A WORD FROM THE CEO
Yolan Friedmann, EWT CEO
yolanf@ewt.org.za September was full of Special Days, on which topics of ecological and social importance were celebrated. National Wills Week, International Rhino Day, World Tourism Day, Heritage Day (and weekend), National Arbour Day and of course the arrival of Spring in the southern hemisphere. Commemorating important issues or events is important to remind us of a world that is bigger than ourselves and, whilst one can easily become overwhelmed with all these ‘celebrations’, we should still remember to celebrate each day that we have in a world where tomorrow is never guaranteed. With the incredible stressors created by the COVID-19 pandemic, the economic downturn, and the hardships that have struck so many, we cannot take for granted even the ‘normal’ days, and we need to find reasons to celebrate every new dawn. The EWT celebrated September with the launch of our Soutpansberg Protected Area hiking and running trails; we paid tribute to our Conservation Canines who work alongside us to bring down rhino poaching syndicates; we received the wonderful news of a successful bid for funding to assist and support the Pilanesberg National Park to strengthen their security and increase their resilience against poaching; we planted a mini forest of indigenous trees to pay tribute to those that leave a Living Legacy to conserve our wildlife heritage, and we welcomed several new staff members to our team as we continue to grow and attract the finest talent in this country. In an imperfect world we must celebrate the opportunities that come with each new day to make things better and every day should be a Special Day. Spring has sprung and so has a new day. Go make it count!