Wildlife Economy
Working with the Drylands Fund, Resource Africa, the Buffelshoek Trust, the Amashangana Traditional Authority and the Mnisi Traditional Authority, the Village Wildlife Programme was launched in Bushbuckridge with the aim of improving livelihoods through the development of a local green economy that is able to support biodiversity conservation and local economic development.
The programme hopes to see the growth of vibrant, climate-resilient, rural communities.
Initially involving four communities (later extended to a total of 10) Resource Africa ran a series of People and Parks training workshops.
The workshops created a platform for communication between those inside and outside the reserve, the goal being tangible results based on an awareness among local communities of the different issues surrounding land use. The workshops also helped nurture an understanding of the communities’ perspective on conservation-driven initiatives.
An outcome was The Community Cattle and Wildlife Programme – a pilot project which was started in 2014. The project, based on the relationship between cattle and wildlife, aims to improve rangeland management and land care.
Both these elements improve the existing cattle economy, which is a cornerstone of the local village economy. This has also opened the door to potential future wildlife initiatives through improved land management and skills acquired by community members over the course of the project.
Significantly, the Village Wildlife Economy Programme brought together private landowners, lodge owners, lodge managers, NGOs and communities.This was the first time such a diverse group of stakeholders had met together to talk about how they could partner in conservation.