Who We Are
Background
The Wildlands Conservation Trust was born just seven years ago through a merger of two regional Trusts, the ‘KZN Conservation Trust’ and the ‘Wildlands Trust’. This merger was driven by a collective vision that this combined force could become one of the primary drivers of conservation throughout the region. Since then Wildlands growth has been significant and our impact has expanded to the point where we are now South Africa’s third largest environmental NGO (based on income generated), operating in four provinces and supporting projects in Swaziland and Mozambique.
Wildlands Vision
Our VISION is simple: A Sustainable Future for All
Inspired by one of the greatest Statesman of our time, Nelson Mandela, whose vision – Freedom for All – was regarded by many as unobtainable, yet inspired the transformation of South Africa.
To achieve this Vision, Wildlands are progressively developing and implementing WILDLANDS’ INITIATIVES across the Country. These initiatives are founded on the principles of the Community Ecosystem Based Adaptation (CEBA) framework. This framework has been developed through a formal partnership between Wildlands and the South African Government, and is founded on three principles:
- A strategic focus on the restoration and care of the ecosystems that underwrite the welfare and livelihood of communities.
- Development approaches aimed at “enabling sustainable access to the economy” for unemployed and impoverished community members, with a view to nurturing a catalytic generation of green jobs that will characterise an “African Green Economy” supported by green collar workers.
- The establishment of critical delivery partnerships between community leadership, businesses, civil society and government.
