Art of Conservation

When I was child my mom and dad took my brother, sisters, and I to the Blank Park Zoo. We loved learning about the animals, meeting the zoo keepers, and taking rides on the childrens train. While growing up, I witnessed this small zoo in Des Moines, Iowa growing up too. I observed the generosity of civic leaders dedicated to developing it into a city landmark attracting both its residents as well as visitors. The zoo has always had an unusually strong base of volunteers too. Through my parents, I had my first look at the process of raising money for causes one feels strongly about. They got me involved in a capital campaign years ago. I painted zoo animals on the top rung of a picnic bench. Donors who pledged a certain amount received a bench.

As our world gets smaller and people infiltrate nearly every corner of the globe habitat lose for wild animals is shrinking. Blank Park Zoo remains vigilant and active in conservation. Art of Conservation recently received bags and bags of donated items from the zoo’s organized donation drive. Caring people donated all kinds of things that AoC is so thankful to be able to use in our classrooms.

AoC uses donated items received from Blank Park Zoo in our Rwandan classrooms.

Experimenting with color, we use the variety of craft materials donated from the zoo.

Exploring how color makes us feel, this young boy has fun with green felt.

It’s going to take more time for my team and I to thoughtfully give out all of the wonderful gifts from BPZ – shirts, paper, yarn – but each and every thing is greatly appreciated.

Here I am years ago at Blank Park Zoo after painting animals on the top rung of picinic benches for one of their fundraising events.

So as you can see, Blank Park Zoo not only nurtures the love of animals it is also an establishment that time and time again has proven to bring out the best in the human spirit – a place where people work together in making the world a healthier place for people and animals.

Thank you again Blank Park Zoo!

From Olivier

Fidele Bayama Kamanzi, Technical Advisor to Rwanda Tennis Federation (RTF), recently paid a visit to the Ibirunga Tennis & Running Club. He arrived with his tennis racket and had an energy about him that was undeniably positive. We introduced Mr. Kamanzi to all of the children. He said to the kids, “I want to make tennis and its benefits known to as many people as possible and promote children like you because you hold promise and inspiration to others. You may become future coaches so keep your job up and strive for being the best you possibly can be.”

I (left) listened to Mr. Kamanzi (middle) share RTF’s program and what they need from us as a key partner. Coach Tony listens.

Mr. Kamanzi thanked Art of Conservation for its Sports for Gorillas initiative and building a business for Rwandan adults, such as Coach Tony and requested our continued collaboration. We’ve all ready followed through with writing a letter to the district for the need of more courts which RTF would fund and support.

Wow, see a very beautiful photo at the Ibirunga courts.

Welcome again Bayama and bring more visitors to us!

From Julie

Disney Worldwide Conservation Fund selected AoC as one of the 75 organizations receiving funding this year. We are jumping for joy with this recent news. We will proudly continue with promoting gorilla conservation through education thanks to the generous contribution.

Thank you Disney Worldwide Conservation Fund from all of us at AoC.

From Julie
AoC’s recent visitors have given the team and I so much help and happiness that it’s hard to express the gratitude we feel. Alyson, Lori, Ellen, Tracy, and Carla have added to our work here in Rwanda in immeasurable ways and we eagerly await their return…. next year? We hope!

Lori, Ellen, and Carla are warmly welcomed to the AoC office by Eric and Eusebe.

Our visitors comprise of a member of our Board, an Advisory Counsel member, donors and volunteers, and new friends. How great is that? They arrived exuding energy and optimism and bearing gifts of excellent resource books and materials plus bags of donated supplies that we are donating directly to our partner schools as well as use in our daily classes, workshops, and initiatives

Alsyon, an AoC Advisory Counsel member, with Innocent and the director of Nyamurimirwa Primary School.

In addition to help in our office with lesson preparation, job descriptions, performance evaluation and more our visitors came to class with us. The children clapped as we spilled out of my tiny truck. Later, one of the students asked them why my mom had not come with them which we thought was very sweet.

Tracy and our teacher-in-training Jean Bosco compare their silverback mountain gorilla drawings. Carla looks on as Ellen is busy distributing more materials.

Ellen, a former teacher, felt right at home in the classroom and the children loved her.

So, friends, a BIG thank you and a BIG love for all that you have done and continue to do. We can’t do it without you! Cheers!

Recently, we received an email from Fidele at the Rwanda Tennis Federation (RTF) which has its office in Kigali, Rwanda’s capital city. Fidele’s message informed us that RTF wanted to donate tennis equipment to our club, the Ibirunga Tennis & Running Club in Musanze Town. We were happy to hear this news as was Coach Tony when we relayed the information to him.

Rwanda Tennis Federation’s secretary Chantal gives Coach Tony gifts for our Ibirunga Tennis & Running club.

Without much delay, Coach Tony and I headed to Kigali. Chantal, the federation’s secretary, warmly welcomed us and proceeded to hand Coach Tony tennis balls for beginners, junior rackets, and a used – but still better than what we have now – tennis net! We appreciate RTF’s donations. We know that the game of tennis has such an important impact on the individuals who can participate in the sport. We see maturity in all of the children AoC sponsors at the courts.

Jonathan and Coach Tony with a net donated by RTF.

Today’s blog by Eric, Olivier, and Innocent.
Approximately 786 mountain gorillas are alive today living in their natural habitat; the Virunga Massif and Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. Four orphaned mountain gorillas are in a forested sanctuary in Virunga National Park called the Senkwekwe Center. The Gorilla Doctors refer to the joint protection effort of this critically endangered great ape as “extreme conservation”.

Art of Conservation’s work is to help increase local community members knowledge about the ecosystem they share with the mountain gorillas. The human density bordering the gorilla habitat where we work is 645 people per square kilometer.

Continuing with our basic foundational art lessons, we begin today’s art activities with the question, “How many mountain gorillas are alive today?” To make it easier for our 10 to 16 year old students to remember, we round off the population number to 800. With inspiration from Sandi Henry in Making Amazing Art on abstract design, children write the letters g-o-r-i-l-l-a and the numbers 8-0-0 in a creative way on their papers. Color is then added to the positive and negative spaces for more visual interest.

Children come out with such beautiful masterpieces as this example shows.

After this exercise, the stuffed gorilla toy that we usually call our ‘friend’ because it always comes to class with us, is our model. Children draw the outline of the gorilla.

Eric helps the children draw the outline of our friend toy gorilla.

Finally, students use their own creativity and divide the gorilla into sections with straight and angled lines and add decorative line designs. So beautiful!

Huh, guess what drawing this is? Our friend gorilla in decorative line design by one of our students!

Dear Coach Bunny,
I am pleased to take this opportunity to write this thank-you note to you because you really deserve it for so many reasons. We sincerely appreciate your gifts of tennis equipment which is very helpful and gives us new perspectives on available opportunities. I ensure continuing improvement and success from the team you help support. I am also grateful to you for having chosen one of our team members, Moise HABINEZA (Habibu) to go to the USA for a tennis workshop. We are sure he will increase his skills that he will share with his teammates when he comes back.

Coach Tony presenting the many tennis shorts from Bunny to the children’s tennis team.

Any additional suggestions you may have would be welcome and you are also welcome to visit us at our Ibirunga tennis courts.

Finally, tennis shorts with pockets!

Thank you so much for your continuing assistance.

Best regards,
Coach Antoine MUSENGIMANA

Thank you Tash, Mary, Kevin & Mollie, Anne, and Kay for your generous support. All of us at AoC send our gratitude and love.

Hi John. A quick thanks for the fabulous donations you recently sent to us in Rwanda. I hope the photos below show the happiness you bring to children. I look forward to joining you at Davis Park in July for the community service project. See you then!

Neighborhood children who run with me every Saturday and Sunday morning put on soccer jerseys donated by John Terpkosh to Art of Conservation.

Looking smart with new jerseys!

East Des Moines jerseys are all the rage in Muhoza, Musanze Town!

Evariste receives his prizes – including t-shirts donated by John Terpkosh – from district leader Anaclet during the Children’s Tennis Tournament.

Thanks again, John. Julie

This past Saturday in Musanze Town, Coach Tony’s tennis players put on a remarkable show of talent. The children’s camaraderie plus enthusiasm for the game of tennis was clearly apparent, too. By the time I got to the courts in the morning, kids were reapplying paint to the lines, sweeping and watering the clay courts, arranging rented chairs, and beginning their warm-ups. Olivier and I dashed to town to fill the truck with crates of water and bottles of beverages. The players’ parents were invited. Flyers were distributed inviting the community to come and watch.

Evartiste and Assumpta head off the court after talking with Coach Tony. Players are ready to begin their matches.

Habibu was last year’s boys champion and last weekend his fellow team mates had it out to beat him. Most days after school they were at the courts practicing in addition to Saturday and Sunday morning clinics. But guess what? Habibu pulled through becoming this year’s champion again! I love all of these kids finding it hard to see some loose their matches and witnessing their tears. Ah, such are life’s lessons.

Player’s parents and friends watched 12 exciting 1-set matches.

The day was beautiful. Rwanda is entering into dry season and a lingering thunderstorm staved off until the late afternoon.

Jean Bosco preparing to serve.

This event as well as the recent 3K Gorilla Fun Run and the upcoming performances at Igitaramo, are all children’s activities we organize leading up to Rwanda’s Annual Gorilla Naming ceremony and are registered activities at WED, the UN’s World Environment Day.

Champion Habibu with his parents.

Earlier in the week, Coach Tony and I put together prizes for all of the players. Tennis rackets, back packs, t-shirts, shorts, water bottles, chap stick, notepads, pencils, pens, children’s books, boots, jump ropes, and caps had been donated by Bunny Bruning and John Terpkosh from USPTA, USTA/NJTL, Peter Riger of the Houston Zoo, and our recent Simpson College volunteers. Our thanks goes out the them.

Girl’s champion Uwase with her parents and Coach Tony.

The tournament’s umpire, Josephine, with a gorilla after the matches.

You can see more photos on AoC’s facebook page.

Art of Conservation manages the Ibirunga Tennis & Running Club, where the tournament was held and is providing the funding for the rehabilitation of the courts and the children’s weekend clinics, but at some point in the future Coach Tony will take it over.