NATIONAL NEWS - Hunting is often debated in public without the full story of what it makes possible for wildlife, landscapes and the people who live closest to wild places.
The Origins Foundation, recently featured in National Geographic, launches 100 Proofs to help change that conversation.
100 Proofs is a new storytelling initiative that documents the real-world impact of hunting and sustainable use conservation around the world.
Through a growing collection of field-based stories, the initiative highlights how hunting-supported conservation contributes to improving quality of life for children and families, wildlife restoration, habitat protection, scientific research, food security, education, rural infrastructure, local employment and community development.
The initiative launches with stories that show the range of that impact, including the Panyame Cheetah Project in Mozambique, where hunter-supported conservation helps fund a historic cheetah range expansion for a species that will never be hunted.
“Cheetahs are one of the most endangered carnivores in Africa and require new habitat for their range expansion. This project did just that,” said Dr Robert Kröger, Founder and Executive Director of The Origins Foundation. “It was a historic move funded by hunters, for a species that will never be hunted.”
100 Proofs also highlights the people and communities directly impacted by hunting and sustainable use conservation. In Fauresmith, South Africa, one featured proof documents the renovation of a local pre-kindergarten school, including new jungle gyms, water storage tanks and kitchen remodelling.
“There is no greater joy than to invest back into our communities, and there is no better way to do that than to help the education environment of the smallest kids in our community,” said Rykie Fourie of Sandymount Park Private Nature Reserve near Fauresmith. This is proof that hunters are putting communities and children first and are focused on giving back to the communities where they operate.
Each “proof” focuses on a real project, place, person or partnership where hunting and sustainable use create measurable benefits for wildlife, landscapes, families and communities.
By gathering these stories in one place, The Origins Foundation helps partners, supporters, media, policymakers, and the public see how sustainable use and hunting bring real conservation and real change to the real world.
“Conservation is not just an idea. It is work that changes lives on the ground every day,” Kröger said. “100 Proofs is our way of showing what hunting and sustainable use actually make possible when communities, scientists, landowners, hunters, operators and conservation leaders work together.”
These proofs show that the impact made through hunting is not unique to Africa, Asia and Australia. The Origins Foundation is partnering with organisations around the US on projects that are only possible because of the passion and respect that hunters hold for the outdoors.
With work including saving sea turtles in Georgia; protecting the rights of farmers, hunters, and anglers in Oregon; helping to protect cattle in Colorado; and more, the Origins Foundation is able to show the real impact of sustainable use in the United States.
At its core, 100 Proofs is built around a simple idea: hunting and sustainable use are a critical part of rural community upliftment and the conservation conversation. That reality deserves to be broadcast to the public.
That includes the wildlife restored, the habitat conserved, the research funded, the jobs created, the schools supported, the communities strengthened and the families whose lives are directly affected by this work.
The launch of 100 Proofs reflects The Origins Foundation’s broader mission to change the perception of hunting by showing its real impact on people, wildlife and communities. Through storytelling, education, field partnerships and boots-on-the-ground conservation work, the Origins Foundation elevates the connection between hunters, wildlife, people and the landscapes they share.
The 100 Proofs series is launching on July 31 with the release of a limited number of proofs. They are available through The Origins Foundation’s digital platforms, and additional proofs will be released regularly.
Viewers can visit the Origins Foundation’s website and social media channels to follow along.
