Meet Flat Eleanor

Meet Flat Eleanor! Flat Eleanor is one of the most recent, and favorite additions to the GVI Karongwe family. She hails from Powhatan, Virginia and was created by the nine year-old cousin of long-term intern, Jessie C. Flat Eleanor is the creation of a long-standing tradition amongst many children all over the world to recreate the timeless story, Flat Stanley.

             Flat Stanley, written by Jeff Brown, tells the tale of Stanley Lampchops who was flattened by a large bulletin board. He uses his flatness to visit friends all around the world in an envelope, learning about the different cultures and traditions while going on crazy adventures. Children read this book now and create flat versions of themselves to be sent around the world to friends and family where the recipient takes photos and write a letter back to the child, helping to spread knowledge and culture to a younger generation.

            When Flat Eleanor arrived, there was a huge fuss as everyone argued over who got to take Flat Eleanor out on research drive or reserve work first. During her first drive, Flat Eleanor got to hold a Leopard Tortoise, see many giraffes, use the game radio, identify leopard tracks, and many more! It was during this drive that we realized Eleanor would not make it in her paper form and was quickly taken to town where she was laminated. It was good that we did because soon the rains came, and she has been able to endure so much more. Eleanor has now been on many drives, and has seen Elephants ring barking (the removal of strips of bark from a tree), walked with cheetahs, identified hyenas, learned how to track animals using telemetry, and assisted in bush clearing.

            Flat Eleanor has taught many lessons to everyone here on base. She exemplified the perfect housemate, quiet, does not eat much, clean, and never complains, as well as excelled in each task set before her. Flat Eleanor brought another method of motivation forth to find the perfect angle of an animal for her to be photographed with, as well as how to get them both in focus (a challenge still not completed). She is a fun, spirit lifting presence here on base. She always has a smile on her face. Now that we are in the first quarter of 2014, Eleanor is classified as staff and loving helping the new volunteers learn their animals. Though the true purpose of Flat Eleanor is to travel the world to share more knowledge and culture, so soon she may be mailed off to another GVI location somewhere else in the world! Keep your eyes open, she may 

just visit you next!

Meet Flat Eleanor