Skip to main content
Appalachian Today
News and events at Appalachian State University
  • For the media
  • COVID updates
  • Contact
  • Events
  • Webcams
  • Galleries
  • In the Media
  • Grants
  • Speakers
  • All Posts
  • Topics
  • Accolades
  • Alumni
  • Arts and Humanities
  • Athletics
  • Awards and Honors
  • Community Engagement
  • Diversity
  • Events
  • Faculty and Staff
  • Gifts and Grants
  • Global
  • Health and Wellness
  • Publications
  • Research
  • Safety
  • Scholarships
  • Students
  • Sustainability
☰ Menu
  • Events
  • Webcams
  • Galleries
  • In the Media
  • Grants
  • Speakers
  • All Posts
  • Topics
  • For the media
  • COVID updates
  • Contact

The Nature Network in Zimbabwe

App State alumna partners with Mandela Washington Fellowship Alumnus to engage students in wildlife conservation

View larger image

Amy Renfranz ’07, president of the Environmental Educators of North Carolina, left, and 2018 Mandela Washington Fellowship Alumnus Dr. Suleiman Makore pause for a photo during their hike of Grandfather Mountain in Linville. Photo submitted

“Through The Nature Network we hope to inspire children to grow up with an awareness of the beautiful nature around them and think about the bigger picture by interacting with one another.”

Dr. Suleiman Makore, Mandela Washington Fellowship Leadership Institute Alumnus of Appalachian’s 2018 cohort

By Jan Todd
Posted Feb. 20, 2020 at 12:42 p.m.

BOONE, N.C. — A shared passion for national parks and wildlife forged a relationship between Appalachian State University alumna Amy Renfranz ’07 and Dr. Suleiman Makore — a 2018 Mandela Washington Fellowship Alumnus. Now the two are developing a program to connect students in North Carolina to students in Zimbabwe to increase participation in the conservation and protection of wildlife.

Makore and Renfranz, who earned a B.A. in English from Appalachian, are two of several peer collaborators who have maintained a partnership following a Leadership Institute and are now working together on programs to create a positive impact in African communities.

“Through The Nature Network we hope to inspire children to grow up with an awareness of the beautiful nature around them and think about the bigger picture by interacting with one another.”

Dr. Suleiman Makore, Mandela Washington Fellowship Leadership Institute Alumnus of Appalachian’s 2018 cohort

Makore, a member of Wildlife and Environment Zimbabwe, visited Grandfather Mountain in Linville with his Mandela Washington Fellowship cohort while at Appalachian in 2018. There he connected with Renfranz, who is the director of education and natural resource management for the Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation. They later met for a full day of hiking and exploration.

“We talked for hours about parks in the U.S. and in Zimbabwe, and about wildlife and park management,” Renfranz shared. “I learned there are a lot of similarities but also major differences in the way wildlands are managed (in the two countries) and in perspectives on wildlife and human interaction.”

Makore, whose organization provides public education on the importance of protecting wildlife and the environment, said he believes people are more likely to value what they understand and strives to increase participation in conservation societies.

View larger image

Dr. Suleiman Makore (pictured fourth from right), a 2018 Mandela Washington Fellowship Alumnus, leads a group to view wildlife in Zimbabwe. Photo submitted

Renfranz serves as president of the Environmental Educators of North Carolina (EENC), and as a representative of the organization has been awarded a grant to travel to Zimbabwe in May. There she will work with Makore on The Nature Network, an initiative to help students in the two countries share ideas, experiences and knowledge. While in Africa, Renfranz will meet with educators and naturalists to develop corresponding, curriculum-based lesson plans.

The goal of the program is to enable students to gain an understanding of the natural history of their region by using scientific tools such as weather stations, wildlife camera traps and guided observation, so they can then engage with and teach others in their partnering country.

“Through The Nature Network we hope to inspire children to grow up with an awareness of the beautiful nature around them and think about the bigger picture by interacting with one another,” Makore said.

The Mandela Washington Fellowship is a program of the U.S. Department of State with funding provided by the U.S. government and administered by IREX. Appalachian is a sub-grantee of IREX and through its Office of International Education and Development has implemented U.S.-based Leadership Institutes as a part of the Fellowship since 2016. For more information about the Mandela Washington Fellowship, visit the Fellowship’s website at www.mandelawashingtonfellowship.org.

What do you think?

Share your feedback on this story.

App State partners continue service work in Africa with Mandela Washington Fellowship Alumni
App State partners continue service work in Africa with Mandela Washington Fellowship Alumni
Feb. 20, 2020

Relationships fostered during Appalachian’s Mandela Washington Fellowship Leadership Institutes take several locals overseas to launch new initiatives in Africa.

Stories

  • Mentoring youth in Benin
  • The Nature Network in Zimbabwe
  • Dreaming for Change in Burundi
  • Ndinephupha Youth Talks in New Brighton
Learn more
App State to host 5th Mandela Washington Fellowship Leadership Institute
App State to host 5th Mandela Washington Fellowship Leadership Institute
Feb. 20, 2020

As part of the 2020 Mandela Washington Fellowship, Appalachian will host 25 of Africa’s emerging civic leaders — ages 25–35 — for a six-week Leadership Institute. Fellows will participate in volunteer service opportunities, meet with state and local government officials, and more.

Read the story
Mandela Washington Fellowship at Appalachian 2020
Mandela Washington Fellowship at Appalachian 2020

Office of International Education and Development

The Mandela Washington Fellowship, the flagship program of the Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI), empowers young African leaders through academic coursework, leadership training, mentoring, networking, professional opportunities, and local community engagement.

Learn more
App State’s 2019 Mandela Fellows engage in servant leadership for 10th anniversary of Mandela Day
App State’s 2019 Mandela Fellows engage in servant leadership for 10th anniversary of Mandela Day
Aug. 14, 2019

On July 18, recognized as Mandela Day, 25 young African leaders in Appalachian’s 2019 Mandela Washington Fellowship Institute engaged with the High Country community by volunteering their time, energy and knowledge at three regional nonprofits.

Read the story
4 Appalachian faculty and staff receive Mandela Washington Fellowship Reciprocal Exchange Awards
4 Appalachian faculty and staff receive Mandela Washington Fellowship Reciprocal Exchange Awards
Feb. 11, 2019

Reciprocal Exchange Award recipients Drs. Jesse Lutabingwa, Brian MacHarg, Suzi Mills and Chishimba Nathan Mowa will travel to sub-Saharan African countries this spring to implement four separate projects alongside Mandela Washington Fellowship alumni.

Read the story

About the Office of International Education and Development

The OIED is responsible for spearheading the internationalization efforts at Appalachian. The internationalization mission of Appalachian is to develop awareness, knowledge, appreciation and respect of cultural differences in both domestic and international contexts in its students, faculty, staff and the surrounding communities. The university is also dedicated to creating a campus environment that builds the theoretical and practical skills needed to interact effectively in a global society. Learn more at https://international.appstate.edu.

About Appalachian State University

As the premier public undergraduate institution in the Southeast, Appalachian State University prepares students to lead purposeful lives as global citizens who understand and engage their responsibilities in creating a sustainable future for all. The Appalachian Experience promotes a spirit of inclusion that brings people together in inspiring ways to acquire and create knowledge, to grow holistically, to act with passion and determination, and to embrace diversity and difference. Located in the Blue Ridge Mountains, Appalachian is one of 17 campuses in the University of North Carolina System. Appalachian enrolls nearly 21,000 students, has a low student-to-faculty ratio and offers more than 150 undergraduate and graduate majors.

“Through The Nature Network we hope to inspire children to grow up with an awareness of the beautiful nature around them and think about the bigger picture by interacting with one another.”

Dr. Suleiman Makore, Mandela Washington Fellowship Leadership Institute Alumnus of Appalachian’s 2018 cohort

App State partners continue service work in Africa with Mandela Washington Fellowship Alumni
App State partners continue service work in Africa with Mandela Washington Fellowship Alumni
Feb. 20, 2020

Relationships fostered during Appalachian’s Mandela Washington Fellowship Leadership Institutes take several locals overseas to launch new initiatives in Africa.

Stories

  • Mentoring youth in Benin
  • The Nature Network in Zimbabwe
  • Dreaming for Change in Burundi
  • Ndinephupha Youth Talks in New Brighton
Learn more
App State to host 5th Mandela Washington Fellowship Leadership Institute
App State to host 5th Mandela Washington Fellowship Leadership Institute
Feb. 20, 2020

As part of the 2020 Mandela Washington Fellowship, Appalachian will host 25 of Africa’s emerging civic leaders — ages 25–35 — for a six-week Leadership Institute. Fellows will participate in volunteer service opportunities, meet with state and local government officials, and more.

Read the story
Mandela Washington Fellowship at Appalachian 2020
Mandela Washington Fellowship at Appalachian 2020

Office of International Education and Development

The Mandela Washington Fellowship, the flagship program of the Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI), empowers young African leaders through academic coursework, leadership training, mentoring, networking, professional opportunities, and local community engagement.

Learn more

Share

Topics

  • Alumni
  • Diversity
  • Faculty and Staff
  • Gifts and Grants
  • Global
  • Sustainability

What do you think?

Share your feedback on this story.

Archives

Appalachian Today is an online publication of Appalachian State University. This website consolidates university news, feature stories, events, photo galleries, videos and podcasts.

The migration of materials from other sites is still incomplete, so if you cannot find what you're looking for here, please refer to the following sources:

  • Additional feature stories may be found at Appalachian Magazine
  • Podcasts may be found at Appalachian Magazine
  • Photo galleries and videos published prior to Jan. 1, 2015 may be found at Appalachian Magazine
  • A university-wide Google Calendar may be found at Events at Appalachian

Share

Topics

  • Alumni
  • Diversity
  • Faculty and Staff
  • Gifts and Grants
  • Global
  • Sustainability

Other Recent Posts

  • Reddish Lab awarded largest National Institutes of Health grant in App State’s history
    Reddish Lab awarded largest National Institutes of Health grant in App State’s history
  • App State’s Dr. Sarah Evans receives CAREER award from National Science Foundation
    App State’s Dr. Sarah Evans receives CAREER award from National Science Foundation
  • App State tops National Board Certified Teachers list for 7th consecutive year
    App State tops National Board Certified Teachers list for 7th consecutive year
  • App State Online bachelor’s, master’s programs named among 2023’s ‘Best Online Programs’
    App State Online bachelor’s, master’s programs named among 2023’s ‘Best Online Programs’
  • Teaching: When the Cat Destroys Your Sweater, Knit Something New [faculty featured]
    Teaching: When the Cat Destroys Your Sweater, Knit Something New [faculty featured]
    Forbes
  • App State to conduct full test of its emergency notification system Feb. 1
    App State to conduct full test of its emergency notification system Feb. 1
  • 6 App State students observe world climate policymaking at UN climate conference
    6 App State students observe world climate policymaking at UN climate conference
  • Aspiring NASCAR reporter Noah Cornelius is on track for a career in broadcasting
    Aspiring NASCAR reporter Noah Cornelius is on track for a career in broadcasting
  • Professor Alexandra Sterling-Hellenbrand awarded 2022–23 Fulbright to teach, conduct research in Austria
    Professor Alexandra Sterling-Hellenbrand awarded 2022–23 Fulbright to teach, conduct research in Austria
  • How Loading Up On Almonds Makes Your Weekend Workout Go Smoothly [faculty featured]
    How Loading Up On Almonds Makes Your Weekend Workout Go Smoothly [faculty featured]
    Forbes
  • Campus emergency siren test to be conducted Jan. 4, 2023
    Campus emergency siren test to be conducted Jan. 4, 2023
  • App State student-athletes extend 3.0+ GPA streak to 21 semesters
    App State student-athletes extend 3.0+ GPA streak to 21 semesters

Archives

Appalachian Today is an online publication of Appalachian State University. This website consolidates university news, feature stories, events, photo galleries, videos and podcasts.

The migration of materials from other sites is still incomplete, so if you cannot find what you're looking for here, please refer to the following sources:

  • Additional feature stories may be found at Appalachian Magazine
  • Podcasts may be found at Appalachian Magazine
  • Photo galleries and videos published prior to Jan. 1, 2015 may be found at Appalachian Magazine
  • A university-wide Google Calendar may be found at Events at Appalachian
  • Events
  • Videos
  • Galleries
  • In the Media
  • Grants
  • Speakers
  • All Posts
  • Topics
  • For the media
  • COVID updates
  • Contact

App State

Copyright 2023 Appalachian State University. All rights reserved.

University Communications
ASU Box 32153
Boone, NC 28608
828-262-6156
ucomm@appstate.edu

Abouts

Disclaimer | EO Policy | Accessibility | Website manager: montaldipa (beltmr) .. | Website Feedback

Facebook Twitter YouTube Instagram LinkedIn Snapchat