Namibia Nature Parks, by Helge Denker

Namibia Nature Parks: A personal guide to Namibia’s great wild spaces, by Helge Denker. Gondwana Collection Namibia. Windhoek, Namibia 2021. ISBN 9789991699400 / ISBN 978-99916-994-0-0

Namibia Nature Parks portrays the insights and experiences of the author, Heige Denker, based on a lifelong passion for the country of his birth, on 3 decades of exploration in its environment, and on dedicated work on this project over a period of 5 years.

Helge Denker  

Helge Denker was born in Namibia and has spent his life working either directly in, or on projects related to, its wildlife and wild spaces. His work as an artist-naturalist, guide, photographer, writer and development consultant has taken him on extended field assignments to most parts of the country. It has included stints as director of the Namibian Environment and Wildlife Society, communications specialist for NACO/WWF in Namibia, and philatelic product designer for Namibia Post. He has published well over 100 popular articles and has written extensively on environmental issues, community conservation and wildlife crime.

To delve deeper

Modern tourism is often fast and superficial; we are rushed along by itineraries that cram 'all the highlights' into one short trip. But what are the real highlights? They differ from person to person, from interest to interest. We usually experience them when we delve deeper into the here-and-now, into the wonder of details and subtleties; when we spend focused time in one place. Africa's wildlands are exultation for the senses. Sight-sound-smell-touch-taste ... The smell of the veld on a crisp winter morning; the fresh paw prints of a leopard in grey, leaf-strewn sand; the whistling wing beats of countless doves at a waterhole; the taste of sweat on your face and the weight of a backpack on your shoulders; the brilliant colours of a malachite kingfisher; the softest touch of the butterfly that lands on your hand; the gnarled wood of the omumborombonga, the leadwood tree; the gentle scent of a wildflower; the glint of the setting sun in the eye of an aardwolf; the call of a scops owl in the quiet of the night... When our senses become attuned to our surroundings, all of these things become small highlights that enliven our experience, that lure us deeper into the wonders of the wild until we submerge in nature and are only here, now. When our full attention is on what's around us - the magic of Namibia's nature parks - our personal highlights happen, suddenly, unexpectedly. We are free to choose how we experience our world, and whether to look beyond quick glances, to really see and feel. To feel the sand between our toes, the wind on our face, the sun on our skin, the heat and dust, and the flies and scratching thorns. The roar of a lion outside our tent; a dragonfly dancing in sunlight; a snake winding across red sand; the scent of a herd of elephants, close; the taste of a campfire meal ... Namibia's nature parks are freedom - freedom for wild animals to roam, freedom for people to experience the natural wonders of this country, freedom to wander and to wonder; to let things unfold. Space for the soul ... This country is vast, stunning and diverse. Its landscapes are humbling in their expansive grandeur; its wild creatures are fascinating; its people inspiring. Time and space, here, take on a dimension in which we are insignificant, yet quietly fulfilled. That's why we need to be out there, to delve deeper.

In a world of natural wealth

Namibia's nature parks are places of extraordinary environmental wealth. People are protecting these lands for their beauty, for their uniqueness, for the creatures that inhabit them: Great geological treasures in stunning forms, flora! riches from forests to vygies, the splendour of diverse and fascinating fauna ... and much more. Explore! [...]

This is an excerpt from Namibia Nature Parks, by Helge Denker.

Title: Namibia Nature Parks
Subtitle: A personal guide to Namibia’s great wild spaces.
Author: Helge Denker
Publisher: Gondwana Collection Namibia
Windhoek, Namibia 2021
ISBN 9789991699400 / ISBN 978-99916-994-0-0
Softcover, 17 x 24 cm, 436 pages, 650 photos, maps and sketches