This focal area focuses on supporting the protection and improved conservation of ecosystems and biodiversity across landscapes and seascapes. To improve the conservation effectiveness of the protected areas and to ensure that our partner communities are actively advocating for, and supporting, the restoration and conservation of their wild landscapes and seascapes.

In the Munywana we support the core conservation activities of the conservancy, and are also implementing our Harmony with Wildlife and Echo environmental education programmes.

Our Harmony with Wildlife programme aims to nurture partner community support for the conservation of wildlife that is resident in, or transient through, their area. KwaNgwenya has been facing predator-wildlife conflict for many years and requested Munywana and Wild Impact support to address this challenge. Over the past 2 years, significant progress has been made, with the most recent achievements being:

• the establishment of a formal predator-livestock incident reporting and verification process, supported by a ukusula izinyembezi (wipe away tears) payment process.
• the identification of at least 4 individual resident leopards and 10 hyena, and the initiation of a hyena relocation process.
• The implementation of a wildlife presence incentive process, aimed at “rewarding the community” for nurturing healthy wildlife communities in their area.

Named ‘Echo’ for the lasting resonance it creates in people’s lives, the programme nurtures curiosity, builds environmental awareness, and fosters a deeper connection to nature among young people living in and around the landscapes and seascapes where Wild Impact works. It equips learners through class lessons and game drives to better understand how everyday choices shape the future of their environment and their role in protecting it.

Echo Community and Conservation Rangers, facilitators and interns (stewards) support the delivery of environmental education lessons in schools. Anchoring this process is the continuous development of tailor-made curriculum aligned Echo education manuals providing resources for pre-primary to early secondary school scholars which reflect the local community context. The desired outcome of the programme is that 60% Gr7 and Gr11 scholars in partner communities support local conservation efforts and understand climate change.