The start of the year has been nothing short of exhilarating for the Responsible Resource Management (RRM) Department. In a dynamic move, the renowned Herding Academy has merged with the Southern African Wildlife College (SAWC) to bolster Regenerative Land Management training, promising enhanced impact across the Southern African Development Community (SADC). Concurrently, the RRM department hosted a vibrant three-day workshop with key stakeholders in the Herding for Health (H4H) initiative. This collaborative effort aims to comprehensively assess training needs and elevate human resource capacity within the sector. With enthusiastic participation from esteemed organizations, the RRM Department also conducted a five-day Responsible Resource Use course.
Herding Academy Has Found A New Home
Towards the end of January 2024, we had a visit from the College of Tourism and are delighted to share the exciting news of the Herding Academy’s transition to the SAWC to foster Regenerative Land Management training. Well-known for its dedication to regenerative land management, the Herding Academy and the SAWC are taking a strategic step forward by way of this transition. This marks a significant commitment to advancing regenerative land management and conservation training across the Southern African Development Community (SADC). In this exciting move, the Herding Academy which will now fall under the banner of the SAWC, is set to soar to new heights. With the College’s research into regenerative land practices and its herding and eco-rangers training programme, the training capacity will be enhanced to make a more substantial impact in the realm of regenerative land management.
Herding 4 Health (H4H): Capacity-Building Workshop
On 29 – 31 January, the Responsible Resource Management (RRM) department hosted a three-day workshop with the Herding for Health partners. The purpose of this workshop was to convene all partners to assess the training needs within the H4H industry comprehensively. This aimed to assist the RRM in developing an H4H training work plan and evaluating the necessity to increase its human resource capacity. Concurrently, the workshop sought to understand the visions and goals of partners within the H4H spectrum. The department expresses gratitude for the enthusiastic participation of the following organizations:
- Peace Parks Foundation
- Conservation South Africa
- Meat Naturally Africa
- Herding 4 Hope
- Africa Center for Holistic Management
Projects and Training
Late January 2024 the department recruited 10 staff members from different organizations to participate in the five-day Responsible Resource Use (RRU) course. This is part of the GIZ Climate Resilience for Natural Resource Management Project. This course aimed to equip the participants with knowledge about RRU and how to make responsible decisions in their everyday lives. The participants were from the following organizations:
- Endangered Wildlife Trust
- Makuleke Contractual Park
- Southern African Wildlife College
- SANParks
- Africa Foundation
- Kruger to Canyons (K2C)
- Hoedspruit Hub