VISITS TO THE COLLEGE
July and August saw many international university groups and conservation organisations visit the SAWC to learn all about our wildlife from A to Z and everything in between. The groups enjoyed many bespoke experiences during their stay here at the college. These included intimate experiences with our wildlife, cultural experiences with our people and an opportunity to go behind the scenes to engage with the role-players and decision-makers in conservation today.
Students from Michigan State University pose on the koppie whilst on a camping excursion in the Kruger National Park.
If you would like to conduct a group visit to the College, get in touch with Scott Yammin to start planning your trip.
ECO RANGER TRAINING
The July – September quarter was especially busy for the Responsible Resource Management (RRM) Department’s Senior Trainer, Mr Pieter Nel, who was out and about conducting Eco Ranger training. From 11 June to 10 July, we had onsite Eco Ranger training for a group of PPF (Peace Parks Foundation) Eco Ranger team leaders from Maputo National Park and Greater Limpopo National Park. The participants had the opportunity to visit the grazing area of the Welverdiend community. Conservation South Africa (CSA) also supported them with information on record keeping and monitoring.
On the week of 14 August, we conducted a week-long Eco Ranger course in Ndorotsha, Botswana. A total of 25 people participated in the training. It was great working with Wild Entrust and CLAWS Conservancy on this valuable and incredibly important training.
Another Eco Ranger training was conducted in August 2023. This was a five (5) days training for 25 students from the village in Mozambique. In September, the quarter was concluded with training for Victoria Falls Wildlife Trust in Zimbabwe.
At the end of the training, the herders become eco rangers by taking responsibility for the wellbeing of the environment and the animals they look after. Other outcomes of the course include social improvement and resilience building; conflict resolution and climate mitigation; foundational conservation and ecological literacy; and how to be accountable and make responsible decisions.
If you are interested in our Herding 4 Health training, contact us.
CLIMATE RESILIENCE AND NATURAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
From 17 July to 22 July 2023, the RRM Department hosted a train-a-trainer workshop for Climate Resilience and Natural Resource Management (CRNRM). This workshop was part of an ongoing project funded by the GIZ to support learning exchange between three partners: MWEKA, ERAIFT and the SAWC. The purpose of this was for the College to host partners of the CRNRM PROJECT and run train-a-trainer activities for Responsible Resource Use (RRU). The workshop was a success as there were great discussions and valuable input from the guests. Their different backgrounds and experience contributed a great deal to the learning and sharing that took place.
