This year, I spent a lot of time illustrating the immensity of the forests of southern Tanzania. Three new WMAs (wildlife management areas) have been created in the south, and I was even able to attend the inauguration of a ranger post with government officials. Unlike the rather flat north, where the WMAs make their living mainly from tourism and game-watching, the south of Tanzania is heavily forested, making it difficult to observe wildlife. The WMAs' resources therefore come from carbon. Every effort is made to preserve the immense forest areas, and local populations, through the WMAs, receive aid to help protect the forests. My mission was therefore to illustrate the work of the rangers in these protected areas, and their interaction with local populations, who are the key to success. Collaboration was the main theme for the images.
The rangers are present, benevolent, they sometimes punish, but it's quite rare, the images were taken without firearms (they sometimes carry them for their own safety), and they participate in village life. During these reports, I was able to use the new Canon EOS r5 M2 that Canon lent me for the occasion, with a very practical and amazing 200-800 mm, which I'll talk more about in the next newsletter.
