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The Friends of Hwange Trust Screensaver

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Hwange National Park in Zimbabwe is very close to my heart as it is one of my favourite wildlife destinations on earth. It is where I first got interested in wildlife photography and where for the first time I knew that i would one day become a field guide (safari guide).

That is why I am posting about the Friends of Hwange Trust, who need your help:

Since 2005, FOH has been responsible for 10 key northern waterholes in Hwange National Park. These are Kennedy One, Kennedy Two, Makwa, Sinanga, Tshebe Tshebe, Mabuya Mabena, Shumba, Tshompani, Inyantue and Shapi.


Owing to the expense of diesel (a single borehole engine uses around 500 litres a month) alternative methods of pumping have been explored. Since 2007, five Poldaw windmills have been established at Kennedy One, Shumba, Mabuya Mabena, Shapi and Tshompani waterholes. Whilst the windmills are robust and affordable, their pumping capacities are limited. Their function is to provide a head start for the waterholes so that they are at least as full as possible by the start of the long dry season, thereby reducing diesel requirements for the drier months.


In the dry season (July – November) the pressure for available water increases, especially from elephant. The Lister engines are kept running continuously and the need for diesel is at its maximum.

How you can help

Link South Africa is selling a wildlife screensaver to raise money for The Friends of Hwange Trust, a group of dedicated Zimbabwean conservationists who have taken into their own hands the care of the wild animals and maintenance, particularly water supply, of Zimbabwe’s largest national park.

So please sacrifice a couple of coffees this week, spend 10 Kiwi Dollars downloading our screensaver, and help The Friends of Hwange Trust save many many animal lives in Zimbabwe, while you get to enjoy Zimbabwe’s beautiful wildlife on your computer screen every day!

Hawke Binoculars for Safaris

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I have just finished working on a section about Hawke Binoculars on the Best Binoculars & Binocular Reviews website and whilst it is true to say that they are probably not the best known optics brand out there, they do have some really interesting pairs.

I especially like the look of the Hawke Frontier ED Binoculars that have great features like fully multi-coated lenses and Phase corrected BaK-4 prisms that give a sharp and high-contrast image over the full field of view. In addition the ED (extra low-dispersion) glass increases performance further and enhances the light transmission. as well as this the binoculars are 100% waterproof and nitrogen purged meaning that the internal air has been replaced with dry nitrogen to ensure there is no internal fogging in areas of high humidity or rapid temerature changes.

The full size versions have slightly larger than normal 43mm objective lenses, which should let in that little more light, making them perform better in low light conditions. But it is the mid-sized versions with 36mm objectives that really interest me and in particular the Hawke Frontier ED 10x36 Binoculars, that look  just ideal as a safari binocular. All the features listed above in a package that is small enough to easily pack away in your luggage and take on safari. For more on safari binoculars take a look at: the guide to the Best Binoculars for Safari Holidays on the binocular reviews website, or Safari Binocular Reviews on the safari holiday guide.