Preparations
Suddenly my time in Thimphu runs away like water through my hands.
A walk in Thimphu
This morning no alarm clock wakes me up. It is Saturday and finally after two rainy, muddy days the sun is shining again and only one small, white and fluffy cloud is innocently floating in the bright blue sky. I get up at once and rush out into the fresh air.
First steps in Thimphu
Finally, after a sleepless night in Bangkok Airport, I am sitting in the plane again, waiting for the aircraft to take off to Bhutan, the country, where my thoughts have already been travelling to many times in the past few months.
Living and working in Suva
I spent most of my time in Suva, the capital of the Fiji Islands. My work for the Climate Change Programme with the WWF South Pacific Programme gave me the possibility to use my skills in communication work and also the chance to learn a lot about working in the Pacific, improve my English and of course to learn much about the theoretical and practical background of climate change. It was important for me to see how this international NGO works and be a part of it.
The Turtle Trip
This year, 2006, the WWF South Pacific Programme is starting a big turtle campaign. Therefore good photo material is very important. Then the great news: turtle activity has been spotted on the Mamanuca Islands, a small group of islands in front of Nadi.
A trip to Kabara
This trip was one of the most exciting experiences of my life. I was able to join a field trip to the Lau Group, Kabara (433 inhabitants, 32.75 km2). Even only a few Fijians were able to visit this wonderful island.
A cultural experience
Fiji is an archipelago of 322 islands and lies 3,150 km northeast of Sydney. Together the Fiji Islands are scattered over 1,290,000 km2 of the South Pacific Ocean.
Keoladeo National Park
Keoladeo National park is a 29 square kilometer park that is located in the Bharatpur district of Rajasthan (in eastern Rajasthan). It is well known to be a perfect example of a wetland. It is a RAMSAR site (it is on the RAMSAR list of wetlands of international importance), as well as a World Heritage Site.
Lagga Bagga
We crossed the river to a 13 square kilometres Indian enclave that is inhabited by tiger, elephant, rhino and many different species of deer (including swamp deer, spotted deer, sambar, barking deer, and hog deer). The enclave is uninhabited by humans, has a single service track, no vehicles except two motorcycles provided by WWF and no electricity, just wilderness. It is situated right on the Nepal border and is adjacent to the Royal Sukhla Phanta Wildlife Reserve of Nepal.
Four Days with the Brigadier
We were going to Dudhwa with Brigadier Ranjit Talwar, Head of the WWF Tiger Conservation Project, to meet with various different forestry commission officials. In the four days I spent with him I learnt a huge amount, not only about WWF's work, but about other things ranging from detailed discussions on India’s fascinating history, to accurate ways of reading animal pugmarks.