The Moremi Lions New Media Experiment

Have just spent the first day in Moremi with the Earth-Touch.com Botswana Crew, experimenting with ‘cross-media’ story telling. We are exploring new ways of engaging audiences using cellphones, email and websites, in conjunction with the traditional broadcast channels. Here is the the official desription of the project goals:

At Earth-Touch, we believe in the value of wildlife, and the imperative of reconnecting people with the natural environment and the myriad of creatures that share this fragile ecosystem with us. We also believe in the potential of new media technologies to create and nurture this bond, and to connect people around the world in a way never before possible.

This is the story of the Lions of Moremi, told through the eyes of an Earth-Touch film crew embedded deep in the Okavango Delta in northern Botswana. Using a variety of communication technologies, devices and platforms, we invite you to share in the creation of this story, and to follow it as you see fit – on your mobile, on your computer, on your TV screen, as intimately or as removed as you see fit. And we ask that through this experiment you help us to shape a new way of telling stories about the natural world.

We found the lions today late in the afternoon, and managed to get the BGAN system up and running. Tomorrow we will head out at 5.30 and look for the lions, and build on what we learnt today.

Comments

[Jonathan Thompson]

Hey Rog,
I see you are using a BGAN system for net access.
How well is it working for you and what does it cost per MB/month/connection etc.
I am currently courting a 6 month assignment to come back to South Africa to build a 1.2TB fibre optic landing station at Mtunzini to provide all of SA's broadband needs for Neotel.
Broadband seems to be sketchy in SA at best. I find myself in a Chicken and Egg situation!!
I need to be well connected daily. Does the BGAN system work well for you with all media?
Do tell.