Recently, I fpund myself inside an African monochromatic whirlwind5,000 black and white plains zebras blurred by a grey haze of Kalahari sands made airborne by their hooves. The ear-splitting squeals, barks and honks, and shocking sound of those same hooves slamming hard into each others chests and bellies as they jostled for the best positions at the waters edge, will not soon be forgotten. Although my quest was to have a holiday away from my post at Wildlands Project, I found myself face-to-face with the very thing our organization works so hard for here in North America: connectivity.

The reality behind the whirlwind is those fantastically decorated creatures had gathered in huge numbers to take advantage of an artificial watering hole dug into the bottom of the now bone-dry, Botetsi river bed. In the 1980s, shifting of Tectonic plates caused the Savute River and its tributaries to dry up.

Compounding the negative effects of this dramatic natural shift were, and still are, man-made barriers: towns, roads, and fences which prevent the zebras from moving to new water sources. Sound familiar? The artificial watering holes, while a lifesaver to a herd of zebras, are having a devastating affect on the surrounding habitat and a diversity of other species.

The solution, as I am sure Wildlands Project members have already concluded, is to restore connectivity along critical pathways to facilitate a more natural movement and distribution of wildlife. To my great relief, I learned just such a project is already underway. A few key passionate leaders are working to get the people living in the region to buy into dismantling fences and finding ways to bring the necessary resources to this project.

All over the globe, connectivity of large protected areas is becoming more essential as our earth becomes warmer. As I write this article, two of our founders and current directors are working internationally on connectivity: Michael Soulé with The Wilderness Society in Australia, and David Johns in attendance at the Society of Conservation Biologists meeting in South Africa. Our work has never been more critical, and we appreciate every ounce of your support.