Naturalists’ Corner: My Bumpy Ride Through Botswana by Tom Condon

Newsletter: Summer 2026

September Meeting

The Naturalists’ Club Trip in Africa

Presented by Sonya Vickers

In April, the Naturalists’ Club took a trip to Africa. Members Tom Condon and Chris Mangano arranged all the details and the ten of us flew to Africa to visit Botswana and Zimbabwe. First stop was Victoria Falls, where the Zambezi River drops off a mile-long cliff into a gorge. Next, we boarded Land Cruisers and bounced our way over the forest and savanna, camping at night in simple tents. Sonya will show photographs of the incredible birds and wildlife we saw there. She saw 61 bird species she had never seen before. We camped in tents very close to a pride of lions and heard them at night. A leopard was detected behind our tents one night. We watched as two cheetahs made a mad dash on a herd of impalas. Everywhere there were elephants and zebras. We lived and slept in their world. After five days, we came out of the bush and went up in a helicopter to see part of the 100-mile-wide delta that gives all these animals an excellent habitat

Wednesday, September 16, starting at 7 p.m.

Tolman Auditorium, Springfield Science Museum

Visit some of our partners’ websites: Springfield Stars Club Allen Bird Club Arcadia Wildlife Sanctuary