Charles
Charles Merrill is a technologist, cyclist and wildlife advocate who lives in Northern California. He is a former professional sailor who has transited the mid-pacific multiple times since the 1980s seeing first hand the impact of the massive quantities of garbage collecting there.
Charles has traveled extensively with a focus on local art, culture, history, environment and wildlife.
Charles was in South Africa in 2015 and rode as Karrie’s partner in the JoBerg2c race crossing more than 900km of the countries dirt roads and trails on a mountain bike. He helped raise funds to teach South African school children about Rhino poaching and was able to attend the RhinoArt project presentation at Nkodibe High School in Mtubatuba KZN.
A subsequent five park multi-week wildlife tour of South Africa was life changing and led to many enlightening conversations with locals, naturalists, educators and rangers.
It was an hours long conversation with Karrie, RhinoArt and an anti-poaching ranger about the most cost effective and locally beneficial methods that led Charles to be fully committed to ProjectThorn and Hornucopia.
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Why did I decide to get involved with ProjectThorn?
During my travels in South Africa I was able to spend many
hours very close to it’s animals. I will never forget the first time
that I was able to sit near enough to some Rhinos to listen to them
breath. These are social, sentient beings that quite literally will do
no harm to others unless forced to.
It is proven that there is NO medicinal value to Rhino horn.
They are in danger based on market forces speculating on their
extinction.
Through our involvement raising funds for 12Hours and
RhinoArt I was privileged to spend an afternoon with an anti poaching
ranger in the bomas at iMfolozi. We spent hours talking about the
situation and the dangers that the rangers face every day. I’m a
California tech guy so I was initially focused on all the latest western
technology. I came to the conclusion that although these technology
based ideas may eventually be part of a broad solution, the rangers on
the ground in the hardest hit parks need the most cost effective, all
weather solutions that embrace the culture and the community.
iMfolozi is a leader in helping disperse the genetic
diversity of the Africa Rhino. As part of that they do some capture and
transport of park Rhino. While in the Boma I got to watch a mother Rhino
and her 18 hour old calf and witness their bond. I also watched a young
male that had been removed from it’s crash for transport to another
park. I did not know that a Rhino cries. It cries like a dolphin when
separated from it’s loved ones.
The sound is heartbreaking and will forever haunt me. We can’t let this slaughter continue.
Update 2022
Update 2022
I am honored to be returning to South Africa to ride and raise funds in the last edition of Joberg2c.
I have learned that it is not just the Rhinos that need help, it is all of the bush species.
Towards that end, I have thrown my support to ConservationK9.
ConservationK9 will help protect all wildlife in the reserve area.
I look forward to returning to South Africa in the next few months and pledge my continued support to ProjectThorn’s ConservationK9 initiative.
Please consider making a donation to our next anti-poaching project.