Applied Learning and Research Department: Advancing Conservation Science and Research Collaboration The Applied Learning and Research Department (ALRD) at the Southern African Wildlife College (SAWC) has had an eventful quarter, marked by key engagements, research initiatives, and knowledge-sharing platforms.  Workshop Highlights – Johannesburg Session By Natashia Khosa – Administrative Coordinator On 13 February 2025, the SAWC...Read More
By Cliford Nxumalo – Project Research Assistance/Researcher On 20 November, we celebrated Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Day. The day before, on 19 November 2024, we held an online workshop with the Southern African Chapter of Geographic Information Systems (SASCGIS) titled “GIS and Conservation Efforts in the Kavango Zambezi (KAZA) Transfrontier Conservation Area.” The webinar aimed to...Read More
By Dr. Lindy Thompson – Senior Lecturer Hooded Vultures are Critically Endangered. There are thought to be only 100-200 of them in South Africa, so seeing these birds is pretty special! The College is based within this species’ range, and students and visitors might be lucky enough to see these birds from the campus grounds. In November...Read More
By Peter Hamming As mornings grow colder and the veld dries up, food and water become scarce, prompting some birds to depart South Africa, flying north for warmth and sustenance. As summer ends, these birds undertake perilous migrations each year, facing threats like habitat loss and hunting. Researchers aim to map these fly routes to form...Read More
By Marina Khoza – Junior Lecturer On 24 and 25 April 2024, I attended the 5th Summit on Teaching with Technology, hosted by Mangosuthu University of Technology. The conference was centred on how institutions of higher learning should respond to advancements in technology, particularly the rise of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in educational spaces. The conference was...Read More
By Kudakwashe Musengi – Lecturer It was a great honour to be part of the validation workshop on waste management and community-based natural resources management curricula programmes in Tanzania from 6 to 8 April 2024. The workshop, held at Mount Meru Hotel and hosted by the esteemed College of African Wildlife Management (CAWM), was a...Read More
By Cliford Nxumalo – Research AssistantProf. Alan Gardiner and I (from the Applied Learning and Research Department), together with a field assistant, Shabani, went on a life-changing adventure in April 2024. This was my first time travelling outside South Africa to another African country. Travelling to Angola to collect endemic butterflies was an incredible and...Read More
