 | Safari Guide, Maun Great Guide since 03/10 Nationality: Botswanan |
Location: Southern Africa | Botswana Themes: travel | safari guide | |
Safari for Kids
GREAT GUIDE
PAUL MOLESENG : Safaris for Kids
Becoming a Kids Safari Guide [audio]
meet Paul Moleseng
Paul recounts his childhood experiences of the wild to these 'young explorers'
In television they say ‘never work with children or animals’ – Paul Moleseng does both, and with enormous enthusiasm. When he crouches down with kids beside a termite mound and describes the world of the Queen Termite, or shows them how to make fire, or a bow and arrow, or when he leads them along a sandy track following the signs of animals, children are entranced. They catch his love of wildlife.
Paul’s energy is driven by his own experience of discovering nature as a kid growing up in Botswana’s capital Gabarone. The school nature club organised camping trips into Botswana’s magnificent nature reserves, including the Kalahari and Chobe. The Game Scouts who led these trips became his role models. | |
With Bushman trackers, Paul worked in wildlife protection |
During his national service he lived for a year with the !Xhode Bushman community in the Kalahari, engaged in anti-poaching patrols. He soaked up the tracking and survival skills the Bushman have developed over tens of thousands of years living in the desert. The friendships and experiences of that year were so rich to him that he immediately began his studies to become a safari ranger, to share his knowledge.
Children have always featured in Paul’s guiding. His first job was to take children from Gabarone on field trips to the Makolodi Reserve. His ability was recognised by Ker & Downey, a major tour operator in the exclusive Okavango Delta region, and he began guiding their safaris.
Paul was fortunate to have an outstanding mentor. Douggie Wright, who was a pioneer in developing tourism in northern Botswana, when it remained extremely remote and undeveloped. Douggie is commonly called a ‘legend’ in the tourism industry, and it was he who encouraged Paul to focus upon developing a safari aimed at the children of international travellers. Today Paul runs ‘Young Explorers’ guiding families from all over the world in the Kalahari, Okavango and Chobe regions. But it is a measure of Paul’s commitment that he is still deeply involved in leading nature clubs, including at the orphanage in Maun. Ker and Downey support Paul, closing their camps to guests to allow him to take his clubs into the heart of the Okavango. | |
Paul teaches a child to interpret signs in the bush |
Paul is deeply knowledgeable, and his communication skills are great, but best of all the strength of his love for nature changes kids, not only enriching their lives but also winning a new generation committed to conservation.
Author: Roddy Bray
Date: 08 May 2010
Location: Southern Africa | Botswana
Themes: natural world, travel | conservation, safari guide
Genuine,awsome,interesting guy
Genuine,awsome,interesting guy
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