We Stop for Ormoilaa Ogol The Strong One
Nature has a throng of four-legged and six- legged farmers planting, fertilizing, harvesting and rotating crops.
My Maasai guide, Dominic Maitai, hit the brakes and the Land Cruiser came to an abrupt halt. I looked around for signs of wildlife. Other than the quiet cooing of the morning dove, the road back to camp appeared empty. Dominic leaned out of the truck pointing at the ground. I followed his direction and saw a tiny dung beetle determinedly on task in the dust.
Ancient Egyptians thought the Scarab (aka dung beetle) was a god that rolled the sun across the sky every day and buried it each evening where it emerged the next day born anew. Where there is dung in Africa there is the also the dung beetle. This mighty insect is a hero in the world of scatology.
Elephant dung is a well-stocked pantry for many tiny creatures.
No question the iconic mammals of Africa attract visitors to go on safari, but there is a wealth of knowledge to learn from animal scat and tiny creatures on the savannah.
Dung beetles dive into animal dung, (elephant poop is like hitting the jackpot) and roll the manure away standing on their heads. Mr. and Mrs. Dung Beetle bury the ball of manure, aerating and fertilizing the soil one dung ball at a time. The dung ball is a breeding chamber for their eggs and ready food supply for baby dung beetles. The larvae feast on fly eggs and undigested seeds in the feces. These extraordinary six-legged engineers are improving soil and managing flies with every nest they create.
National Geographic Explorer, Dr. Paula Kahumbu, is committed to nurturing a new generation of African filmmakers and storytellers through her organization Wildlife Direct. The medium of storytelling is a transformative tool for teaching conservation and climate change adaptation in Africa.
Screenshot from film Ormoilaa Ogol The Strong One
Local conservation filmmaking in Africa is breaking new ground offering authentic narratives that have long been overshadowed by foreign content. These films are reshaping perceptions and fostering a deep connection between African children, local communities and their natural heritage. Children seeing conservation heroes who look like them and share their backgrounds is incredibly empowering showing them that they too can be stewards of their environment. For local communities these films are a source of pride, validating their unique knowledge and contributions to conservation, while reclaiming their stories that celebrate their heritage and galvanize efforts to protect their environment for future generations. Local conservation films are not just entertaining stories they are powerful tools for education, inspiration and empowerment.
The last training took place in Ol Kinyea Maasai Mara in partnership with Porini Game Watchers. One of the films, Ormoilaa Ogol The Strong One won the Africa Magic Award for the best indigenous language film in East Africa. Watch this extraordinary film about the industrious dung beetle here