Mokolodi

The Mokolodi Wildlife Foundation was created in 1991 for the children of Botswana. Mokolodi’s goal is to use income from tourism and the sustainable use of wildlife and natural resources to subsidise an environmental education and conservation programme. Tourism now covers the costs of the running the reserve and funds the employment of over 70 people. Previously, the land had employed only nine people as a cattle ranch.

In 2006 more than 12,000 people visited Mokolodi's education centre situated on the outskirts of Gaborone in the South of the country. As many as 80% of all the school children in Botswana will visit the centre. Older children who have learned about the value of tourism, conservation and environmental education are then encouraged to go on to work throughout Botswana, passing on their knowledge.

70% school children in Botswana live in the Southeast corner of the country. All the key national parks are to be found in the north and west, however, approximately 1,000km away. Most children therefore grow up without ever seeing an antelope or appreciating their natural resources at all. It is these same children who will, as Botswana's future administrators, and politicians, have the responsibility of looking after the country's environment and wildlife for future generations.

Community work at Mokolodi

Mokolodi Nature Reserve has successfully integrated education, conservation, tourism and rural community interaction. The majority of the employees are residents of the neighbouring Mokolodi village. As a result of this intimate relationship with the village, the local community has a strong sense of ownership over the reserve. The reserve is actively involved in developing community facilities, while improving the standard of living for all the residents of Mokolodi.

Mokolodi also uses its position in the community to help Botswana’s fight against HIV/AIDS. Boitumelo Mo Nageng (Joy in the Bush) is a venture run at Mokolodi over Christmas for 200 children, either orphans of AIDS or HIV positive themselves. The program is designed to give the children a new meaning to life, make new friends and learn about children from different communities who are suffering the same conditions. The venture combines health education, therapeutic recreation, environmental awareness and wildlife conservation. Such a willingness for a conservation initiative to take the lead in addressing the needs of its local population sets a fine example for Africa, and should be used as a template.

Makgadikgadi wetland flamingo project

The Makgadikgadi salt pan complex comprises the most important breeding site in southern Africa for greater and lesser flamingos, two high profile species in decline in the region.

Threats to the wetland integrity of Makgadikgadi include a large soda ash mine operating on the edge of Sua pan; the erection of new fences around and across the pans; the development of a copper mine in the catchment area; overgrazing around the pans; and increased and poorly regulated tourism on the pans themselves.

The Makgadikgadi wetland flamingo project aims to set up a Makgadikgadi Wetlands Working Group and co-ordinate a team of community and stakeholder participants in the long-term monitoring and conservation of this important wetland ecosystem. Protection of its integrity, biodiversity and status as an important breeding site for flamingos is the goal; community awareness and sustainable development are the means.

Through community and stakeholder active participation the project hopes to carry out the following objectives:

• Training and coordinating team members to monitor Makgadikgadi’s hydrological, chemical and ecological components in order to identify potential changes as a result of human activities.
• Annual monitoring of the populations and breeding success of flamingos and other important bird species on and surrounding the Makgadikgadi wetlands.
• School and community environmental education projects in order to highlight the resource potential of Makgadikgadi’s wetlands and encourage active participation in sustainable development and conservation work.
• Identify the major threats to the wetlands integrity and address important management issues e.g. eastern Makgadikgadi National Park fence.
• Facilitate research on priority topics and in hotspots of development impact.

Community work at Makgadikgadi

By initiating their participation in the above activities, the Working Group will help develop responsibility and conservation awareness among local community and stakeholders. Setting up monitoring and community projects with the relevant stakeholders and institutions will ensure their continuity in the long-term and encourage their incorporation into future sustainable development and effective management decisions.

Moremi rhino reintroduction

Botswana’s rhino population has been decimated. However, on an island in the Okavango Delta the Moremi team has succeeded in re-introducing rhino into the Delta. This is some feat in a country whose rhino population fell below 10 inside the last twenty years.

The population of white rhino in the Moremi Reserve now stands at 28, which includes 5 new rhinos calves. This is confirmation that the population is breeding healthily. In addition to the white rhino, four black rhino were also introduced in 2003. This species had been extinct in Botswana for many years.

The rhinos in the Moremi Game Reserve are monitored in an ongoing joint security and research programme being jointly run by Okavango Wilderness Safaris and the Botswana National Parks.

Community work at Moremi