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The Baton of Hope – The Seeds of Hope are in our Hands

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Rustic rhino impressions handcrafted into a wooden horn create the ‘Baton of Hope’ which represents the cumulative efforts of local Nelson Mandela Bay rhino activists to draw attention to the ongoing rhino crisis – an ancient species signifying a tipping point that represents many species at risk. As part of the annual awareness drive by rhino focused NPC ‘One Land Love It’ (acronym OLLI), a number of athletes have joined the ‘OLLIMove’ challenge to rise above complacency and consider their capacity to “move” beyond simply caring to doing for conservation. To ask the question: “What can I do to contribute to the sustainability of my environment?”

The ‘Baton of Hope’ began its epic journey from the heart of Namibia with the Oelofse family of Mt Etjo (place of refuge) Rhino Trust. The late Jan Oelofse was a world-renowned conservationist who established the Okonjati Wildlife Sanctuary and his family continue his legacy. As rhino custodians they work tirelessly for conservation and live out his philosophy “give back more than you take”.

In the spirit of #JointCustody, the baton was handed to the Bolton family who founded ‘One Land Love It NPC’. It became part of the ‘Forever Rhino Ride’ and was carried from Namibia to South Africa as Wayne Bolton cycled 2510 kms by mountain bike averaging 100 kms per day over a month through an unforgiving landscape in a campaign to highlight the rhino crisis, engage with stakeholders and acknowledge the work of our rangers. Through this journey Bolton connected two countries that are essentially the primary caretakers of our planet’s rhinos with the message: “what we do today can change our forever – extinction cannot be our legacy”. This would be the first in a series of OLLIMoves – moving from caring to doing for our rhino.

While Bolton was cycling local businesswoman, Jenni Gault, was navigating the extremely brutal weather conditions and terrain of the Everest Region as she climbed to Everest Base Camp and the summit of Mt Kalapatthar as her OLLIMove. Despite the adversities including serious health challenges, Gault pressed through: “I didn’t quit! We simply don’t have this option, if we are to hand over a beautiful, successful Earth to the next generation!”

Arriving back in Nelson Mandela Bay on World Rhino Day in Heritage Month to a celebratory welcome, these tenacious and inspiring adventurers disassembled the “Baton of Hope” and passed on each part to other exceptional individuals.

Immediately on receiving her part of the baton, Sharon Jessop, an OLLI Ambassador and Guinness World Record breaker for the most consecutive half marathons (101) by a woman in 2020 (an OLLIMove), started her ‘Run Wild for Rhinos’ journey from Gqeberha to the Mozambique border at Komatipoort. Passionate about rhinos and determined to make a difference, Jessop is currently making her way through Northern Zululand and anticipates completing her OLLIMove mid-December.

Steven Lancaster, an endurance runner who previously “Everested” on Brickmakers Kloof and is part of the OLLI family, set his sights on the peak of Lady’s Slipper on Heritage Day. Navigating the pathway at night was challenging and resulted in a rolled ankle but he made ten summits as he added to his impressive OLLIMove history. “Heritage Day is a marker for us to ask, ‘Have I done more this year to leave better things for this Earth, for the future?’ Be intentional. What is your goal to change the world in the year ahead? Move from not caring to caring, and then from caring to doing.”

An OLLIMove that draws attention to not only the plight of our rhinos but also reminds us that there are so many other species at risk, is that of Andrew Stewart. Stewart is an OLLI Director, part of Algoa Bay Ocean Stewards and Chairman of Discover Mandela Bay (DMB). As an avid open water swimmer, Stewart has a few long-distance swims under his belt including the Robben Island crossing and Cape Point. His OLLIMove swim of 6.55 kms around the Cape Recife Point with its legendary lighthouse draws attention to the environmental significance of this area.

Accompanied by Duncan Stewart, the brothers started their swim from the wild side of Cape Recife and as they entered the water were quickly surrounded by a massive school of very inquisitive dolphins that criss-crossed the swimmers and support boat for about 40 minutes. This helped to distract the swimmers from the sometimes concerning conditions especially between the lighthouse and Thunderbolt Reef with the dangerous combination of swell, breaking waves and rocks. However, the passage was safely navigated and on the bay side perfect conditions awaited them – ideal for open water swimming. The water temperature was also favourable which is an advantage since Stewart swims without the benefit of a wetsuit.

“Rhinos and penguins are both iconic and endangered species – symbols of the need to protect and conserve our natural heritage,” says Stewart. “They are also both indicator species which means that they reflect the state of our environment and it is fitting that this OLLIMove highlights their plight.” Stewart reflected on the morning saying: “It was a beautiful swim, overall great conditions with the experience of swimming with the dolphins while whales breached nearby. You would be hard pressed to find more places in the country to swim on a regular basis than our bay.”

This OLLIMove representing ‘One Land Love It NPC’ for rhino conservation, symbolically finished at SANCCOB, whose primary objective is to reverse the decline of seabird populations – especially endangered species like the African Penguin. This joining of forces is a sobering acknowledgment of the enormity of the conservation issues our planet faces and highlight the threats faced by species in both the marine and terrestrial ecosystems.

“SANCCOB Gqeberha is proud to support One Land Love It (OLLI) today, as we come together,” says Centre Manager, Carl Havemann. “Sadly, our planet is facing a global extinction crisis, with more than 1 million species predicted to go extinct in the next decade.” He says, “The African Penguin and Rhino, two iconic species, are part of this number. Now, more than ever, is the time for people, organizations and government bodies to set aside their differences and work together to halt this decline to ensure these species are still thriving in the wild for future generations to see.”

“The message of the Baton of Hope is simple,” says Wayne Bolton of ‘One Land Love It NPC’, “The seeds of hope are in our hands. As this baton is passed on from the Oelofse family in Namibia with their strong and deep conservation roots, to all those who are using whatever capacity, skills and resources they have to lead by example and extend a call to action… hope rises. With each person and family represented, a rich legacy is being established that we hope will inspire and motivate future generations to act decisively and shift the current trajectory.”

“I dream of our vast deserts, of our forests, of all our great wildernesses. We must never forget that it is our duty to protect this environment.” Nelson Mandela.

Andrew Stewart
Andrew Stewart and OLLI with the baton piece pre swim

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Alan Straton

Chief Cook, Bottle Washer and Broom Mechanic at MyPE
Passionate about Port Elizabeth and definitely NOT packing for Perth. Alan's ethos is epitomised in the words of Nelson Mandela; "I have fought against white domination and I have fought against black domination. I have cherished the idea of a democratic and free society. If need be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die." See more articles by Alan.