Namibia Wildlife Resorts, the government organization that manages the National Parks’ camping and lodging facilities, manages the NWR Enviro Kidz initiative. This is intended to provide opportunities, primarily for school groups from previously disadvantaged backgrounds, to experience Namibia’s protected areas. They are also expected to learn about natural fauna and flora, environmental and conservation issues, and the importance of safeguarding the environment.
This scheme is relatively new within Namibia Wildlife Resorts and many children are expected to benefit from this exciting initiative. Children are selected based on their performance and family background; the program focuses on those who will benefit most from this exhibition, namely orphans and vulnerable children who would not otherwise have the opportunity to visit these areas.
The first group of ten children visited the park a couple of years ago and they were from the Mupini Cluster in the Kavango region, as well as one from the Oshikoto region, and were selected locally based on their performance. They traveled to Etosha National Park during the school holidays, accompanied by experienced guides and NWR staff. Here they had the opportunity to experience unforgettable wildlife and scenery, and learn more about the environment in general. For all the children, this was their first visit to one of Namibia’s protected areas! Etosha National Park was Namibia’s first conservation area formed in 1907 by the German government. Etosha is made up of salt desert, savannah and forested areas. In general, Etosha offers excellent game viewing opportunities, either by day while driving or at night from lighted waterholes.
The park is dominated by the Great Etosha Salt Pan, which is a shallow depression of 5,000 km². In the dry season, the pot is made of cracked white clay that shines with mirages. In the rainy season, the bucket fills with water that drains south from Angola through a delta-like system of shallow rivers and oshanas.
The park has 30 springs and waterholes, linked by a network of well-maintained gravel roads to give visitors the best chance of seeing the many inhabitants of Namibia’s premier wildlife reserve. Species present in the park include lions, leopards, cheetahs, elephants, giraffes, zebras, including the rare and endangered black rhinoceros and black-faced impala, in addition to many species of antelope and 340 birds. After Etosha, they moved south to the Waterberg Plateau Park, where they learned about the fauna and flora, and in particular rare and endangered species, while taking a tour of the plateau. For some of the students, this was their first time seeing a mountain, let alone the fascinating cliff face of the Waterberg Plateau.
In Windhoek, groups of children enjoy a tour of Windhoek’s historic sites and other attractions. For most this will be their first visit to the capital. They then travel south to Sesriem and the towering dunes of Sossusvlei, before returning home.
Namibia Wildlife Resorts is committed to the national goals of sustainable development, poverty alleviation and job creation. “As a major player in the fastest growing sector in the country, we recognize our role in achieving these goals. Furthermore, Namibia’s tourism sector is so closely linked to natural assets such as open landscapes and the rich abundance of wildlife, that it is imperative to make every possible effort to protect these assets, which can only be achieved if present and future generations fully understand the concepts of sustainable development and if we all develop a culture of responsible environmental use and protection. The program Enviro Kidz is NWR’s way of investing in the future. There will be at least two Enviro Kidz educational field trips per year.”
