Makhado (Louis Trichardt) last week received a visit from a remarkable young woman who, on Friday, 30 August, had already spent four months on the road, running and cycling close to 7 700km to raise awareness regarding the plight of the rhino in Southern Africa.

Isabel Wolf-Gillespie from the Natal-Midlands paid a visit to several local schools as part of their Rhino Knights fundraising campaign under the Earth Awareness banner. The schools included Ridgeway College, Soutpansberg Primary, and both Hoërskool and Laerskool Louis Trichardt.

“Today, every 11 hours a rhino life is poached for its horn and at this current rate, the children of today will not lay their eyes upon this species as adults. Sometimes I feel daunted by the sad and shocking state of the rhino crisis and wonder whether what is being done is making a difference,” says Isabel. She says they truly believe that children are the future of conservation and that is why they are visiting schools all along their route to hold a presentation to pupils.

“Almost every time after we have been to a school I am inspired and motivated to carry on. There is ‘light at the end of the tunnel’ and it shines from within each of them. Lloyd and I are just two normal people trying to do something out of the ordinary, and we hope to inspire the children to believe in themselves and that their voices count,” says Isabel.

Isabel’s epic journey started in May this year and at present she and her support team is on their “home stretch” back to Durban.

But why all the effort?

Isabel explains: “In 2009, Lloyd [her husband] and I did a journey with our horses around South Africa to raise awareness of African Horse Sickness ...  This journey took 581 days and we covered 7 411km. Whilst travelling and living alongside our horses, going at their pace, they had become the non-judgmental barometers of our lives and changed us forever. The further we travelled, the more aware we became aware of our horses and ourselves and the land we were riding through and we became deeper connected to everything. That is why we started our non-profit company, Earth Awareness, which is about creating awareness of self, others and the environment!”

What gave birth to the Rhino Knights campaign was what greeted them upon their return home.

“When we returned to our horse trail business, based on a reserve in the Eastern Cape in 2011, we were hit by a shocking and sad reality. The 11 rhino that used to live on that reserve had been killed and this sparked deep anger, sadness and complete helplessness! It also sparked the wish to do something about it and, after moving away from the Eastern Cape to the Natal Midlands, we by chance moved 10kms away from rhino conservation icon Dr Ian Player,” says Isabel. She says that Dr Player saved the white rhino from extinction in the 60s and today, at 86 years of age, he is still fighting for their survival. “Ian became our mentor and after many conversations between Lloyd and myself and him, the ‘Rhino Knights’ campaign under the banner of Earth Awareness was born,” says Isabel.

As part of their Rhino Knights campaign, conservation organisations, rangers, guides, reserves, breeders etc. are asked what they believe are the problems with the poaching crisis and what possible solutions are? “This has been a complete eye opener for all of us and the more questionnaires are being filled out, the more we realize the value of it. After the completion of the campaign, we will evaluate this and get involved in active anti-poaching measures,” says Isabel. She urged citizens to support the Rhino Knights on Facebook or by visiting www.earthawareness.co.za.

“A united and loud voice through a virtual Facebook and Youtube Rhino Knights movement across the world will be heard, and is able to make demands to get governments to protect rhino and other wildlife!” says Isabel.