Kulera REDD+ Partners from NVA, NAWIRA and DNPW visit California for an education exchange

Kulera REDD+ Partners from NVA, NAWIRA and DNPW visit California for an education exchange! Eddings Shuga from the Nyika-Vwaza Association, Crosby Gome from Nkhotakota Wildlife Reserve Association, and Matthews Mumba from the Department of National Parks and Wildlife (DNPW) finished their course at UC Berkeley’s Beahrs Environmental Leadership Program (ELP) and visited Northern California for continued learning.

Congratulations to Eddings, Crosby and Matthews for completing their ELP Course at UC Berkeley! The education exchange will assist the Kulera REDD+ Program in expanding their knowledge of environmental leadership. Participants in the program learned how the Kulera REDD+ Program can successfully bring climate finance to Malawi.

After the success of the ELP Program, the Kulera Partners visited the Permaculture Farms of Planting Justice and Agroecology Commons. The partners learned about nutrient cycling through compost and mulching, as well as strategies for reducing fire on farms and integrated pest management. The leaders of Community Associations were happy to see successful beekeeping and offer their insider knowledge of beekeeping in Malawi, as well as learn about Agroecology Commons’ Silvopastoral Systems on the farm.

Next, the Kulera Partners headed to Yosemite National Park to see successful Ecotourism that could be applied in Malawi. NAWIRA is interested in purchasing an ecolodge near Nkhotakota, so Crosby Gome interviewed visitors at Curry Village and inspected the tent cabins offered to tourists. Many connections were made between the natural beauty of Malawi and the Yosemite National Park. Matthews Mumba, a Wildlife Officer at Vwaza National Park, discussed wildlife-human conflict issues between bears and tourists with local Wildlife Management Rangers.

Coming back from Yosemite, Eddings Shuga from NVA interviewed farmers at farm stands along Highway 120 to better understand value-added products and how to attract visitors to their not-yet-built office and roadside stand in Rhumpi.