Wilderness Vumbura Plains

CONSERVATION & COMMUNITY

Wilderness Safaris established the Children in the Wilderness programme (CITW) focusing on the children from villages close to the remote areas in which they operate, educating them in environmental awareness and training them in the life skills needed to care for and nurture their natural environment. Some of these programmes include operating annual camps for up to 30 children at a time in their lodges, running regular Eco-Clubs in rural schools, Youth Environmental Stewardship (YES) which mentors particular children who have shown a strong interest in their environment and scholarship programmes for primary, secondary and tertiary education.

The Wilderness Wildlife Trust is involved in conservation, anti-poaching, community empowerment and education. The Trust has many projects throughout Botswana (Wildlife Research Increasing Capacity), Namibia (Desert Dwelling Giraffe Study), Zimbabwe (Hwange Elephant Movement Study), Zambia (Zambian Carnivore Program), Malawi (Mobile Response Unit) and Rwanda (Shoebill Arial Survey).

In 2019 Wilderness Safaris joined the Lion Recovery Fund and several of Africa’s other safari operators to form the Lionscape Coalition to raise funds for and awareness of lion conservation.

Projects closer to Vumbura Plains include the Botswana Lion Genetics Study which is funded by the Trust and researches the past and present genetic structure of lions in the Okavango Delta. The Vumbura Concession is in a Wildlife Management area and is leased to Wilderness Safaris through The Okavango Community Trust ensuring the five local villages benefit from the operation (for example, all staff members that are employed on the concession must be from one of the villages). CITW focuses on the children from these villages, with 10,000 rural children across seven African countries have benefited from CITW. Wilderness Safaris also offers its guests the option bring a donation of supplies in partnership with Pack For A Purpose which will assist the ongoing Vumbura Plains community projects.