Environmental education and awareness have emerged as a response to the current and upcoming environmental issues and associated livelihood risks facing the communities living in and around the park. The aim of the environmental education programme is to contribute towards the development of surrounding communities, the conservation of important environmental services that are essential for sustainable livelihoods of people and sustainable development of the park and local economy by the surrounding communities. It also aims at changing public perception towards conservation of the natural resources. Thus, iSimangaliso offers a variety of education programmes tailored to the needs of different target audiences.
Park Based environmental education activities
Solicited Field Trips
Schools are selected from schools’ data base received from the department of education. Two branded buses were purchased to transport learners to and fro the park. Schools are transported to Mkhuze, Sodwana and Eastern shores sections of the park. Learners are accompanied by iSimangaliso environmental education team. Learners are offered promotional items of iSimangaliso such branded caps and T-Shirt. Packed lunches are provided to learners. Local based community owned caterers are hired to provide lunches thereby creating opportunities and partnerships for the surrounding previously disadvantaged communities.
The programme activities and content are aligned with curriculum. It provides practical demonstration of the theoretical content concerning heritage that learners are being taught. This allows learners to fully engaged with their school material that would not be possible without this programme. The content discussed with learners includes biodiversity, ecosystem, tourism, cultural heritage, outstanding universal values, authority Mandate and conservation threats. Park is equipped with overnight facilities for education activities such as Umkhuze environmental education camp.
Unsolicited Field Trips
Schools can book their field trip with iSimangaliso using iSimangaliso landline on +27 35 590 1633. Neighboring schools are granted free access to all the gates managed by iSimangaliso. This includes schools from local tribal authorities such as Tembe, Mabaso, Mbila, Ngwenya, Nsinde, jobe, Mqobokazi, Makhasa, Nibela, eMdlentsheni, Mpukonyoini and Sokhulu tribal Authority. Principals must write a letter to iSimangaliso requesting free access to the park and Croc Centre. School name, number of learners, number of teachers, proposed date and the reason for the proposed visit should form part of the letter content. For those that do not fall under the above-mentioned tribal authorities, they qualify for the discounted rates at all our gates. Also, the discount is not guaranteed as it is subject to the assessment and approval by the management. Boat trips on the St Lucia estuarine lake are offered as part education activities. Discounted prices are offered provided booking is secured with iSimangaliso’s conservation partner, Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife.
Community Outreach education programme
School Visit
Local schools are visited by iSimangaliso and Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife to raise awareness on park’s natural and cultural heritage and related developmental issues and programme. The content of the programme focuses on biodiversity, ecosystems, and cultural heritage, authority mandate, conservation threats, tourism development and biodiversity conservations threats.
Youth rhino Ambassadors
The youth rhino ambassador is the youth conservation programme which seeks to mobilise youth from the communities living in and adjacent to the park to raising awareness on issues related to park mandate, biodiversity, developmental programmes and initiatives, outstanding universal values and conservation threats. The curriculum for the programme focused on hands-on activities where they sorted pile of pictures depicting Good, Bad and Neutral activities in the environment. And this goes a long way in fostering understanding among the participants on good, bad and neutral activities on the environment. Thus, expected that such message would then be sent to other community members through various community-based awareness platforms.
Environmental Calendar Day celebration
Environmental days are celebrated to raise awareness about the importance of conserving plants, animals, and natural ecosystems. Days like Biodiversity Day, Environmental day, Wetlands Day and rhino day are celebrated with local schools, tribal authorities, youth and other general member of the community with the particular on the theme for that environmental day.