Buzzworm Earth BlogEnvironmental solutions and conservation news.

Lewa Wildlife Conservancy

While the massive 263sqkm Lewa Wildlife Conservancy, just south of Isiolo, could boast about their luxury lodges, stunning scenery, astounding wildlife activities and having often hosted Prince William, they’d rather talk about their community and conservation projects.

Founded in 1995, LWC now spends an amazing 305 of its budget on health care and education for surrounding villages, 40% towards community projects, with the remainder funding conservation and security. To help raise awareness and funds they host one of the world’s most rewarding and exhausting marathons.

The conservancy effort has been astounding and 20% of the world’s Grevy’s Zebras, 8% of Kenya black rhinos, rare populations of white rhinos, elephants, buffaloes, leopards, lions and cheetahs now call this magical place home.

Wildlife drives in private vehicles aren’t permitted and only guests of the LWC’s lodges are allowed onto the conservancy. A plethora of activities, ranging from drives (day &night) and walks to horse riding and camel rides, are available at most lodges. Guests are encouraged to take part in conservation activities, like tracking and tagging animals.

Sleeping and Eating

Lewa House

(Exclusive use per night, incl wildlife drives US$840)

Six sub-lime thatched-roof African chalets, comfortably sleeping 12 people, form Lewa house, privacy is guaranteed since its rented only to one group at a time,. For full board, add US$ 120 per person per night.

Lewa safari camp

(Full board s/d incl wildlife drives US$285/570, closed Nov)

Twelve luxurious octagonal tents hang beneath charming thatched roofs and offer up privacy and a slice of the African safari dream. The lounge, dining room, food and service are all top-notch.

Wilderness Trails

(Full board s/d incl activities US$ 430/860, closed Apr, May &Nov)

Although the thatched cottages and pool are as breath taking as the views over the plains, none of Wilderness trails’ proceeds go towards LWC (unlike Lewa safari camp and Lewa House, which are non-profit and donate 100% of their proceeds), making it the least attractive accommodation option here.

There are some designated bush sites (no facilities) for camping, but after compiling the costs of camping, food, a guide and wildlife drives, you’re better off staying at the Lewa safari camp.

Getting there & Away

LWC is only 12 km south of Isiolo town and is well signposted on A2Hwy. Airkenya and safarilink have daily ‘request stop’ flights to LWC from Nairobi. Return fares on airkenya/safarilink are US$199/222

Running for Wildlife & Community Welfare-The Lewa Marathon

Its one thing to run a marathon to the encouraging screams of people, its entirely another to run it sharing the course with elephants, rhinos and the odd antelope! Established in 2000 to raise funds for wildlife conservation and community development, the Safaricom Marathon, run within the Lewa Conservancy is late June/early July, attracts world-record holders and is renowned worldwide as one of the planet’s toughest marathons.

Thanks to experienced rangers, helicopters and spotter planes, your only worry should be the heat and the 1700m average elevation.

Will you be slowed by repeatedly gazing into the bewildered eyes of nearby giraffes or will your legs speed on at the thought of cheetahs and lions lurking in the grass? Why not try it and find out?

Robert is a travel expert in Kenya east Africa and tour consultant with Landmark Safaris. Make a free enquiry on Lewa Wildlife Conservancy accommodation and Marathon here. http://www.landmarksafaris.com/planner/?refferer=ezinearticles

Alabama Moon – Trailer

what is the procedure of the organization of a story?

I am writing 5 civil war stories: Mark Geyser at the Wilderness, The Battle of Old Men and Young Boys, Promotion at the Crater, Weldon Railroad in the Sun, Amputation at Five Forks, and 1 Reconstruction story: The Marriage of Chris and Samantha during Reconstruction. And, I need to know the procedure on how to organize my stories for a movie that will be based on the books: Death in the Trenches: Filmed in Petersburg, Virginia, and the part Mark Geyser in the Wilderness, filmed wherever there is just brush, wood, bark, and limbs.

I think first write up the plot, do some freewriting to see what you can come up with. Build and flesh out your characters, put them in place in your mind, so that when you write you will know what they would do in a certain situation. Some writers I’ve heard, just write like that and wait and see what happens at the end. Others have the ending already figured out, though.

FLy Fishing West VIrginia Cranberry Wilderness by Deerhtr18

One hundred and fifty years ago the United States extended out to the frontier territory. The mighty Mississippi River was at the time the furthest west that civilized people had settled. Beyond the banks to the west of the river was the open range of the old west. The territories that were home to Native American Indian tribes and all manner of wild beasts, made their homes in the wilderness west of Mississippi River.

The untamed west was a dangerous place to traverse and only the experienced guides and trappers would venture out beyond the reaches of the civilized world. A large number of Native Americans made their homes in what is now Oklahoma, a land that is rich with the heritage of America’s first settlers. These industrious nomads respected the lands that gave them shelter and provided for their needs. Every animal that was hunted was a gift from the Great Spirits that was not to be wasted. As these simple people lived on the land they would cultivate a feeling of gratitude for the bounties that the spirits provided for them.

Today much of the state of Oklahoma is preserved as it was in the old west, the streams and rivers flowing through the land giving life to the many varieties of fish and wildlife that can still be found in the region. Visitors to the southeastern part of the state enjoy many of the same activities that the noble American Indians participated in. Fly fishing, canoeing, hiking and horseback riding on the trails near Beavers Bend. The difference being that nowadays travelers can rent Beaver Bend cabins rather than pitching tents in the scenic preservation of the Oklahoma wilderness.

Broken Bow Lake Cabins (http://www.brokenbowlakecabins.com) provides rents cabins to guests visiting the far southeast corner of Oklahoma. Renting Beavers Bend cabins in the Beavers Bend Resort Park puts visitors in touch the native Oklahoma wilderness. Billings Farnsworth is a freelance writer.

Our trip to Arbuckle Wilderness August 30, 2008

Where can I purchase a REALLY good topographical map of the Flat Tops Wilderness Area in Colorado?

My husband hunts and camps there every summer and the group has never been able to find a good map of the area. They use their GPS systems and their heads to navigate the difficult terrain. I’d like to get him one on the internet, but I’m not sure where to start…please help!

I think my first choice would be the Trails Illustrated maps from National Geographic. They are good quality topographic maps, and their trail information is relatively current.

Here’s their web site for Colorado maps:
http://www.natgeomaps.com/ti_colorado

Unfortunately, you need four different maps (#122, 123, 124, and 125) to cover the entire Flat Tops Wilderness.

You can buy the maps directly from this web site, or from other stores with outdoor supplies.

The best (but not necessarily current) topographic maps are from the United States Geological Survey; but with their scale of 1:24000 or 1:25000, you’d need a lot of maps to cover the entire wilderness area.
http://topomaps.usgs.gov/ordering_maps.html

If you want to view the USGS maps from your computer, you can order the TOPO! software for Colorado:
http://www.natgeomaps.com/topo_colorado

This is useful for exploring by map before or after the trip, but it’s not very practical to print out a lot of these maps from your home computer.

A previous answer mentioned the DeLorme maps. These are excellent for exploring an area (including back roads) by car, but they are not adequate for hiking.
http://shop.delorme.com/OA_HTML/DELibeCCtdItemDetail.jsp?beginIndex=0&item=108§ion=10096

Curious_45’s recommendation to contact the Forest Service is also good. The Flat Tops are split between two units — Medicine Bow & Routt National Forest, and White River National Forest. Here are their web sites for maps:
http://www.fs.fed.us/r2/mbr/maps/
http://www.fs.fed.us/r2/whiteriver/maps/

Maps made by the Forest Service aren’t as detailed as the USGS or Trails Illustrated maps, but might have the most current information on facilities such as roads and campgrounds. (Also, Forest Service maps are usually *not* topographic maps, unlike the other maps mentioned above.)

Colorado Wilderness 2009 HCS (1 of 2)