Okavango Wilderness Project

03/06/2026

How does the Okavango Delta thrive as an oasis in the middle of the Kalahari Desert? 🏜️💧

The National Geographic Okavango Wilderness Project has been investigating the origins of the Delta’s source waters over grueling repeat expeditions for decades. The secret lies in the centuries-old peatlands holding over 100 trillion gallons of water that lie at the heart of the Bié Plateau in Angola’s Highlands, an area now recognized – with the help of this research – as the Lisima lya Mwono Ramsar Site.

Read more about how the NGOWP team’s journey through this landscape over the years. 🌍👉
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/article/okavango-wilderness-river-delta-africa

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De Beers Group

For more than a decade, a team of intrepid researchers have been exploring the river systems of southern Africa, one paddle stroke at a time. Here’s how the work led to the discovery of a lifetime.

29/05/2026

Weaver birds' nests hang from a tree along the Kavango River bank in Namibia. There are several species of weaver birds that live in the Okavango Delta region including, but not limited to, Holub’s golden weaver, white-browed sparrow-weaver, southern masked weaver, red-headed weaver and lesser-masked weaver. Weaver birds are known for crafting intricately woven nests like these, made from foraged vegetation. Many species of weaver birds build their nests in colonies - choosing to place them close together, often several to a single branch, for protection.

These photos were taken as part of the 2021 follow up expedition by NGOWP in which a ten person team paddled the length of the Kavango River (487km over 17 days) repeating the original 2017 baseline survey to assess any potential changes in river health and continuing to build a dataset for the long term monitoring of the ecosystem.



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📸 By Darryn February / National Geographic Okavango Wilderness Project

15/05/2026

This , we are highlighting just some of the Okavango Basin’s extraordinary endangered, threatened and vulnerable wildlife at risk of extinction.

The NGOWP team is conducting repeat biodiversity surveys gathering essential year-over-year data on ecosystem health and wildlife abundance and helping advance locally-led conservation across the Okavango Basin – spanning Angola, Namibia and Botswana – in support of protecting the many species that call this landscape home, especially those at greater risk of extinction.

📸 By Karabo LebronPeter Moilwa (Lion, wattled crane) / Rainer von Brandis (elephant, wild dogs) / Mike Beckner (white-backed vulture, leopard)/ National Geographic

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15/05/2026

A pack of banded mongooses constructing their home.

Banded mongooses live in savannas, open forest and grasslands of Sub-Saharan Africa, except for the Congo and southwestern Africa. They live in groups of about 10-20 individuals on average (but can be as large as 40) and commonly make their dens in termite mounds like this one.


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📸 By Mike Beckner / National Geographic Okavango Wilderness Project

08/05/2026

The sun sets over the Kavango River.

In 2021, the National Geographic Okavango Wilderness Project sent a ten person team to paddle the length of the Kavango River (487km over 17 days) with three main objectives: 1) repeat the 2017 baseline survey to assess potential change in river health, 2) implement new long term monitoring methodology with the intention of repeating this survey biennially, 3) build local capacity to sustain the livelihood of the surrounding communities.

Today, this work continues and has blossomed into the .


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📸 By Darryn February / National Geographic Okavango Wilderness Project

06/05/2026

New DNA analysis by Stanford’s Petrov Lab in the School of Humanities and Sciences reveals the Ghost Elephants of Angola’s Lisima Landscape are closely related to populations in Namibia – hundreds of miles away.

The samples were collected from elephant dung as part of recent expeditions chronicled in the documentary film – GHOST ELEPHANTS – by acclaimed director Werner Herzog and featuring Steve Boyes. The film follows Boyes, fellow Explorer and Angola Country Director .costa, a team of three KhoiSan master trackers and local community experts and guides, on a quest to uncover the secret lives of Angola’s ghost elephants. They embark on a journey to reveal how these elusive giants have remained hidden to the outside world, known only to the local communities with which they share this highland landscape. Read more:https://news.stanford.edu/stories/2026/05/ghost-elephants-dna-research

Ghost Elephants is now streaming on and .

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📸 Kostadin Luchansky / The Wilderness Project Archive

04/05/2026

Out now 🎧 – the latest episode of Redefining Pink, a podcast dedicated to combating the underrepresentation of women and girls in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM), features Dr. Goabaone Ramatlapeng.

From the podcast: ​In this episode, we chat with National Geographic Explorer Dr. Goabaone Ramatlapeng, who shared her work as a hydrogeochemist working on improving water security in Botswana’s Okavango Delta. She shared her advice on how to succeed and thrive as a woman in STEM and the importance of influential mentors. She is an awe-inspiring scientist and role-model for all aspiring women in STEM.

Listen now:

Pink, the classically feminine color, is often associated with being a "proper," girly, girl. Pink has never been a representation of science, technology, engineering or math—but why can't it be?...

01/05/2026

A pair of wattled cranes stand tall in the Okavango Delta waters.


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📸 By Mike Beckner / National Geographic Okavango Wilderness Project

22/04/2026

A new article from Forbes shares insights from National Geographic Explorers Goabaone Jackie Ramatlapeng and Kerllen Costa on their experiences as part of Okavango Eternal and working across the Okavango Basin.
De Beers Group

Five of Africa's great river systems are born in the highlands of eastern Angola. The Okavango. The Zambezi. The Congo. The Kwanza. The Cuando. Together they carry water and life across a continent, feeding communities, sustaining ecosystems, underpinning the food security of seven nations. The Okav...

22/04/2026

This Earth Day we are shining a light on some of Earth’s smallest, but mightiest species: bees. 🐝

Bees are vital pollinators for our planet. They are a "keystone species," meaning many other species depend on them to survive, including us. From nourishing the smallest wildflowers to the food you eat, bees are constantly engineering our ecosystems.

Bees pollinate approximately 90% of wild flowering plant species, including wildflowers, shrubs, forest plants, and countless species of flowering vegetation. These plants form the foundation of ecosystems, feeding and sheltering birds, mammals, insects, and other wildlife.

Beyond their ecosystem benefits, bees also bring economic value, supporting farmers, food systems, and rural communities. They also produce: honey, beeswax, propolis or “bee glue,” and royal jelly.

Bees are also one of nature’s early warning systems. When bee populations decline, it’s often a warning sign their environment is in trouble. Today, estimates range from 35-40% of invertebrate pollinators are facing extinction globally and wild bees in particular, are facing steep decline.

The countries of Sub-Saharan Africa contain high levels of bee diversity, but there also remains a great need to identify and document species for academic science and to better understand the health of these populations. Thus far, an estimated 2,755 species of bees have been described in the Sub-Saharan region with many species believed to be undescribed to academic science.

Working with local community members as their guides and collaborators, the team has been working across Angola, Namibia and Botswana since 2015 to conduct repeat biodiversity surveys and extensive scientific research to help close the gap on species descriptions, and that includes bees. Studying bees and other pollinators not only reveals more insights about the Okavango Basin’s lush landscapes - but the potential to create or expand livelihood opportunities for people who live there.

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Wild Bird Trust

📸 Photos of African honeybees by Kostadin Luchansky () / National Geographic Okavango Wilderness Project) / National Geographic Okavango Wilderness Project