{"id":211,"date":"2012-10-26T15:27:57","date_gmt":"2012-10-26T19:27:57","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/practiceconservation.com\/?p=211"},"modified":"2012-10-26T15:27:57","modified_gmt":"2012-10-26T19:27:57","slug":"sharing-the-elephants-burden","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/practiceconservation.com\/?p=211","title":{"rendered":"Sharing the elephants’ burden"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>As I looked for ways that we all can get involved in elephant protection, I kept coming upon the same request- \u201cDonate Now\u201d- and, in some ways, that was very disappointing because I was hoping to get more directly involved. But, after investigating some of the issues in elephant conservation, I began to feel this was a request that needed to be responded to in a thoughtful manner. In quite a few ways, saving elephants is about money- in some areas, park rangers have gasoline for poaching patrols because people made donations; enlarging reserves to prevent environmental damage from too-dense populations takes money; Blignaut et al. (2008) calculated that Masai farmers in Amboseli NP lost $10\/acre in crops per year to elephants. And, although it may seem as if only huge donations can make a difference, some costs aren\u2019t that monumental- when Blignaut et al. (2008) applied their calculations to all farmers in Africa who face elephant damage to crops and then divided that amount by the number of families in the Western world, it worked out to a yearly contribution of\u00a0 \u033460\u00a2 per family; from that perspective, fostering goodwill by reimbursing farmers for elephant damage seems pretty reasonable. And I do think it\u2019s important to consider what we, individually, are willing to give to ensure the survival of elephants in the wild. I can say that I support elephant conservation all I want, but, at the end of the day, I don\u2019t have to live with them or experience their direct impact on my life- if I want people in elephant habitats to be tolerant of the giants in their midst, I think it\u2019s only fair that I also pitch in and feel some indirect consequences of elephant conservation in my wallet.<\/p>\n

Donations can be personal.<\/strong> Although conservation organizations are quite happy take your donation with no strings attached, there are ways that you can specify what you want that money to do. Both the Nature Conservancy<\/a> and Save Nature<\/a> have \u2018Adopt an Acre\u2019 programs; in the latter you can choose which park to support. Many people are also familiar with the \u2018Adopt a Wild Animal\u2019 programs that funnel donations into species conservation programs (for example with the World Wildlife Fund<\/a>). But you may also want to think about other ways that money can be used. One theme that was mentioned again and again by conservation foundations working in Africa and Asia was educational programs, especially for children living near conservation projects. By providing educational opportunities and the supplies needed to take advantage of them, you can both help communities become better prepared for the future and foster long-term environmental stewardship. Through the African Wildlife Foundation<\/a> you can give to the Manyara Ranch Primary School and through the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust<\/a> you can indicate specific school supplies or experiences that you want to support. There are also a variety of ways that the money for donations can be raised<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Can I help without money?<\/strong> Absolutely. There are a variety of actions you can take right now that all contribute to elephant conservation or the conservation of other large herbivores:<\/p>\n