The South African Approach to Animal and Bird Species Preservation

The South African Approach to Animal and Bird Species Preservation

A strong hankering to see one of the world’s great national treasures led our speaker, John Munson, to travel to South Africa. John shared his impressions of many birds and mammals a tourist is privileged to see when they travel to exotic places. His presentation shared the challenges of maintaining pristine wildlife habitat and an immense national park that is constantly under attack from changing climate, human expansion, and poachers. He will share what he has learned from South Africans on how they approach animal and bird conservation, specifically at Kruger National Park. Along the way, you will see images of birds and mammals collected by an amateur photographer who loves the out-of-doors.

Having just returned from South Africa, two weeks ago, John Munson will share his experiences of learning how the South African government approaches preserving game animals, birds, plant species, and habitats. The focus will be on large-game farming as it strives to keep numbers strong while maintaining private land ownership.

Additionally, he will share photos taken over the past 12 years of annual photo safaris and discuss the impact of poaching, decreasing wildlands, and an increasing human population. Balancing human needs in a growing society with the need to keep species populations strong takes a very special approach when resources for doing so are limited.

John is a long-time member of the Aldo Leopold Audubon Society, a member of the board of directors, and a member of the Wisconsin Audubon Council board. In his professional life, John is best known for his work in transmitting the concept of wellness across the United States and internationally. He is recognized as one of the top 100 wellness experts in the world. John spent 32 years as an administrator and professor at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point helping to grow wellness understandings for human potential. He states that “one cannot understand the concept of environmental wellness without realizing its impact on human society. It enriches, clarifies, and challenges our civic responsibility to be stewards of the earth.” John lives in Stevens Point with his wife, Barb.

This presentation was held on April 19, 2023 at the Lincoln Center, 1510 Water Street in Stevens Point, Wisconsin or on Zoom at https://bit.ly/3SP4B7R ALAS programs 2022-23 are FREE and open to the public. The presentation will be offered in a hybrid format. Onsite at the Lincoln Center (1519 Water Street, Stevens Point, WI) or on Zoom at 7pm, Wednesday, April, 19th. By registering, you will receive an email reminder for this talk.