliate by running through villages to find water, knocking down huts, and destroying crops...thus antagonizing the humans even more, which is when the humans hunt down and kill the animals.

Gathering water is often the responsibility of the children, who have to walk several miles every day just to gather water - whether it's clean or not - leaving little to no time to attend school. By building the school next to this well, we will create a convenient and efficient way for the children to gather water for their families while also having time to attend school. The Living School will be a secondary school with a focus on wildlife and environmental conservation, where children will learn about human/animal conflict, habitat destruction, and the effects of poaching.

Thanks for your question, Kelly!

Great Migration 5k Walk - Sept. 10, 2011

2011-08-11T15:43:00.000-07:00

The Great Migration 5k Walk to STOMP Out Poaching is back!

Our 2nd Annual Great Migration 5k Walk is September 10, 2011 and we need your support more than ever!

Last year we raised $3,000, which allowed us to get the land for the Living School in Northern Tanzania.

Here, human vs. animal conflict is extremely high. This Northern Tanzania Maasai tribe fights the local wildlife (elephants, lions, zebra, etc.) for rights to the only water source within 8 miles. It's dirty and polluted with fluoride and is causing severe birth defects. A well would significantly reduce the human vs. animal conflict over water and would provide a much needed clean source of water for the Living School students.

This year we need to raise $9,000 for the school's well, which needs to be established before we can begin building the school. This will ensure that the school is located close to the well where students can meet their family obilgations of gathering water while still getting an education.

EVENT DATE: Saturday, September 10, 2011 from 8am to 11am

LOCATION: Beach Park #1, 2509 Barnard Way, Santa Monica, CA 90405
(1 block north of where Ocean Park Blvd hits the beach.)
$5 parking is available at 2600 Barnard Way. Lot opens at 8am

Interested in volunteering? Email: MSlate@TheSlateFoundation.org

Join our list of sponsors by August 26th and get your company logo on our cool t-shirts!

Thanks so much for your continued support and we hope to see you there!

The Living School Project - See Us In Action!

2011-08-07T11:49:00.000-07:00

Unsafe Levels of Fluoride in Drinking Water Causes Birth Defects in Maasai Children

2011-08-07T11:30:00.000-07:00

Maasai children in Northern Tanzania are being born blind and with respiratory problems. These birth defects are attributed to the water source they drink from, which is polluted with fluoride. The unsafe levels of fluoride in their drinking water have been confirmed by scientists traveling through the area and are a well known fact among the local residents.

Congratulations Francis and Bahati Pello

2011-08-07T11:05:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to Francis and Bahati, our good friends in Tanzania, on the birth of their son, Mike Pello! We look forward to seeing him in person and will post pictures as soon they become available!

The Slate Foundation Receives 5 Star Award from GreatNonprofits

2011-05-26T11:01:00.000-07:00

A great big thank you to everyone who wrote a review for The Slate Foundation on GreatNonprofits. We have been awarded with a 5 star award acknowledging our creditability and impact. The award badge will be added to our website soon!

Don't forget to register for the 2nd Annual Great Migration Against Poaching! Visit our GET INVOLVED page, then scroll down to EVENTS for details! See you at the starting line on July 24th!

A New Member's Story

2011-03-08T09:20:00.000-08:00

Following is one woman's brief story of how joining The Slate Foundation's program in the DRC has changed her life. Keep in mind that English is her second language.

I am Justine. I am satisfied by the women group. Since many days, I could not be able to have some money because I had not any service to do. Now I know how to sew. I have learnt without paying any money. A part of this, I am learning how feed animals like chicken, rabbit, got. Something which has astonished me is that the group is specialist in education. Notions which we considered that they are not important women are now integrated in it: it conservation. Protection of wildlife is they preoccupation.
This monkey is my realisation in my sewing activity. But we have again some problems: the sewing machines are not enough and we miss other kind of quality.

Bill's Notes from the Bush, Vol 3

2011-01-24T06:40:00.001-08:00

22nd January, 2011

Two days ago Mike and I found our first poached elephant just yards from the school property. It was recently killed...shot and the tusks had been cut off. I almost threw-up and cried. For anyone to see a dead elephant is traumatic. I felt like there were elephant spirits around telling us we shouldn't be here photographing it. I am trying to think of ways we can use this experience to teach the children.

We also saw an 800lb, 6 year old male lion that had just killed a 2,000 lb water buffalo. He had so much blood all over his face that I thought he had been injured in the kill. He wasn't injured, but he was so full he passed out with a thud on the ground. Mike was driving the truck and let his foot off the clutch, which made the truck jump forward...that lion jumped up so fast, I thought he was going to lunge at us.

I also filmed wild ostriches running and doing mating dances. The one in this photo blends right into the bush in the photo, but you can't miss them in the wild.

Still waiting on the final paperwork for the transfer of the land for the Living School and Community Center. We are suppose to have a big celebration on Tuesday, so we better have that letter or there won't be a celebration. We can't start building until we have that letter.

We hired a Maasai, named Francis, who is working for The Slate Foundation as a guide in all aspects from translating Swahili and Maasai, to buying supplies. We are facing a dilemma of saving animals vs living in a culture that slaughters their meat right before they eat it. It makes you appreciate all the meat you eat and you have to remind yourself to not become friends with the goats.

The people here are facing some major issues. The only water well that services this village is too shallow, about 6 meters. It is contaminated with fluoride which is causing birth defects and rotting people's teeth. The well should be 30 meters to avoid contamination. Mothers also have to walk 17 km to get to the nearest medicine dispensary to get medicine for a sick child. The problem is that by the time she returns home, other children are affected by the disease so she takes the medicine for one child and distributes it to many...making the disease/bacteria only stronger instead of healing the children. So she ends up with many sick kinds and no way to help them.

Education is needed for so many things here: wildlife appreciation, sanitation, health, antibiotics/medicine. We have to get this school built!

All for now!
Bill

Elephant Kills A Villager

2011-01-16T11:18:00.000-08:00

Just today, an elephant killed a villager who surprised it outside the village of Msakini, Tanzania. Now the villagers are organizing a group to trek and kill the elephant. Bill is trying to stop them. He is trying to explain to them that if you keep killing the animals every time something like this happens there won't be any left, tourists won't come and spend money, and that there are other ways of dealing with animals than killing them. He also told them that this is why we are there...to help people deal with animal encounters, to teach people how to live with animals. We don't know yet how this will end.

Baby Elephant Migrating Across The Living School Land

2011-01-15T19:21:00.000-08:00

One of the many new friends Bill and Mike have made on the school land in the village of Mswakini, Tanzania.

Bill's Notes from the Bush, Vol 2

2011-01-09T15:45:00.001-08:00

10th December, 2010

I am way out in the bush in the village of Makuyuni, which is about and hour and fifteen minutes west of Arusha. I am staying at a very small "hotel", fighting mosquitoes and tsetse flies. It's hot, but I have a fan and I usually have running water. I also have a normal toilet, but I have to use a bucket to flush it...oh, the comforts of life!

After weeks of looking at land for the perfect place to build our Living School Project, I have found it! It is in the animal corridor like we wanted between Tarangire National Park and Lake Manyara National Park. We will be working with a new Maasai Tribe, who has agreed to donate 60 acres of land on which we can build the school and preserve as habitat land.

This was not a quick process by any means. I have sat in many meetings with the High Tribal Council, local leaders like Mr. Telo the former District Warden (a.k.a. the Mayor), and Mr. Mlay the District Executive Director (a.k.a. the District Governor).

At first the Maasai wondered who this Mzungu (white man) was and they were very much afraid of the government taking their school and their land away from them. After spending a lot of time with them and explaining the many programs we would like to bring to them with this school, I finally settled on one simple description, "It's a private secondary school for the very poor."

The Maasai loved this description. Every day someone thanks me for coming here to build the school and tells me how they wish they could have had an opportunity to go to the Living School. They even allowed three women to become part of the high tribal council, something that has never been done before. Mr. Telo, the former District Warden has explained to them how involved my wife, Madison is and how important she is to me, and that they as a tribe need to also evolve and involve their women. As a result they invited these three women into the council meeting. They haven't made a peep, but they are there.

There will be a final high council meeting soon, where everyone will sign the land papers over to The Slate Foundation Limited and then we can start building.

22 December, 2010

Mike Niemann, the amazingly gifted architect, who is donating his time and talent to help us build the Living School, has finally arrived in Kilimanjaro after the worst flight experience in the history of travel to Africa. I’ll take you through his trip so you can fully appreciate his efforts as much as we do! On 19th December, torrential rains in Santa Monica delayed him long enough to miss his flight in Frankfurt, Germany. With Frankfurt being snowed in and the only flight heading to the continent of Africa being one to Johannesburg, South Africa, Mike took the opportunity to at least be on the right continent. He left somewhere within a day after arriving in Frankfurt and after sleeping in the airport he arrived in Jo-berg on Monday, 20th December. With no flights leaving to Tanzania, Mike had to take a flight to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, that departed the next day and Mike had to again sleep in an airport with one eye open and his carry-on’s tied firmly to his body. The next day, 21st December, he arrived in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, where he learned that they do fly into Tanzania, but not until the following day. So, Mike would again have to sleep in a strange city. This time, he splurged on an unknown hotel somewhere near the airport where he soon learned that he still would not be sleeping because there were no locks on the hotel doors and people were jumping from balcony to balcony breaking into hotel rooms. They did, however, have a shower, his first in almost 3 days. Somehow he made it back to the airport the next morning to catch his final flight into Kilimanjaro, Tanzania, where I picked him up in our little rented truck that was being held together by floss. Welcome to Africa, Mike!

1 January, 2011
I didn't even realize it was New Year's Eve last night. We finally found an amazing truck! It’s a real bush truck too. Good-bye crappy little truck! Of course it was a whole new adventure finding it, but it was worth the energy. I haven’t been able to send many pictures because the internet in Mto Wa Mbu is very slow. It took me hours to email this one picture of the truck with me, Willie, and Mike.

Now, after being here for almost two months already, I am still waiting on one more signature and stamp from one of the village leaders on the land transfer paper. There was a local election and there is a new land manager, who we will have to meet with and get to know. Once he signs the paper we will have to take that paper back to Mr. Mlay for approval and the transfer of land will be complete. Then Mike can really start planning the build. We are both getting antsy. Once the school is built, the Maasai will donate another 50 acres of land. The locals have put in a good word for us with the new land manager and I think that will help move things along.

Entering into a new culture is an interesting experience. We feel like we are bringing such a great project to these people and the people get it, but everything moves very slowly (in Swahili, it’s Poli Poli, slow slow) compared to our culture.

All for now...from the bush!

Bill's Notes from the Bush, Vol 1

2010-12-30T14:46:00.000-08:00

19, November 2010

I've spent a week in the city of Dar es Salaam and I am starting to go stir-crazy. I am ready to get back into the bush. I've rented a car and the same driver, Willie, who scares me to death with his "pass four semi-trucks going up a blind hill when it's pitch black out" style of driving, but I know what I'm getting with Willie and so I keep hiring him. I am staying at the Jambo Inn, the lowest of low-rent places you can find, but I did splurged on a room with a fan!

David, the student we hired last time we were here and taught to film is also here. I was constantly surprised by his eagerness to learn and the way he guarded the cameras with his life. This time, however, I feel he has other things on his mind. We shall see.

Tomorrow we depart for Moshi, Arusha, and Makuyuni. Hopefully we will make it in one day, but you never know. We have rented a crappy little Rav-type truck, but it's all we can afford on our budget. We need to leave very early because it's not safe to travel at night...actually, it's not very safe to travel during the day either.

All for now!
Bill

The Selma Oritt Foundation Donation!

2010-12-30T14:11:00.000-08:00

The Slate Foundation is honored to be the recipient of The Selma Oritt Foundation's donation of $7,499.40 to build the Living School Project! We are so grateful of their generous donation and of their valuable support and advice. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

A Road Through The Serengeti

2010-11-16T21:51:00.000-08:00

The New York Times reported on the possible building of a road through the Serengeti. This road, which is being planned by the President and government of Tanzania, has the potential to be extremely harmful to the wildlife and ecosystem of the Serengeti. While many environmentalists voice their concern for the damage it will cause, others say that it will help bridge the gap between the poor who live North of the National Park and currently do not have a direct mode of transportation or easy access to the surrounding areas. The Tanzanian government argues that the road will help alleviate poverty, but many say that a road can be build around the Serengeti that will achieve the same thing.

Watch a clip from the NY Times article linked below and read the whole story.

http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2010/10/30/world/africa/20101031-serengeti.html?ref=africa

Lions Extinct by 2020

2010-10-08T12:40:00.000-07:00

Did you know there are only an estimated 20,000 lions left in the world? This number is way down from the estimated 450,000 that existed in the 1940's.

The Slate Foundation is generating awareness of the loss of wildlife populations because of habitat loss, poaching, poisoning and other threats through our Living School Project. It's a school in Tanzania that focuses curriculum on environmental conservation.

You can help by donating to the Living School Project right on our website. Just click on the "DONATE" button now!

The Slate Foundation is "Doing Good"!!

2010-10-04T18:09:00.001-07:00

The Slate Foundation received a write-up on Canvas On Demand's "Doing Good" website recognizing the work we are going. We have also been selected to receive a $100 gift certificate, which will be given out at one of our upcoming events...stay tuned and be sure to sign-up for our 5k event!

Take a look and spread the word:

http://cool.canvasondemand.com/category/donation/

The Great Migration 5k Walk Against Poaching

2010-10-04T09:55:00.000-07:00

The Slate Foundation is in the news!!!! A great, big thank you goes out to our friend and editor of the Century City News, Michael Carlin for spreading awareness about our cause. Now all YOU have to do is sign up! Come support The Living School Project at our 5k Walk on October 17th!

Copy and paste this link into your browser to register:
http://www.theslatefoundation.org/greatmigration.html

Purchasing Safe Halloween Candy...for Orangutans!

2010-09-28T10:32:00.000-07:00

Laura Bottaro, Mammal Curator at the Oklahoma City Zoo and TSF Board Member has a great idea for a safe Halloween...

Did you know that most candy is made with palm oil? Most of that palm oil is harvested from the same ecosystem that orangutans, Sumatran rhinos, tigers and elephants depend on for survival. This year, when you are choosing which Halloween candy to buy please choose candy made by a company that is a member of the RSPO (Round Table on Sustainable Palm Oil) and are committed to using certified sustainable palm oil. You can visit this link below to see a list of snack names and companies that are doing their best to make a difference for these endangered animals:

Copy and paste link into your browser:
http://www.cmzoo.org/docs/palmOilCandyGuide2010.pdf

Have a safe Halloween and make it safe for animals too!

Giraffe facts

2010-09-20T12:53:00.000-07:00

A Giraffe is the tallest of all living land mammals

A Giraffe stands while sleeping.

Each Giraffe has its own unique pattern of coat markings.

The Giraffe has seven neck vertebrae like a human, despite its long neck.

Giraffes are well known for their long necks, long legs, and spotted patterns. Giraffes have small "horns" or knobs on top of their heads that grow to be about five inches long. These knobs are used to protect the head in fights.

Male giraffes are larger than females. Males weigh between 2,400 and 3,000 pounds and stand up to 19 feet tall! Female giraffes weigh between 1,600 and 2,600 pounds and grow to be 16 feet tall.

Giraffes live in the savannas of Africa, where they roam freely among the tall trees, arid land, dense forests and open plains.

Student birds ready to learn.

2010-09-16T15:08:00.000-07:00

Hey our first visitors / volunteers to our land in Africa. It’s the property of the Living School project.

Panda bear rocking!

2010-09-16T14:46:00.000-07:00

Our friend and supporter Lisa Beagles Jeanetta thought everyone would love this photo.

Jennifer (TSF Volunteer) cuddling with the lions.

2010-09-02T09:22:00.000-07:00

Cuddling with the lions:
While I was working in a refugee camp in Zambia I took a short vacation in Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe. I’m a cat person and one of my dreams has always been to cuddle with a lion. There, they have an animal sanctuary where they take in orphaned animals, including lions. One of the ways that this organization funds itself is by charging tourists to spend an afternoon on an elephant back safari, or better, spend an afternoon hanging out with the lions. The program is called “Lion Encounter,” and that was exactly what it was. I literally got to cuddle with lions. As a note, anyone who is allergic to house cats will find they are probably also allergic to lions, so don’t forget to take your Claritin!

Interested in the Wildlife of Yellowstone?

2010-08-30T15:23:00.000-07:00

The wolf watching community of Yellowstone has a really cool website that offers beautiful photos of wolves and information about Yellowstone, its issues, and its wildlife. I hope this photo by Sue Oliver will inspire you to check it out! www.yellowstonereports.com

Earth Day in Los Angeles

2010-04-23T08:21:00.000-07:00

New Mexico wilderness guide Stuart Wilde, right, leads a llama named K-2, as Michael Carlin, a Slate Foundation friend, leads Raja down Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles Thursday, April 22, 2010, in honor of Earth Day. The two men brought the llamas into the city to inspire people to park their cars, go for a walk to ease traffic and help save the planet.

Empowered Congolese Women March

2010-04-21T23:23:00.000-07:00

Ownership of chicken and rabbit farms is truly changing the lives of single mothers in the D.R. Congo. Not only are these entrepreneurs using the income earned from selling chicken eggs and investing in sewing businesses, they are feeling empowered. On March 8, 2010, over 500 women marched against violence towards women, of which so many of them are victims. We can all learn from their courage.