At Leopard Ecology & Conservation, we believe that long-lasting conservation can only succeed when it begins within the community itself and is supported by local people in the long term. For this to happen, nature conservation must be understood as personally valuable – as something that improves livelihoods today and secures opportunities for tomorrow. That is why LEC focuses on building knowledge, practical skills and mutual trust with the local population.
What we do today will determine how the world looks tomorrow.
Founded in 2004, the Community & Education (C&E) Programme is led by a locally based team dedicated to community-driven conservation. Working closely with residents of Kaudwane – on the edge of Khutse Game Reserve in Botswana – they build connections between people and wildlife. Through the C&E Programme, LEC supports communities in developing systems that enable them to live sustainably and coexist with wildlife. Our work has two main parts:
Supporting and empowering farmers and herders to learn practical skills and gain the knowledge they need to care for their animals, manage their livestock and land, and live alongside with wildlife.
Bringing people together through events, clubs, and hands-on activities that restore habitats, celebrate local culture, and activities for school children to learn and estimate the surrounding nature.