The Community-Led Conservation Practices thematic area continues to advance innovative, people-centred approaches to conservation education, with a strong focus on experiential learning, youth development, and community empowerment across Southern Africa.Â
Conservation Coaching Programme in Botswana
Two members of the SAWC Coaching Conservation (CC) team travelled to Maun, Botswana (8–21 March 2026) to deliver a Train-the-Trainer programme for the Coaching Conservation six-week curriculum. The initiative focused on strengthening local coaching capacity and expanding conservation education delivery through a structured, play-based learning model.Â
The training brought together four new coaches from Wildlink and Wild Entrust, alongside eight experienced coaches, who were upskilled in new curriculum content. The programme was facilitated by Goodwill Seepane and I, with strategic oversight from Leslie McNutt (Director of Coaching Conservation) and Patience Isaacs (Botswana Team Manager).Â
The CC methodology uses structured ‘animal coaches’ as learning anchors, including the African Wild Dog, Elephant, Herd (Ungulates and Community Dynamics), Vulture, Lion, Leopard, and Cheetah. This model applies play‑based learning, where sport, movement, storytelling, and guided reflection are used to build ecological understanding, empathy, and behavioural change among learners. The approach is widely recognised for achieving high levels of participation and engagement in rural school environments, particularly in conservation‑rich landscapes.Â
Learners move through a structured learning journey:Â
- Meet the animal coach and understand its ecological role Â
- Be the animal through active, game-based learning Â
- Help by exploring real-world conservation challenges and solutions Â
Field-Based Learning and ImpactÂ
During school deployments, coaches worked with large groups of learners in highly dynamic field settings, at times reaching up to 584 children per day. Despite demanding logistical conditions, the programme successfully created immersive, high-energy learning environments that prioritised participation, creativity, and environmental awareness.Â
The Botswana training concluded with all four new coaches formally assessed and certified as competent, strengthening regional capacity for scaling conservation education delivery.Â
Coaching Conservation Rapid Awareness ProgrammeÂ
Thanks to the generous support from Friends of African Wildlife, the SAWC Coaching Conservation team also delivered the CC Rapid Awareness Programme (CC RAP) at the College from 21 to 28 May 2026. The CC RAP is a short-format, high-impact conservation education intervention designed to rapidly build awareness and understanding of key environmental themes among primary school learners. It forms part of the broader Coaching Conservation learning framework, which uses focused, species-based learning experiences to strengthen empathy and conservation awareness in young learners.Â
During this reporting period, CC RAP reached 81 children, organised into four learning groups from three schools — Mahlekisana Primary School, Mtembeni Primary School, and Muchuchi Primary School — providing an interactive platform for testing and refining coaching delivery approaches in a controlled learning environment.Â
The sessions combined movement-based learning, storytelling, and guided reflection, ensuring that learners not only gained knowledge but also developed a deeper emotional connection to wildlife and ecosystems.Â