Over 50 Kids Receive Environmental Education at CCF's Jubatus Holiday Camps
Otjiwarongo, Namibia - The Cheetah Conservation Fund (CCF) hosted two five-day environmental education camps for kids at its Field Research and Education Centre during the holiday time in late April and early May. Both camps were made possible by the generous support of the First National Bank (FNB).
Over 50 kids attending these camps learned about conservation-related topics such as the role of predators in the ecosystem, predator identification, raising and training livestock guarding dogs, cultivating leadership qualities, while also participating in team building activities, game drives and art projects.
“We at CCF believe very strongly in the importance of education about predators,” said Dr. Laurie Marker, founder and Executive Director of the Cheetah Conservation Fund. “Nearly every large predator is either threatened or endangered in Namibia and its surrounding areas. The loss of these great animals would be a tragedy for Namibia and the world and would have a severe impact ecologically, economically, and even culturally. The reasons for the decline in predators are numerous, but all relate back to a basic misunderstanding of these animals and the role they serve in the ecosystem. CCF works to counteract the reasons for the decline in predators, but without fighting the misunderstandings through environmental education at a young age, the possibility of success is minimal.”
“Being part of this camp and being able to see the excitement and wonder first hand on the faces of the children of seeing a cheetah for the first time in their lives and learning about the exciting world of birds makes you want to do it over and over again,” said CCF’s Environmental Education Officer Ignatius Davids. “I believe every child that comes through the doors of CCF goes back home with a sense of wonderment and love for nature and its animals, and with an attitude of being agents of change.”
Davids’ assessment was made evident by feedback received from parents after the camp: “Thank you very much for the nice, educational Jubatus Kids Holiday Camp which Manuela attended. She enjoyed it very much. Since she is at home she did not stop talking about the camp. “
Over 50 kids attending these camps learned about conservation-related topics such as the role of predators in the ecosystem, predator identification, raising and training livestock guarding dogs, cultivating leadership qualities, while also participating in team building activities, game drives and art projects.
“We at CCF believe very strongly in the importance of education about predators,” said Dr. Laurie Marker, founder and Executive Director of the Cheetah Conservation Fund. “Nearly every large predator is either threatened or endangered in Namibia and its surrounding areas. The loss of these great animals would be a tragedy for Namibia and the world and would have a severe impact ecologically, economically, and even culturally. The reasons for the decline in predators are numerous, but all relate back to a basic misunderstanding of these animals and the role they serve in the ecosystem. CCF works to counteract the reasons for the decline in predators, but without fighting the misunderstandings through environmental education at a young age, the possibility of success is minimal.”
“Being part of this camp and being able to see the excitement and wonder first hand on the faces of the children of seeing a cheetah for the first time in their lives and learning about the exciting world of birds makes you want to do it over and over again,” said CCF’s Environmental Education Officer Ignatius Davids. “I believe every child that comes through the doors of CCF goes back home with a sense of wonderment and love for nature and its animals, and with an attitude of being agents of change.”
Davids’ assessment was made evident by feedback received from parents after the camp: “Thank you very much for the nice, educational Jubatus Kids Holiday Camp which Manuela attended. She enjoyed it very much. Since she is at home she did not stop talking about the camp. “
Editor’s notes:
• The Cheetah Conservation Fund (CCF) is a Namibian non-profit trust dedicated to the long-term survival of the cheetah and its ecosystems. The Fund’s activities include working actively with Namibian farmers, schools, and communities, as well as conducting international research on cheetah demographics, ecology, biology, and the human impacts affecting cheetah survival. Since 1990, CCF has presented educational programmes to more than 350,000 outreach school learners. Research into cheetah biology and ecology has greatly increased our understanding of the fastest land animal and education programmes for schools and the farming community help change public attitudes to allow predator and humans to co-exist. However, despite the many successes of CCF programmes, the cheetah is still Africa’s most endangered big cat.
• Jubatus is part of the cheetah species Latin name, Acinonyx jubatus, meaning maned claw.
For more information:
Cheetah Conservation FundPO Box 1755, OtjiwarongoTel (in Namibia): (067) 306225Fax: (067) 306247E-mail: [email protected]Website: http://www.cheetah.org/
• The Cheetah Conservation Fund (CCF) is a Namibian non-profit trust dedicated to the long-term survival of the cheetah and its ecosystems. The Fund’s activities include working actively with Namibian farmers, schools, and communities, as well as conducting international research on cheetah demographics, ecology, biology, and the human impacts affecting cheetah survival. Since 1990, CCF has presented educational programmes to more than 350,000 outreach school learners. Research into cheetah biology and ecology has greatly increased our understanding of the fastest land animal and education programmes for schools and the farming community help change public attitudes to allow predator and humans to co-exist. However, despite the many successes of CCF programmes, the cheetah is still Africa’s most endangered big cat.
• Jubatus is part of the cheetah species Latin name, Acinonyx jubatus, meaning maned claw.
For more information:
Cheetah Conservation FundPO Box 1755, OtjiwarongoTel (in Namibia): (067) 306225Fax: (067) 306247E-mail: [email protected]Website: http://www.cheetah.org/