Wildlands

Wildlands We work at the interface of where people and nature connect 🐾🌳💚 Wildlands' vision is simple - "A Sustainable Future for All"

WILDLANDS champions the conservation and restoration of terrestrial biodiversity, wildlife, and habitats in partnership with local communities, government, and other stakeholders.

10/06/2026

Do not miss this inspiring and empowering conversation!

Join us for an inspiring webinar, Voices From the Coast: Women and Youth Leading Conservation, featuring powerful stories from women and youth pioneering conservation.

The session will feature these Ocean Champions:

Zodidi Gwayise – WILDOCEANS Project Manager, Programme of the WILDTRUST
Fiona MacKay – Senior Scientist at the Oceanographic Research Institute
Alwande Dube – Youth4MPAs Chairperson, Youth Programme of the WILDTRUST.

Webinar Details
Date: Friday, 12 June 2026
Time: 10h00 –11h30
Platform: Zoom

Discover how you can get involved, build valuable skills, and contribute to marine conservation efforts.

Please help us spread the word!

Please register for the session using the link below:
Registration Link- https://forms.cloud.microsoft/r/yNq2Rqri08

CHEP’s annual Sustainability Week kicked off on Monday, as a celebration of the difference the company and its partners ...
05/06/2026

CHEP’s annual Sustainability Week kicked off on Monday, as a celebration of the difference the company and its partners are making in the world.

On Tuesday, WILDTRUST and fellow sustainability partners were invited to showcase their collaborative work with CHEP. WILDLANDS Programmes Director, Andrew Whitley represented WILDTRUST, highlighting the restoration and conservation efforts, focused on Nature-based solutions NbS underway within the Upper uThukela catchment project in the Drakensberg.

The uThukela catchment, while contributing significantly to KZN’s water supply, is also one of the primary and strategic water sources for Gauteng through an inter-basin transfer into the Vaal River system.

To commemorate Sustainability Week, CHEP planted 38 trees at Lamontville High, Sacred Heart Secondary, and Redcliff Primary schools as part of its ongoing commitment to a healthier planet and in celebration of World Environment Day celebrated annually on the 5th of June globally.

A massive thank you to CHEP for their on-going support in helping us deliver real, sustainable outcomes for nature and people.

World Environment Day 2026: Local Action, Lasting ImpactThis World Environment Day, we celebrate the power of communitie...
05/06/2026

World Environment Day 2026: Local Action, Lasting Impact

This World Environment Day, we celebrate the power of communities who drive meaningful environmental change.

The theme for Earth Day 2026 is “Our Power, Our Planet” which refers to the role of people and communities worldwide in sustaining environmental protections that affect the cost of living, public health, infrastructure reliability, and long-term stability.

In the Mabasa community, neighbouring Lake Sibaya in northern KwaZulu-Natal, local residents are working alongside WILDTRUST through the Living Lakes Biodiversity and Climate Project (LLBCP) to build a more sustainable future for both people and nature.

Through a series of practical workshops, community members, including members of the Lake Sibaya Development and Conservation Trust, have explored sustainable land-use management, tackling challenges such as overgrazing, poor waste management and the spread of invasive alien plants. They have also examined how local livelihoods, including crop farming tourism and rangeland management can be strengthened while protecting the natural resources on which they depend.

By combining local (indigenous) knowledge with participatory learning and environmental stewardship, the project is helping communities develop solutions that support both biodiversity conservation and economic resilience. WILDTRUST continues to champion real conservation and restoration of blue and green spaces, safeguarding species, and building climate resilience alongside communities whose lives and livelihoods depend on nature.

WILDTRUST, Solving 7 and The Potato Foundation, with support from CHEP, donated 80 school desks to Laerskool Kameeldrift...
04/06/2026

WILDTRUST, Solving 7 and The Potato Foundation, with support from CHEP, donated 80 school desks to Laerskool Kameeldrift Primary School. The desks were manufactured from end-of-life pallets and symbol 7 plastics, materials that are often difficult, and in some cases impossible, to recycle due to their mixed polymer composition.

Through this initiative, waste materials were given a valuable second life in a school community where they are needed most.

Originally built to accommodate just 83 learners, Laerskool Kameeldrift now serves approximately 1,300 learners, placing immense pressure on classrooms, furniture and learning resources.

While the delivery of 80 desks represents a meaningful contribution towards improving the learning environment, the true highlight of the day was the excitement on the learners’ faces.

Yesterday, Hirschs was joined by team members from WILDTRUST, an African grown non-profit environmental and conservation...
29/05/2026

Yesterday, Hirschs was joined by team members from WILDTRUST, an African grown non-profit environmental and conservation organisation driving a vision of a sustainable future for all. The team arrived to accept a large collection of appliances and furniture, a generous donation for the soon-to-be fully refurbished Sontuli Education Camp in Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park.

WILDTRUST has partnered with the ECOstudy Trust to upgrade the Sontuli Education Camp which aims to connect children to nature, with a core focus on enabling access of rural communities into this big 5 game reserve to experience all the WILD it has to offer.

"This very generous donation from Hirschs will help add all the 'bells and whistles' to this education space, taking it one huge step closer to being operational and serving the community," commented Director of Campaigns at WILDTRUST, Lauren van Nijkerk.

Hirschs' CEO Richard Hirsch said environmental responsibility and education have always been close to the company's heart.

"Through our ongoing commitment to recycling initiatives and our involvement with schools across South Africa, we understand the importance of creating opportunities for young people to learn, grow, and connect with the world around them. Supporting projects such as the Sontuli Education Camp is a natural extension of these values.”

Thank you to all the product partners and sponsors who made this contribution to this project possible - Cloud Nine, Hisense, Kenwood, Defy SA and Midea.

Hisense Midea Wildoceanssa Kenwood Defy Store

WILDTRUST CEO Dr. Roelie Kloppers recently participated as a panelist at the “Dialogue on Carbon Finance Opportunities f...
28/05/2026

WILDTRUST CEO Dr. Roelie Kloppers recently participated as a panelist at the “Dialogue on Carbon Finance Opportunities for South Africa”, jointly brought by the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE), the French Government and the IUCN- held in Johannesburg, South Africa from 27 to 28 May.

The conference focused on the potential of carbon credit markets in South Africa and the broader region.

On the final day, Dr. Kloppers joined a panel discussion exploring nature-based solutions that connect biodiversity with carbon markets.

He highlighted WILDTRUST’s carbon projects, with a particular focus on blue carbon opportunities.

“We have a long history of work in carbon sequestration, including our Buffelsdraai Carbon Sink partnership with eThekwini Municipality and our ongoing work on the KwaZulu-Natal Sustainable Landscapes Programme, which has been registered with Verra and is in the final stages of certification. We know there is growing demand for blue carbon and the development of high-quality blue carbon credits, both nationally and internationally.”

“The reality is that opportunities for blue carbon along South Africa’s 3 000km coastline are limited due to a combination of high wave activity and sea temperatures, which restrict the scale of traditional blue carbon projects involving mangrove forests, seagrass and marshlands.”

“To address this, we are developing projects that combine traditional blue carbon investment with coastal and estuarine rehabilitation. This approach aims to create projects of sufficient scale for investment, while also delivering meaningful benefits to coastal communities,” concluded Kloppers.

WILDTRUST, a South African not-for-profit, public benefit, non-governmental organisation, seeks qualified candidates to ...
23/05/2026

WILDTRUST, a South African not-for-profit, public benefit, non-governmental organisation, seeks qualified candidates to apply for the following position:

Senior Project Manager - iSimangaliso Marine Protected Areas (MPA) Ecosystem-based Adaptation (EbA) Project

The successful candidate’s responsibilities will include but are not limited to project management, coordination of project activities in accordance with time-bound workplans, staff and budget management, monitoring and evaluation, financial and narrative progress reporting, liaison with project partners (government and NGOs), sub-grantees and sub-contractors, researchers and stakeholders.

To Apply:
Submit a covering letter with a 2/3 page CV, and at least 3 references to [email protected] by 4 June 2026.

Short-listed candidates must be available for interviews on 9 & 10 June 2026.

For more information:
https://www.wildtrust.co.za/vacancies

International Day of Biodiversity: Acting locally for global impact Every year, "International Day for Biological Divers...
22/05/2026

International Day of Biodiversity: Acting locally for global impact

Every year, "International Day for Biological Diversity" reminds us that conservation is about far more than the iconic animals we recognise and love.

From rhino and elephant to frogs, butterflies and insects, every species plays a role in keeping ecosystems healthy and functioning.

Across KwaZulu-Natal’s Karkloof plateau, biodiversity exists in quiet and often overlooked ways.

Within the Karkloof Nature Reserve (KNR) lies Dartmoor Nature Reserve, a property owned and managed by WILDTRUST. The reserve protects 780 hectares of important grassland and wetland habitat that supports all three crane species (grey crowned, blue and wattled crane) and the endangered oribi antelope.

Dartmoor is home to an array of rare species including the Long-toed Tree Frog (Leptopelis xenodactylus). Classified as endangered according to the IUCN Red list and endemic to South Africa, primarily in the KZN Midlands and Drakensberg; this unique frog keeps this ecosystem thriving. It is instantly recognisable by its exceptionally long hind toes, uniformly bright green back, and unique, comical way of clinging to and walking through tall grass blades.

On the management map for KNR, the Long-toed Tree Frog exists as a single point.
Not a range. Not a population estimate. A dot. One GPS coordinate, from one wetland, recorded by someone who happened to be there on a night when the frog was calling.

Sometimes conservation is protecting a habitat for a species you know very little about or even haven't found yet.

WILDTRUST celebrates biodiversity and continues to protect the habitats where nature flourishes in line with this year’s theme – acting locally for global impact. This theme emphasises the vital connection between grassroots efforts and global environmental goals. By linking individual and community-level initiatives with the 23 targets of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, the campaign demonstrates how local actions drive the ultimate mission to halt and reverse nature loss.

To support the conservation work of the WILDTRUST visit: https://www.wildtrust.co.za/support-us

WILDTRUST recently hosted its second annual internal Communications, Brand and Marketing training for the new cohort of ...
22/05/2026

WILDTRUST recently hosted its second annual internal Communications, Brand and Marketing training for the new cohort of the Youth Employment Services (YES) employees funded by Nedbank. Held over two days at the organisation’s Durban offices, the training accommodated nine new communications and media assistants from uThukela, iSimangaliso, and Pietermaritzburg, along with an administrative assistant from Durban.

This was aimed to equip them with skills to gather and share impactful community and conservation stories, engage effectively with communities, and follow organisational administrative processes.

The sessions were facilitated by Thandeka Hlongwa, Social Media Coordinator and supervisor of the community media assistants. The programme opened with presentations from Lauren van Nijkerk, Director of Campaigns and Communications, and Buyisiwe Makhoba-Dlamini, Campaigns, Partnerships and Donor Relations Manager, who introduced WILDTRUST’s history, brand identity, and the importance of effective communication and marketing within the NGO sector.

The training focused on storytelling fundamentals, including workflow processes, content expectations, and media ethics, complemented by interactive practical activities. The final day covered financial procedures and organisational systems, followed by hands-on photography and videography sessions designed to strengthen the assistants’ content creation skills.

WILDTRUST is proud to welcome the new YES employees, who will be stationed across the WILDTRUST project Community Resource Hubs and offices in Durban and Pietermaritzburg.



Nedbank

Address

Block A, 2nd Floor Townbush Office Park 460 Townbush Road
Pietermaritzburg

Opening Hours

Monday 08:00 - 16:30
Tuesday 08:00 - 16:30
Wednesday 08:00 - 16:30
Thursday 08:00 - 16:30
Friday 08:00 - 16:30

Telephone

+27333436380

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