As highlighted in the section about the rangers work, those items most needed are given below with more detail.

UNIFORMS

Being identified as genuine Park staff should help protect the rangers from being shot by the militia groups at large. Jean Pierre is concerned that they are often mistaken as merely another group of armed militia.

Although Jean Pierre’s patrol groups have new uniforms now, there was not enough money in the account to buy them boots or good rain jackets. Further complete sets of uniform would help ranger patrol groups in the adjacent area. There are 400 rangers throughout the Virunga Heartland lots of uniforms required!

ITEMS STILL NEEDED:

Walking boots
Rain jackets
Further sets of uniform

PHOTOGRAPHIC EQUIPMENT

The rangers are rarely able to take vital photographs that would permanently record the activities of the gorillas and other information, although ‘pictures paint a thousand words’…..

 In Jean Pierre’s own words in a recent email:

Standard cameras that take photographic and slide/transparency film are of use for local displays, work within schools and simply to build a permanent record of the area and its wildlife.

Digital cameras would be of immense value to the rangers, as long as they have the computers through which to process the photos. That accepted, digital cameras would obviously allow records to be kept but with no necessity to buy standard film – purchase, storage and processing is possible but can be problematic in remote areas…

Amazingly, binoculars are in short supply too - perhaps one pair per patrol group. This must inevitably lead to activity, gorilla movements, other wildlife, being missed.

Camcorders, whilst not for continual use would be extremely beneficial to record the family / group activities of the gorillas, allowing the full detail to be viewed and reviewed rather than relying on written reports.

ITEMS STILL NEEDED:

Standard cameras
Digital cameras
Binoculars
A camcorder or two
Camera batteries
Film
Carry cases

CAMPING EQUIPMENT

Out in the forest for days or weeks at a time, tents & other camping gear would help the rangers immeasurably. Particularly during the wet season, regular and heavy downpours make life pretty damp and uncomfortable. Keeping dry and being able to eat and sleep in some degree of comfort would help morale as well as their physical well-being!

ITEMS STILL NEEDED:

2-man, lightweight yet robust tents
Lightweight sleeping bags
Cooking utensils/ stoves - standard camping equipment

LAPTOP COMPUTERS

This is probably the most important part of the ‘Gearing Up for Gorillas’ project. Rangers spend long periods of time traveling to and from HQ to hand in paper reports. To be able to compose their reports on a laptop computer, including attaching digital photographs, at home or in the local office base and emailing the report to HQ, would save them huge amounts of time and effort. The ability to email would immeasurably improve the speed of communications between those at the sharp end on the ground and HQ. It would vastly increase the efficiency and effectiveness of their work. Patrol frequency could increase and patrol groups around this immense Park could keep in touch with each other. Information on the suspected whereabouts and activities of the roving militia groups could be passed effortlessly around the Park, improving safety on a daily basis.

ITEMS STILL NEEDED:

Rangers do not need the latest laptops nor expensive programmes or operating systems. Older laptops that operate perfectly well but are simply outdated in this country would be perfect. Preferably, the laptops need to have an operating system in place and ideally a basic Word suite and crucially, an email facility

• 6 laptops to take out on 4th July would be of enormous help.
• Further laptops can be flown out at a later date
• ALL data currently stored on any laptop WILL BE 100% DELETED before being taken / sent out
• Any firm able and willing to donate laptops of the same make would enable maintenance of that set easier when in use

DESKTOP COMPUTERS

The rangers can use desktop computers at office bases. As with the laptops, they would be crucial in saving vast amounts of time, allow digital photographs to be attached to reports and the email facility is of paramount importance.

As I’m sure we would all also appreciate, the children in DRC (and the Rwandan and Ugandan sections of the Park) are not able to have access to computers, in the way most UK children do. The tremendous benefits that computers could bring to the children hardly need describing. One aim of this project, hopefully lasting well into the future, is to link schools here in the UK, with schools in the DRC. Exchanging emails and information would greatly enhance knowledge and understanding between the children of our different countries – perhaps they might even get to meet each other one day….

ITEMS STILL NEEDED:

Ideally, complete set ups would be helpful ie processor / keyboard / screen / printer – although this is NOT essential. There are single screens / printers donated already that can be put together

• Again, older but working systems would be perfectly adequate. As with the laptops, an older operating system and a Word suite plus email would be sufficient

OTHER SCHOOL EQUIPMENT/MATERIALS

Jean Pierre will be suggesting items that would help the rangers in their work within the classrooms. This may be simple items such as paper, card, paints and so on. Materials can be purchased locally, but there is rarely sufficient spare cash available for such ‘luxury’ items….

ITEMS STILL NEEDED:

Funds!

The type of materials that would be helpful in the school work will be highlighted by Jean Pierre during this forthcoming visit in July. Fund raising events to increase funds in the ‘Gearing Up for Gorillas’ account would then enable materials to be purchased