WILDERNESS CAMPS: LEARNING IN NATURE

“We discovered that Nyika is one of the most important treasures Malawi has.” Sanderson Mbunge, a teacher at Nkhomboli Community Day Secondary school, recently visited Nyika National Park for the first time as part of a wilderness camp we organised. “We saw many different kinds of animals, and a good number of them. Some features like Lake Kawulimi were not known to me – but now it is!”

Together with the Department of National Parks and Wildlife, we organise wilderness camps for children and teachers around the country. These camps aim to develop a passion to conserve wildlife through a personal connection to nature. Through these outdoor nature experiences, we encourage young people to develop strong ecological mindsets and help think through today’s environmental challenges.

Hands-on activities offer learners an opportunity to interact with nature through observation, recording and interpretation of data – as well as nature walks, group discussions, environmental games, camp fires, game viewing, storytelling and a pedal-powered cinema.

We recently ran a five-day children’s camp at Kasungu National Park – for learners and teachers from twenty-five schools surrounding the park. The trip inspired teacher Chimwemwe Abraham to share what she learned: “By attending the children’s camp at Kasungu National Park, I learned a lot about the importance of biodiversity and how we can protect nature. So I decided to share the experience with my fellow teachers.” Her workshop shared tips on getting children out of the classroom and learning practically in the great outdoors.

Learn more about our work building the next generation of conservationists