Earlier this year Wildlife ACT Fund’s Community Conservation Director Bruce Lombardo and The Barry and Patricia Wakeman Education Foundation nominated Wildlife ACT Fund’s Community Conservation Liaison Thulani Thusi for the Disney Conservation Hero Award. We are thrilled to announce that the nomination was successful and that Thulani has been awarded the Disney Conservation Hero Award and is one of nineteen conservation heroes across the world.[caption id="attachment_8857" align="aligncenter" width="1872"]
Thulani Thusi[/caption]Thulani is a passionate conservationist who was nominated not only for his dedication to the Tembe-Ndumo Community Conservation Project in South Africa for the Wildlife ACT Fund but also for his long history of work in the Tembe-Ndumo community before he joined us. Thulani has earned the respect of his fellow Tembe tribe members, and is frequently present at tribal meetings between his people, the parks, and other tribal communities. He played a pivotal role in convincing the surrounding community to support the release of wild dogs in the Tembe Elephant Park. He has made strides in conservation education within the communities including attempts to establish a Bhekibantu community conservation corridor between the Tembe Elephant Park and eastern Ndumo Game Reserve.[caption id="attachment_7856" align="aligncenter" width="939"]
Thulani Thusi teaching a conservation class.[/caption]We are so proud of Thulani and our entire Community Conservation team who work tirelessly to promote conservation in surrounding communities and endeavor to create comprehensive conservation education programs.Photographs by Bruce Lombardo
