He’s a long time researcher and former Taronga Zoo guide with a deep love for Africa after being an occasional tour guide there for the past seven years.
And in recent years Denis Grace of Springwood has turned his attention to volunteering and conservation projects in that country, hoping his small efforts with children will reduce the “horrendous poaching” problem.
“I do this all as a hobby, I work full-time and try and get people to Africa either on a tour or through something like this – volunteering.”
In 2014, Mr Grace helped fund and build two long-drop toilets for the Sekenani village to help with sanitation.
“The Maasai no longer migrate as they used to and there are higher instances of disease because of this,” he said of the project which cost about $US 2500.
Next month he has ambitious plans to take up to 250 children from the Ole Keene primary school – part of the Maasai tribe who live just four kilometres from the Sekenani gate – into Kenya's Maasai Mara National Reserve, because the entry fees are too expensive for the locals. He has already hired buses and organised food for the day for the students. Five volunteers have also signed on to help and will pay their own expenses to get there.
The reserve hosts some 95 species of mammals, 570 species of birds, but importantly the ‘big five” – lion, elephant, rhino, buffalo and the leopard.
The Maasai people live withing the area surrounding the reserve and Mr Grace is hoping by bringing the students to see the animals in their reserve, it might encourage a deeper appreciation of the animals – perhaps even save an elephant’s life.
“The current project is aimed at inspiring the children to get into conservation and have a vested interest in protecting their own wildlife, he said.
“In light of the horrendous poaching of elephants, rhinos, leopards and lions that has increased in Africa in the last few years we want to inspire conservation at the grass roots, primarily the children.
“I am of the firm belief that anyone that sees an elephant for the first time is going to be in awe and this is what I want to introduce to the children from the school. Even though they are so close to the Maasai Mara they can never afford to pay to enter the park.
“It’s about getting the locals involved in the conversation. I’d like to do this every year.”
Incredibly Mr Grace is also working on building a fence to keep the wild buffalo out of the school.
“Last time we exceeded our expectations and raised more money than expected and we are now trying to fund the building of a fence to keep the wild buffalo out of the school.
“We are about half way there and would need about another $1000 to make it a worthwhile project. We have $3500 for the school children to head into the park for the day and another $1500 to help with the buffalo fence.”
Mr Grace said he has raised money through the Glenbrook Rotary Markets and through generous donations of artwork sales by Amber Hunter.
Mr Grace is contactable through his email for those who would like to get involved next year at africawithgrace@live.com.
He leaves on June 3.
