CONSERVATION International Guyana, recently awarded the Amazon Women’s Fellowship to Kim Spencer, secretary of the South Rupununi Conservation Society (SRCS).

The fellowship aims to inspire, empower and build the leadership capacity of young Indigenous females in the Rupununi.

A post on the SRCS’s Facebook page, said that although the Rupununi has countless incredible women, there is currently a disproportionate representation of males and females in leadership positions.

“Kim hopes that this can change by focusing on female youth and giving them the skills, knowledge and confidence to put themselves forward for leadership positions,” the post stated.

This fellowship represents an amazing step in Spencer’s journey which started when she joined SRCS as a Cadet Ranger.

Since then, she has gained leadership skills from SRCS and now wants to use her experience to inspire and empower those in the generation behind her by helping them to become the future leaders of the Rupununi, the SRCS said.

Spencer used the pandemic time to engage in activities that extend beyond her norm, and that improved her skills as far as her local heritage is concerned.

An avid animal lover, she 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.

In 2021, with the limitations brought on by the pandemic, she used her time to learn how to make parkari (kari), parch farine and bake cassava bread. She also visited surrounding villages.

Spencer had also been able to pay a visit to Moco Moco, where she climbed the steps to Black Rock and looked at 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 had reflected in an interview with the Pepperpot Magazine in 2021.

Kim had 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 had 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,” she added.

Spencer 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 analyse data concerning the natural environment.

Kimmy, who comes from 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.

“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,” she had said in the 2021 interview.