Art for Gorillas

Category: Art of Conservation (AoC), art | Date: Jun 02 2008 | By: Julie

What are people’s negative and positive impact on the environment?

How do our art students express their thoughts on the environment?

Will a healthy environment immediately benefit these students and their families?

What human behaviors are acceptable or not acceptable when caring for our natural surroundings?

Let’s take a look at illustrations from our Art of Conservation students when presented with these questions. To begin with, we look at the NEGATIVE / DESTRUCTIVE impacts.

Polluting our Rivers and Lakes

A number of students believe people have a negative impact on the environment when human excrement enters into the lakes and rivers. Below, four illustrations.

Illustration #1

Illustration #2

Illustration #3

Illustration #4

Collette is drawing her ideas on the negative impact of people on the environment.

Students concentrating and drawing.

Much more to come!
Julie

Tags: Art of Conservation (AoC), Gorilla Doctors @ WildlifeDirect

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Category: Art of Conservation (AoC), art | Date: May 08 2008 | By: Julie

Lesson Where Proportion Helps us Observe More of the World Around Us - DRAWING the HUMAN HEAD

Firstly, I wish to begin with a quick response to Paula and Theresa’s comments from the last post Life Without Art and Music? Paula, please visit us here in Rwanda and show us how to make a Podcast of the children singing to share on the blogs. We would love it! And Theresa, I am happy to hear you can find some joy while viewing
Art for Gorillas. Simon Thomsett from his blog here on Wildlife Direct expresses better than I can by writing, ‘Africa is a continent of extremes, with vast depressing troughs and wonderful peaks… human poor and unimaginably wealthy… rain and drought…’

I grew up in a family that had and continues to have a wonderful combination of creativity and seriousness. I believe if I can’t laugh and play and create in the face of the challenges life presents, then it would be hard to cope and I most certainly wouldn’t be doing any service to the animals and people here in Africa, which is why I’m here in Rwanda. If it appears like our Art of Conservation students are having fun while they are in class learning and creating new ideas, then I am extremely happy as well. Equally important, I think, is what the students are teaching us. Thanks, Paula and Theresa, for your comments and support.

Our young student stands in front of the chalkboard. Eric and Fahad, Art of Conservation’s art instructors, help us learn to see and draw the human head in proportion.

Below, two drawings from Shingiro adult student Pierre Damien SENDUGU.

Picture 1

Picture 2

Fahad is holding a ruler and measures Eric’s head!

Below, two drawings by 12 year old student, Fabrice ISHIMWE.

Picture 1

Picture 2

Above, Eric is helping students in his kind and gentle way.

Below, two drawings by Eric HAKIZIMANA - age 14.

Picture 1

Picture 2

More again soon with Putting Things in Proportion: Part 2.

Julie

Tags: Art of Conservation (AoC), Team AoC (Team Art of Conservation)

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Category: Art of Conservation (AoC), art | Date: May 06 2008 | By: Julie

That’s like imagining the Virunga Forest WITHOUT mountain gorillas, forest buffaloes, golden monkeys, and forest elephants (yikes!).

ART -
WITHOUT art, the crudeness of reality would make the world unbearable.
George Bernard Shaw

Recently, we, Valerie, Eric, Fahad, and I, brought to our Art of Conservation classes a variety of additional artist’s tools. Due to time and financial resource constraints, we will most likely not get to a lesson dedicated to experimenting with acrylics or oils on canvas, for example. This is OK - we cover a lot in our three-month courses - but we still want to briefly expose our students to a few other possibilities and choices for making art.

Eric with a handful of brushes.

Outside of our classroom at Nyabigoma Primary School, Fahad sets up his easel and canvas and shows a box of oil paints for students to check out.

Valerie helps me show the contents of this paint set which includes watercolors, gouaches, brushes, watercolor pencils and a selection of papers.

Umuvumu is the name in Kinyarwanda for the two tall trees standing on opposite sides of this footpath leading toward the house that is located outside of the park. Impuzu is the word in the same language for ‘barkcloth’ which is made from this tree. Fahad and Eric stretch barkcloth to use as their canvases.

MUSIC -
WITHOUT music, life would be a mistake.
Friedrich Nietzsche

In addition to art materials, we bring to class any musical instrument we can get our hands on. No one really knows how to play the guitar, but who cares? Sometimes it is just great to make noise.

Saturday and Sunday mornings as Team AoC bounces along the volcanic ground in my truck heading toward the schoolhouse, we can see the children clapping their hands and as we get closer we soon hear the children singing. We hand one of the kid’s the classroom door key, they unlock the door and continue singing as everyone settles in for the art class.

Bob Marley sings, “One good thing about music, when it hits you, you feel no pain.”

Music washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life.
Berthold Auerbach

Life WITHOUT art, music, and mountain gorillas…NO WAY!
Julie Ghrist

Tags: Art of Conservation (AoC), Parc National des Volcans (PNV)

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Category: Art of Conservation (AoC), art | Date: Apr 26 2008 | By: Julie

Art of Conservation welcomes Dr. Lucy, MGVP’s regional veterinary manager and WildlifeDirect’s Gorilla Doctors, to this weeks classes.

Lesson Where Art Tells a Story is the theme for students to consider as they listen to Dr. Lucy share the story of Nzeli, a female mountain gorilla in Bwenge Group in the Karisoke Habitat.

Our students receive the worksheet pictured below for illustrating a beginning, a middle, and an end to this real life action that takes place in the nearby forest,
Parc National des Volcans.

Worksheet. Every story has a beginning, a middle, and an end.

Let’s take a look at the BEGINNING of our story with the help of class volunteers. Valerie, with her ever-expanding knowledge of veterinarian terms, interprets for Lucy.

Shingiro’s adult class.
Nzeli, an adult female gorilla, is being pursued by two male gorillas - Bwenge, an old silver back of Bwenge Group and Twizere, a lone silver back. The males flank Nzeli and pull her arms and legs resulting in serious injuries to her foot and hand.

Saturday’s kids class.
After receiving a call from the forest from ORTPN staff, Dr. Lucy knows she must check on Nzeli and possibly intervene as the reports are suggesting the female gorilla is severely injured.

Sunday’s kids class.
Lots of giggling here from students and volunteers as two boys pretend to fight over the young girl seated and acting to be Nzeli. The other volunteers pictured above act as members of Bwenge Group and won’t enter into the ensuing romantic entanglement.

Below, student’s illustrations of the story’s BEGINNING.

Picture 1

Picture 2

Picture 3

Moving now to the MIDDLE of our story, Dr. Lucy asks for volunteers to pose as trees. Using the dense vegetation as her cover, she pretends to prepare the blow gun she would normally use to administer antibiotics to her patients. The vets would never let any of the gorillas discover what is about to happen…a syringe, frequently referred to as a ‘flying dart’ is filled with antibiotics and is placed inside a 54 inch-long tube which then attaches to a blow gun. When triggered, the gun, with an oxygenated cartridge, propels the flying dart and hopefully hits the patient in the correct place - all occurring without any gorilla taking notice.

Posing as trees in the forest, volunteers shield Nzeli’s view of Dr. Lucy who will clandestinely prepare her flying dart and blow gun.

When first asked how veterinarians give medicine to a wild gorilla in the forest, some guesses included the vet giving an ill gorilla a banana with the medicine hidden in the fruit. Not a bad idea, but we soon learn it’s not that easy.

I think our students developed a better understanding of how wild gorillas are given medicine when the veterinarians believe it is necessary. The pictures below show the vet in a distance and not right next to their patient.

Picture 1

Picture 2

Picture 3

Again, volunteers posing as trees.

Dr. Lucy in action!

Picture 1

Picture 2

Intending for the flying dart to hit Nzeli’s upper thigh, Dr. Lucy holds the empty syringe near our actresses leg.

THE (happy) END. Nzeli recovers from her injuries with the help of antibiotics and - just as my dad who was a MD often prescribed to aid many ailments, ‘Get it out in the sun!’

Picture 1

Picture 2

Let the art begin!

Thanks to Dr. Lucy and all of our guests who graciously take time to visit Art of Conservation classes and speak with our students. Through discussion and art lessons, we all gain a better understanding of what it entails to care for wild animals, forests, and people. Perhaps budding artists and / or veterinarians are blossoming as we speak.

Until next time,
Julie

Tags: Art of Conservation (AoC), Gorilla Doctors @ WildlifeDirect, Mountain Gorilla Vet Project, Inc. (MGVP), Parc National des Volcans (PNV), Rwanda Park & Tourism (ORTPN)

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Category: Art of Conservation (AoC), art | Date: Apr 24 2008 | By: Julie

Forest Elephants, Loxodonta africana cyclotis, is the last in our series of
Animals of the Virunga Forest. Pictures below are from Sunday’s
Art of Conservation students, 9 to 14 years of age.

Six watercolors. You may discern from the student’s pictures the tusks of Forest Elephants are pointed in a downward position compared with savannah elephant’s more curved tusks. Click here to get expert information on Forest Elephants, Dzanga Forest Elephants.

Pencil drawing.

More vital information on elephants here, Elephant Voices and here, Ethiopian Elephants.

Ah, these adorable kids!

It is difficult for me to unwind after Saturday and Sunday children’s classes. I receive such a big boost of energy being with the kids and working with Team AoC: Valerie, Eric and Fahad.

Sunday’s group of children learn more about Mountain Gorillas and Forest Elephants.

We’ll explore more animals, plus bugs and birds of the Virunga Forest in future
Art of Conservation classes.
Please stay tuned.

Julie

Tags: Art of Conservation (AoC), Team AoC (Team Art of Conservation)

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Category: Art of Conservation (AoC), art | Date: Apr 21 2008 | By: Julie

We just love GOLDEN MONKEYS! Cercopithecus mitis ssp. kandti

Kids in Saturday’s Art of Conservation class learn about golden monkeys.

Pencil drawing and watercolor by Pacifique MFITUMUKIZA.

All AoC classes this week begin with Eric’s instruction on how to draw a mountain gorilla. Then Fahad follows with instruction on how to draw a second animal one can find in the nearby Virunga Forest. Shingiro adults studied Forest Buffaloes and now Saturday’s students consider Golden Monkeys.

Pictures made by NTIRENGANYA.

Found in the bamboo forests, this primate weighs 10 to 15 pounds.

TUYIRINGIRE’s pictures.

Habitat loss through agriculture, wood extraction, human encroachment and illegal harvesting continue to be the major threats to this animal.

Student BIZIMANA’s creative expressions of a Golden Monkey.

Thank you Theresa and Professor Minor for your recent comments. I’ll share here the quote Vernon Minor shared with me.
All children are artists. The problem is how to remain an artist once one grows up. Pablo Picasso.

Fahad still busy at the chalkboard.

A student examining his work.

Julie

Tags: Art of Conservation (AoC), Mountain Gorilla Vet Project, Inc. (MGVP)

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Category: Art of Conservation (AoC), art | Date: Apr 18 2008 | By: Julie

Eric taught us how to draw a mountain gorilla and now we move on to Fahad’s instruction on how to draw a forest buffalo.

Forest buffalo, Syncerus caffer nanus, not to be confused with a savannah buffalo!

Below, Annonciata NTAWIZERA, a student from Art of Conservation’s Shingiro adult class draws and paints a forest buffalo.

Forest buffaloes, smaller than savannah buffaloes, are below 120cm in height and 320kg in weight. Their smaller, but heavy build, short legs and slow pace isn’t a disadvantage to them when they want to retreat into the dark forest cover. Annonciata’s pictures above show the animal’s small, back-swept horns - unlike the savannah buffalo’s enormous bossed horns.

Here’s a collection of watercolors from 9 Shingiro artists.

Don’t forget about the other guys! While mountain gorillas are surely the claim to fame here in the Virungas, our students bring to light a few of the other wonderful animals inhabiting this area.

Fahad busy at the chalkboard.

I am not in the forest often and I have yet to see a forest buffalo, but as long as they are there doing their forest buffalo thing I am greatly satisfied.

Hmm, what Animal of the Virunga Forest will Art of Conservation students illustrate next?

Julie

Tags: Art of Conservation (AoC), Team AoC (Team Art of Conservation)

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Category: Art of Conservation (AoC), art | Date: Apr 17 2008 | By: Julie

Over the next few posts I’ll share with you pictures made by our
Art of Conservation students of several different animals that live in the Virunga Forest and a bit of information about these animals, their habitat and country statistics. I love the effort each student has put forth in their pictures, I hope you do too.

With pencil and paper, students from all three classes follow Eric’s instruction on
how to draw a mountain gorilla.

There are 740 mountain gorillas remaining in the world today with half of the population in the Virunga Forest and the other half in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest in Uganda. 70% of these mountain gorillas are visited by tourists each year.

The Virunga Forest - Parc National des Vocans (PNV) - consists of 125 Km2 of mountain forest and six Virunga Volcanoes: Karisimbi, Visoke, Mikeno, Sabyinyo, Gahinga, and Muhabura. Genetic similarity between people and gorillas is around 98%.

After the anatomical lesson of drawing a gorilla, students receive watercolor paper and paints and create a gorilla any way they desire!

Rwanda, where our art classes are being held, is a poor rural country with about 90% of the population engaged in mainly subsistence agriculture. A few of the environmental issues are deforestation, overgrazing, soil exhaustion, soil erosion and widespread poaching.

Primary school education enrollment has increased even if many of the children in primary school are above the official primary school age range, due to late entry and delays in their schooling. Only 8% of children aged 13 to 18 years are in secondary education.

This sweet young boy draws a great gorilla.

AIDS-HIV transmission, malaria, and tuberculosis are threatening diseases prevalent in Rwanda. So are food or waterborne diseases such as diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever.

Eric at the chalkboard with students following his instructions.

There is strong evidence suggesting that many primate species are susceptible to many of the infections that humans are afflicted with and that the transmission of infection can occur in both directions.

Please stay tuned for Fahad’s instruction of more VIRUNGA FOREST ANIMALSl!

Julie

Tags: Art of Conservation (AoC), Team AoC (Team Art of Conservation)

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Category: Art of Conservation (AoC), art | Date: Mar 12 2008 | By: Julie

Our Tuesday, Saturday, and Sunday Art of Conservation classes follow the same general format each week. We pick an art media and a theme. That way, the instruction each week is similar. Of course, every student is different. Our lesson last week was a drawing exercise using pencil and paper. Students were asked to draw a gorilla, a forest elephant, and a wild buffalo as they might appear IN the forest and then the same three wild animals as they might appear OUTSIDE of the forest, where outside is farmland or villages - or someone’s backyard. The drawings created by all 150 people (50 in each class), despite the fact that they live in different places near the gorilla park, were strikingly similar. The elusive forest elephants were the least anatomically correct animal whereas the wild buffalos and mountain gorillas were more recognizable. IN the forest, animals were always surrounded by foliage. OUTSIDE of the forest, the drawings show people wielding Rwanda’s ubiquitous yellow jerrycans and pangas, (machetes) and yelling to fend off the animals.

Below, is a collection or sample I put together from twenty-two different drawings from the drawing exercise showing wild animals OUTSIDE of the forest and how people react.

Nyabigoma Primary School’s headmaster was with us on Saturday for class. He told me that he has 669 children enrolled in school with only six classrooms and seven teachers and limited materials.

Kids drawing.

Most classes we begin with physical exercises that I hope help make everyone feel more relaxed. We begin with breathing and then move on to stretching, balancing and trying various yoga poses. I try to make it fun and positive for everyone.

Balance is an important concept in the interconnectedness of life.

More again soon,
Julie

Tags: Art of Conservation (AoC), Gorilla Doctors @ WildlifeDirect, Mountain Gorilla Vet Project, Inc. (MGVP)

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Category: Art of Conservation (AoC), art | Date: Mar 06 2008 | By: Julie

Our first week of classes consisted primarily of attending to the class lists and introducing the project. Team AoC has learned that the first class meetings can be a bit trying due to the number of students who show up. While the district secretaries and school headmasters do their best in providing us with a list of 50 individuals they wish to participate in AoC’s classes, many more people show up and insist on staying. We explain to the extras that it is difficult to provide the materials and space for more than 50 people. Many of them do not even know what we are offering, but to them it is perhaps a missed opportunity which may offer aid to their hard lives.

Valerie, Fahad, and Eric are busy getting the names, ages, and level of education from the children of Nyabigoma Primary School.

Tuesday mornings, Valerie, Eric, Fahad, and I travel approximately 9 kilometers west and a little south of Ruhengeri/Musanze Town, where we all live, as if one is heading to Lake Kivu which is located on the border of Rwanda and DRC. From this tarmac road, we head north and bounce along for about 5.7 kilometers to Shingiro Sector Office. The landscape is pretty. Not every inch of land is cultivated so the natural outcropping of the volcanic rock presents a more rough and freer place. Trees are taller and are not organized systematically.

Telesphore NSENGIYUMVA, Executive Secretary of Shingiro Sector, spent time with
Art of Conservation’s team describing the challenges his communities face, such as wild buffaloes leaving the nearby Protected Area,
Parc National des Volcans (PNV), and wreaking havoc on people’s property, otherwise known as crop raiding. A dry stone wall is in place around much of the park’s perimeter to deter wild animals from coming out of the forest, but the buffaloes, forest elephants, golden monkeys, and mountain gorillas still manage to check out what is on the other side. Telesphore claims that poaching trees in the park occurs frequently. Some of this wood is then made into charcoal and sold. People, he says, survive day to day and at this level of reasoning they can’t embrace the protection of the park and its animals. Additionally, the 1994 genocide and the 1997 insurgence deeply affected this area of the Northern Province, leaving many orphans and widows. Many of these distraught individuals rely on prostitution as a means of survival and many are HIV positive. Polygamy is widely practiced here, but frowned upon by the government.

The students enrolled in the Shingiro art class range from 23 to 59 years of age and are either a community health worker or a traditional healer. The nearby health clinic is currently underway with improved health care orchestrated by Laura Clauson and the CCHIPS program. For more information on Laura and CCHIPS, please see Clinics Rising.

We started drawing at the second class meeting in Shingiro. We asked the students to draw a picture of a mountain gorilla, wild buffalo, and forest elephant as they would be in the forest, using pencil. After some initial giggling and moaning, they started drawing. Then we asked the students to draw the same animals as they would appear outside of the forest. Below are drawings by student Jean Domicille NKUYAHAGA.

Nyabigoma Primary School is not quite as far away as Shingiro but in a pretty area, as well. From here, one can see many of the six Virunga Volcanoes, the tallest being Karisimbi at 14,187 feet / 4,324 meters. We will be here every Saturday and Sunday for the next few months, reaching out to 100 kids. Eric did all the talking about the project on Sunday as I relaxed in the back of the class with Valerie translating to me Eric’s words and I am so glad I did. I was taken by Eric’s poetic description on how everything is connected and how during the time together we would be learning from each other. I think the kids felt the same way because when he finished speaking, no one moved. Then they started clapping. Wow, I am fortuntate to be working with such people.

A look at some of the faces of AoC’s students.

In closing, here are a few photographs showing some of the places, locally, a Rwandan and a visitor can view art being made in our classes.

Jean hangs the banners every morning and takes them down every evening.

Students paint their own design on AoC T-Shirts.

L’Hotel Muhabura manager, Desiree GATARAYIHA, and Valerie stand next to art displayed at the hotel’s restaurant.

Dr. Lucy Spelman, MGVP, at Kinigi’s ORTPN headquarters.

Until the next posting,
Julie

Tags: Art of Conservation (AoC), Gorilla Doctors @ WildlifeDirect, Mountain Gorilla Vet Project, Inc. (MGVP), Rwanda Park & Tourism (ORTPN), Team AoC (Team Art of Conservation)

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