Linus Ita is an incredibly determined person. I certainly did not meet him by chance. This strongly built man with steadfast demeanor was attending every meeting related to renewable energy he could, committed to figuring out how to bring it to his un-electrified village. He had been doing so long before I came to this country. In 1998, Linus founded a community-based conservation society to promote practices that increase the quality of life in his village while preserving the rainforest that surrounded and sustained it. In this manner, they had implemented sustainable methods of organic farming and trades such as beekeeping that work with the forest. But his dream of powering his village with renewable energy has not been as successful. In 2004, he helped a Canadian organization write a case study for powering the village ... read more

My first two weeks back in Nigeria were not spent in Nigeria. They were spent in Abuja - which functions as both the capital and the antithesis of Nigeria. Shiny, freshly painted buildings and perfectly manicured grounds stretch out in front of sidewalks and perfectly paved highways - all of which are not really found anywhere else in Nigeria. This is, in part, a result of its synthetic beginnings: In order to ease North-South tensions, a capital was created in the literal center of the country. Over the past thirty years, it has been constructed from scratch to be the showcase of Nigeria… and one of the most planned cities in the world. Seriously, they actually have an ‘Abuja Masterplan’… a definite contrast to the uncertainty and instability that characterizes normal life in Nigeria. However, there’s ... read more

So my new hometown of Calabar, Nigeria is a ridiculously wussy section of a country “only for the most masochistic of travelers” (thanks for nothing Lonely Planet). Calabar is the calm capital city/town of Cross River state. Right next door to the Niger Delta oil wells, this relatively conflict-free state is governed by Donald Duke, an ambitious and universally adored governor who shines against the corruption-soaked backdrop of Nigerian politics. But this relative serenity isn’t necessarily obvious at first glance. Bars and security gates stand before most windows and doors. Jagged glass and barbed wire sit atop many fences. The buildings themselves look as if they’d been built 30 years ago and the rainforest has been fighting to reclaim them ever since. Moss and vines stretch up the peeling concrete walls, reaching for rusted tin roofs. ... read more

Call me a nerd (I do it all the time!), but I found the infrastructure here one of the most fascinating things about Nigeria. Particularly when I was sitting in the dark with no electricity at all (ie most nights). It also made me realize how little I knew/thought about the North American grid system. Luckily, my brilliant electrical engineer of a boyfriend and many people here tirelessly worked on quenching my ignorance - for both countries.... read more

Barry and I visited a bush camp run by the Centre for Education Research and Conservation for Primates and Nature (CERCOPAN). Definitely check out their website: www.cercopan.org MOVIE LIST (Left Click to download) Bike ride to Rokho Camp. Close Encounters with the dominant male of the Red Capped Mangabey group. Close Encounters Our guide clearing the trail on one of our hikes. Crazy ant highway in motion. The larger warrior ants acted as perimeter barriers as the worker ants just streamed through. Enlarge the pic below for more detail. ... read more