Approximately 4 months ago we started to converse with Campbell Scott who runs the Africam.com site. In many of our e-mails back and forth we had asked Campbell if he could send the kids in the classrooms here in Canada a picture of the behind the scenes of how all this works. Boy did he, all to the delight of the children around the world.
All this time we had thought the camera crew was up a tree, or a hut. Who knew! Many of the kids, and yes that includes the big kids, all thought they were in danger when the Lions, Cheetahs, Rhinos, Hyenas, Elephants and so many of the other animals came to the water hole. Little did we know they were all safe and sound and none of the animals coming to the water hole were the least bit disturbed by all this as the two-legged kind were not even nearby. Again, who knew!
Well it just got better and better, and the questions from the children just kept coming. So Campbell Scott and his staff arranged for Kids in the Nest Educational Society to set up a thread on the African forum just for the kids and the teachers.
Now the students were talking to:
Pammy from Ontario
Gerda from Belgium
Tabs from Wannabe (Africa)
Cerinthe from Belgium
Ktja from Denmark
Shawsie from Ireland,
Ingwe from USA
Sparrow from Amsterdam
Kudza from Atlanta, Georgia (USA),
ani from Greece
Foldron from Sweden
Ranger Piet from Cape Town (South Africa)
Kru-Kab from Bowser, British Columbia (Canada)
...and dozens of others from all parts of the world. So now not only were the students learning about all these animals they were now learning about all these other countries.
We mentioned this one day to Campbell Scott and asked him if he knew of any schools in Africa that our children here in Canada could talk to on the Internet or help if possible. Well, little did we know what we were going to hear next? Campbell then explained to me his personal involvement in the Buffleshoek Trust school in South Africa, and gave me many links to other schools over there that we could link up with. He then tells me that not only does Nelson Mandela endorse this school but that also he had met him.
We mentioned all this to this amazing woman we had been working with, Paula Cranmer- Underhill and she informs Ms. Charlie, "Oh Charlie, my Dad met Nelson Mandela as well in Ottawa Canada." I almost fell off my chair.
Who would ever have imagined that eight short months ago while I and millions of children around the world were watching every moment of these eagle nests that these remarkable people were among us. Daniel Zatz the head of the National Geographic Polar bear Cam and our dear friend Wing Goodall, wildlife biologist for the Maine nest in the United States, and so many others, here we are teaching our children about Nelson Mandela, Dr Jane Goodall, Dr David Suzuki, global warming, and so much more.
What a year 2006 had been for us all, and what a year we all have in store in 2007.
We can make a difference ... please click on Buffelshoek Trust and help where you can.
» To listen to "We Are The World" here
Chief Dan Cranmer Namgis ~ Nelson Mandela ~ Graca Machel - Mandela
» Read what some of the recipients of Buffelshoek Trust's generosity say here