Responsible Resource Department at SAWC teaches about impact of choices on ecosystem
“We all have to take responsibility to understand the impacts of our choices on people, the environment, and the economy, maximising the positive benefits while minimising the negative impacts.” Dr. Cleo Graf is the head of the Responsible Resource Management Department at the Southern African Wildlife College.
On the weekend of November 18 to November 20, Southern African Wildlife College (SAWC) hosted a group of guests from the media and other stakeholders with the aim to sensitise the broader population on the impact of the choices, we make in everyday life. “Our aim is to mainstream the principles of responsible resource use in the broader society and beyond the conservation sector,” said Dr. Cleo Graf, head of the Responsible Resource Department at SAWC.
“Our message is that we have to take responsibility to understand the impacts of our choices on people, the environment, and the economy, maximising the positive benefits while minimising the negative impacts,” Graf said. The SAWC was established in 1996 in cooperation with stakeholders in Southern Africa including national and provincial government departments (specifically Sanparks), other conservation agencies, and the Southern African Development Community (SADC). The SAWC is an independent SADC-recognised centre of specialisation in conservation education, training, and skills development and as a private institution does not receive any government subsidies.
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The college retains conservation professionals with all the skills needed to protect and manage natural resources. Graf said that the vision of the college is to inspire every person they train and engage with, to conserve their natural world. They also aim to equip people with the
necessary knowledge and applied skills to conserve and protect Africa’s natural resources and biodiversity in viable, inclusive, and economically successful ways. “The college understands that the most effective training combines action with reflection. This training perspective encourages mentors and students alike to embrace different ways of learning.”
The courses offered at SAWC are characterised by a hands-on, practical, and highly participatory approach, which is complemented by group discussions and lecture sessions. “The trainers are selected from a large pool of natural resource management expertise within the Southern African environmental and conservation agencies as well as from the private sector. “The course methodology focuses on applied learning and outcomes-based instruction, which ensures improved performance when learners implement these skills in the workplace,” she added.
She also said that the SAWC would like to extend its great appreciation to the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) for funding the final development and roll-out of the first Responsible Resource Use Courses in 2022. “Special thanks goes to the Employment and Skills for Development in Africa (E4D) Programme which is implementing this initiative on behalf of the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH,” she concluded.
The SAWC also offers educational programmes for international students at a tertiary level who wish to expand their knowledge and experience in the field of conservation. Visit their website www.wildlifecollege.org.za or call Jeann Poultney at 015 793-7300 or email communications@sawc.org.za.
