Environmental education at Lapalala Wilderness
The need for environmental education
Hardly a day goes by without yet another alarming report coming out on the perilous state of the global environment, and increasingly it is being recognised that issues such as climate change can seriously threaten security and development throughout the world.
“Investment in environmental education is an investment in an environmentally sound future,” says Clive Walker, the founder of the Lapalala Wilderness School. He continues: “We need a new philosophy in this regard, for our very survival depends on it. Corporate responsibility should be encouraged to recognize the importance of bringing young children and teachers together in an outdoor classroom, which opens the windows of their minds.”
Lapalala Wilderness School is looking forward to welcoming children and their teachers who want to take advantage of a unique educational experience in a superlative wilderness area.
To promote an appreciation and respect for the extraordinary diversity of Africa’s natural world and to develop and encourage a passion and commitment to conserve nature and ecological processes, where possible identifying and nurturing the conservation champions of the future.
Courses run for three to eight days, and all of them are carefully supervised by dedicated and experienced trails officers. Children aged 11 years or older are taken on interpretive bush hikes, instilling a sense of enthusiasm and love for South Africa’s fauna and flora within a context of appreciating and understanding the threats facing many of the country’s essential life-support systems.
What is most important is that the staff believe in making this an unforgettable and enjoyable bush experience, at the same time as providing a wide range of authoritative and fascinating information about our natural world.
The children will have an opportunity to swim in the rock pools of the Palala River, and they will participate in canoeing, treasure hunting and much more. Spoor identification and tracking of large mammals will open a new world.
At least one night is spent under the African sky, when the children listen to the night sounds while preparing their food over the open fire.
They will visit archaeological sites to learn about Bushman and Iron Age culture, and apply that knowledge in life skills, bush craft and survival skills.
Many of these activities help build leadership and life skills, develop powers of observation and demonstrate creative problem solving. Furthermore, working together in the field away from the home environment enhances social skills and the understanding of one’s own and others’ capabilities.
The visit to Lapalala can be tailor-made to fit each school’s requirements in terms of duration and course content, focusing on relevant curricular studies (geography, history, science, biology, etc).
