African Wildlife & Environment Issue 80

WESSA LEADERSHIP FWF NE SLETT R 1 (2021)

COMMITMENT TO EDUCATION FOR CONSERVATION

Sustainability and environmental conservation are concepts that we still struggle to grasp in terms of our everyday lives. Therefore, we ensure that we unpack concepts and co-create solutions with our stakeholders through our environmental education and human capacity development programmes and projects. In that way, we take positive action against social and environmental challenges with minimal disruption to our everyday life and that of our natural surroundings. The Ford Ranger, provided by the Ford Wildlife Foundation, has enabled theWESSA team to bring nature back to schools and create ecosystems that are used as outdoor classrooms that ensures Natural ecosystems are fundamental for human survival, yet many ecosystems are severely damaged. This is predominantly the result of urban and agricultural development. The WESSA Schools and Youth Unit works with communities, teachers, learners and youth across SouthAfrica, toachievesustainabilityandenvironmental conservation through education and action-based projects.

practical solutions to the socio-ecologic challenges and problems they are facing. This encourages the schools and youth to look at environmental issues differently, and not in isolation from their lives. Youth are empowered through resilience training and skills development programmes which are structured and systematic. This prepares them for a future work, study or entrepreneurship with the environment as part of their fundamental learning and understanding of life.

Delivering gardening resources at Tshimollo Primary School in Naledi, Pretoria

Our interventions are aligned to global and local agendas such as the Sustainable Development Goals and the National Development Plan which enables communities to break cycles and create a generation of individuals that care for the environment. All our programmes inspire active participation to deal with localised issues. We foster the process of individuals acquiring knowledge, values, motivation, skills and attitude needed to conserve the environment and use the earth’s resources efficiently. We ensure that the people involved in the projects can successfully execute their plans to achieve maximum impact and reconnect with nature. These localised projects in schools and communities are able to protect indigenous plants, reduce pollution, attract biodiversity and restore ecosystems.

Delivery of water canisters at a school in Hammanskraal

learning about nature is just as important as learning about math and science. We have tailored our approach toward more holistic, community-driven conservation interventions. With our stakeholders we identify localised issues, introduce intergenerational learning about our natural world, improve environmental content knowledge and develop

Reatlegile Thabathi and Lameez Eksteen

9 | African Wildlife & Environment | Issue 80 (2021)