Midlands Black Rhino Conservancy (MBRC) has upped its conservation drive through the introduction of Artificial Intelligence (AI), a senior official has said.

Recently speaking on the sidelines of Tree Planting Day Commemorations, Brilliant Chibura the Conservator at Midlands Black Rhino Conservancy said the conservancy has upped its game.

“We have also joined the world through the Global Forestry Watch under Earth Ranger Monitoring  Artificial Intelligence whereby, we get to monitor the rate at which our forests are being decimated within the conservancy,” he said.

Chibura further explained that over the years there have been notable changes in land use within the conservancy.

Currently farming and mining activities are contributing to changes in land use.

“There has been a noted change of land use within the Black Rhino Conservancy which has led to the decimation of forests. The struggle that we have now is to put back the trees and educate the communities about the importance of tree conservation and preservation,” he said.

The Conservancy also joined the rest of the world in commemorating tree planting day.

“The Midlands Black Rhino Conservancy the Sebakwe Conservation and Community Development Centre, joined the rest of the county in these commemorations with the theme of the muunga tree (Vachellia Xanthoploea) or common name  Acacica Xanthoplea the yellow fever acacica or Isinga in Ndebele this year,” he said.

In its conservation efforts, the conservancy has set up a tree plant nursery.

“This nursery was set up last year bringing in the communities that surround the conservancy entitled the social reforestry programme. We want to boost the number of trees within the conservancy and surrounding communities for the benefit of communities. We are looking at indigenous fruits and medical tree propagation,” said Chibura.

He explained that the community is benefitting directly through value addition.

“The communities benefit directly through value addition hence our partnership with the Biotechnology Authority of Zimbabwe. For value addition and in terms of carbon credits we are trying to put value to a tree if one farmer realizes that for instance from Amarula tree they can get revenue more than just being a problem tree which attracts elephants within the conservancy if these communities get the value of the trees its value-added hence the need to help in protection,” he said.