CADET ranger with the South Rupununi Conservation Society (SRCS), Kim Spencer, has been using the pandemic time to engage in activities that extend beyond her norm, and that improves her skills so far as her local heritage is concerned.

An avid animal lover, Kim gets to live her dream by travelling to the Rupununi and conducting surveys on animals and the environment. Having grown up in a ranch and farming environment, “Kimmy”, as she is fondly called, has centred her life on enjoying nature and even teaching others about it.

With the limitations brought on by the pandemic, she has been using her time recently to learn how to make Parkari (Kari), parch farine and bake cassava bread, among other traditional activities. She’s also visited surrounding villages in the south,such as Katoonarib to visit ‘Dwayne’ the tapir and her family.

Kim has also been able to pay a visit to Moco Moco, where she ventured to climb the steps to Black Rock and look at the view of the Kanuku Mountains and the savannah. “I also visited the Manari ranch where I helped the owner around the ranch and enjoyed the good life, and my next visit was to Wichabai, where the SRCS headquarters are [sic] located,” she reflected in an interview with the Pepperpot Magazine a few days ago.

“In my time there, I was a witness to one of the most extraordinary sights. There was a huge storm, but in the midst of the dark clouds, the sun was setting and there were six simultaneous rainbows. As if that wasn’t fascinating enough, as the storm rolled on, the thunder and lightning contrasted with the rainbows. I managed to capture on camera a picture of the lightning and a rainbow. It was unbelievable that we witnessed a storm, the rainbows, lightning and thunder during sunset,” she recalled.

Kim has also participated in the first-ever turtle festival in South Rupununi held in Sand Creek, where 200 turtles were released into the wild. “The day was full of many activities and I especially enjoyed a calabash of some good, strong Kari.”

She has also visited the Kumu Falls and had the most therapeutic of experiences there. “Added to that, in showing my dedication to the Red Siskin, I have taken a tattoo of the logo of SRCS. I’m really in love with my tattoo as it not only depicts my favourite bird, but also represents something I have dedicated my life to the conservation of the South Rupununi wildlife.”

Born and raised in Katoonarib and Dadanawa Ranch, both Region Nine villages, Kim is now settled in Sand Creek village. She learned essential skills and became trained and equipped with a variety of environmental knowledge, such as handling birds, navigating GPS, and using camera footage to collect and analyze data of the natural environment.

Kimmy, who is of the Wapichan indigenous tribe, also gets to work with Rupununi Trails, a tour operator based at Dadanawa Ranch in the South Rupununi, which has been operating over the past 40 years and has been the choice of wildlife photographers, scientists, birdwatchers, fishermen and nature lovers.

Kimmy’s work with the school children inspired her to enter the teaching profession. So having started her training at the Cyril Potter College of Education (CPCE), she was assigned to teach at the Sand Creek Secondary School in 2016.

Things did not work out for her at the CPCE because of illness and other personal reasons, so she opted to return home without graduating. “Working in the education sector didn’t stop me from doing my ranger work in the fields during the weekends and on holidays,” she said. So at the moment, she is a Mathematics and Environmental Education teacher. Recently, Kimmy also got her licence as a tourist guide.

Kimmy also loves her home. Her village, Katoonarib, is located about 72 kilometres from Lethem, and has just about 200 people living there. “I love the Rupununi because of its natural beauty, the people, the environment and everything about it. It’s open; it’s friendly; there’s nothing to be afraid of. Being in nature is one of the greatest feelings. I can go to the creek without any cost and I don’t need to worry about electricity or bills or anything,” Kimmy expressed.