News From the Field
As the project develops we aim to bring you news for the field.
This will be the chance for the Rangers of both Parks to tell you about events and happenings within the two Queen Elizabeth Parks.
We will also have accounts from the Volunteers, School children and Community Groups that have got involved or have benefited from the Project.
Charity Registration
The Twinning Project is adminstered in England by the Queen Elizabeth Country Park Volunteer Ranger Service (QECPVRS), QECPVRS has applied and is in the process of being accpeted for chaitable registration.
This will provide a great boost to the fund raising efforts for both the Volunteer Ranger Service and in particular the Twinning Project aspect of thier work.
We will post more details on this website when we get them.
Twinning Project to develop links between scouts groups in the East Hampshire Area and Queen Elizabeth National Park.
The Twinning Project is working with QENP Community Staff to try and forge a link between scout groups in both countries.
The Plan is to 'twin' a cub scout group in Waterlooville, Hamsphire with a scout group in the South of QENP.
More detials will follow.
Cites Conference
Queen National Park's Manager Tom Okello has just returned from taking part in the CITES Conference in Doha (Qatar).
Tom accompanied Mr Moses Mapesa, the Excutive Director of the Ugandan Wildlife Authority in this most important of Wildlife Conservation Conferences.
Queen Elizabeth Country Park Volunteer Ranger Service - New Website
The Volunteer Ranger Service plays a vital roll in the Management of Queen Elizabeth Country Park in England and is one of the leading partners in the Twinning Project.
Its Patron is Mr Moses Mapesa, the Excutive Director of the Ugandan Wildlife Authority who has visit QE Country Park on a number of occasions.
The Volunteer Ranger Service now has its own website www.qecpvrs.co.uk so Twinning Project members and supporters can find out more about the Volunteers and their work.
UWA Director survives a plane crash
Mr Moses Mapesa the Executive Director of the Uganda Wildlife Authority survived a plane crash.
The incident happened at Openzinzi Airstrip in Adjumani district when a four-seater Cessna C206 plane belonging to the authority crashed about 100 metres from the airstrip. Emmanuel Twesigye, the pilot, attributed the accident to the bush on the sides of the runway.
He said as he was taking off, the grass got entangled in the flaps of the plane, pulling it to the right, causing the tip to hit the ground.
“We have a good pilot who was able to manage the situation. We have all survived and we will come back to Kampala tomorrow Mr Mapesa said.
It's Snow Joke at Queen Elizabeth Country Park
January and February have proved to be a very cold months in England and the Queen Elizabeth Country Park has been dealing with the heaviest snowfall in this area for years.
Upto 12 inches of snow fell closing the Park for several days, at the same time Queen Elizabeth National Park was experiencing the opposite with warm weather and high temperatures being the order of the day.
Queen Elizabeth National Park headquarters on the move
The QENP Park headquarters have been moved from Mweya to a new site at Katunguru near Ishasha Junction.
This move is part of the programme of improvements being introduced at the Park.
The Project's use of 'Hippo House' at the Mweya Penninsula will continue.
Project Team return from Uganda
Some of the project team have just returned from Uganda, after spending two weeks meeting with Park Staff, local community groups and our twinned schools.
During their time in Uganda they agreed to the funding of some bricks to help rebuild a school at Kafuro.
They also assisted some of the local community with the production of crafts and started to work with local people on planning future projects and visits.
The Team also took part in evaluating some new ideas to boost tourism in the Queen Elizabeth National Park.
News from Queen Elizabeth National Park
4 Rangers have recently returned from spending 7 weeks in England. Although based at Queen Elizabeth Country Park, they spent time with their English counterparts looking at a number of Nature Reserves and Parks.
Janet Okwel, Moses Turinawe, Robter Adaruku ans Stephanie Biira worked with Full time and Volunteer Rangers and undertook a variety of tasks from conservation habitat to making presentations to local schools.
A key part of their visit to England was to become an intergral part the Queen Elizabeth Parks Twinning Project and this work will continue in Uganda as the become part of the Twinning Project Team in Uganda.
School Visit proved to be a Great Success
Rangers from Queen Elizabeth Country Park in Hampshire have visited a local school to talk about the Twinning Project, Life in Uganda and how the school might get involved in twinning with a Ugandan school.
Pupils from Liss Junior School were taking part in a week of activities aimed at teaching the youngsters about health, wellbeing and the environment.
The children were keen to compare how they lived with children in Uganda.
Liss School have promised to become involved in the Twinning Project and are already preparing an information pack about thier school and local area to send out to Uganda.
Steve Peach (Ranger and Project Coordinator) commented that ' the children from Liss Junior school were very keen to learn about Uganda and had some interesting and challenging questions, it was a real pleasure to meet with them and we very much look forward to working with the school in the future'