MWF 2009 Awards Gala

To Benefit Reforestation Projects in Tanzania
Thirty Schools: Thirty Thousand Trees Planted

Our annual Gala Fundraising Dinner honoring Sportsman of the Year, Wayne Sheets and Artist of the Year, Hayden Lambson, was held the weekend of March 27^th at the Fairmont Hotel in San Francisco. Support for the event and our honorees was one of the highest on record. The financial results enabled MWF to fund ongoing projects such as the National Rifle Association Youth Hunter Education Challenge and Women on Target Program; the Kids Outdoor Sports Camp (KOSC) in Red Bluff, California; various projects relating to conservation, nutrition and educational programs in Tanzania schools in collaboration with the Friedkin Foundation, the Green Wings Program of Ducks Unlimited and two new programs in the United States; Water for Wildlife in Lander, Wyoming and a youth hunter education program at Indianhead Ranch in Del Rio, Texas. In Africa this year we added support of the iThemba Trust's youth education program in the Eastern Cape of South Africa.

Recognizing the devastating environmental consequences of deforestation and poaching in Africa, this year we partnered with the Friedkin Foundation in Tanzania in a new program which by creating partnerships with over thirty Tanzanian secondary schools will begin to address the problems of reforestation and habitat restoration in the Moyowasi region of Tanzania. Our goal was to raise funds for the reforestation program: Thirty Schools: Thirty Thousand Trees. Each school participating in the program is receiving student education on respecting and maintaining the environment as well as habitat restoration. Seedlings, greenhouses and tools provided to each school will enable each school to raise one thousand trees. A model farm is being developed at which best practices will be taught to the leadership in each school. The Friedkin Foundation and it's team of community organizers will monitor and support this extremely valuable step toward to restoration of an area of Africa that has been severely impacted by extensive eradication of trees and vegetation, destroying wildlife habitat in the process of damaging the fragile ecosystem.

M. Kevin Destruel
MWF President

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The 2009 Honorees:

Upcoming Events

Our fundraising plans for 2010 are very exciting and somewhat of a departure from recent years.

Save the Date

The Mzuri Wildlife Foundation weekend event is moving to the wine country! The dates for our 2010 weekend event are Friday- Sunday May 7-9, 2010.

The venue will be the fabulous Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn & Spa in Sonoma, California the heart of the California wine country.
After the first of the year MWF members will receive the formal invitations for our fun raising weekend!

We look forward to seeing you next year in May and thank you for your ongoing support of the Mzuri Wildlife Foundation. Without the Friends of Mzuri we could not achieve these successful results year after year. If you are not already a Friend, please consider becoming one.

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Press

The Mzuri Wildlife Foundation was recently covered in the June 2009 issue of American Hunter Magazine. The article titled "Recognizing a Conservation Hero: NRA's Wayne Sheets is named Mzuri Wildlife Foundation's Sportsman of the Year" covers the 2009 MWF Annual Awards Gala, and the ongoing work of the MWF.

click here to read whole article >

Programs Sponsored

Featured Program
Kids Outdoor Sports Camp (KOSC):
Red Bluff California

The Mzuri Wildlife Foundation co-sponsors the KOSC Camp, which is located at Red Bank Ranch in Red Bluff, California and co-sponsored by Red Bank Quail and Ale Outfitters. The Kids Outdoor Sports Camp enables boys and girls from 10-14 who are Beginners to complete their Hunter Safety Test and receive their hunting licenses. Advanced Beginners Camps for returnees aged 10-15 are offered as are Hunting & Fishing Camps for youth from 12-16 Other outdoor activities such as archery programs are included in the week long program.

The program is offered six times during the summer and has graduated over 1000 youth in its ten-year existence. Youths also receive information about wildlife programs, recreational areas and way to be active conservationists during their week at the ranch.