Junior LandCare and Conservation Awareness (South Africa)

Description

Creating natural resource conservation awareness among the youth

Location

Location: South Africa

Geo-reference of selected sites
  • n.a.

Initiation date: 2003

Year of termination: n.a.

Type of Approach

Approach aims and enabling environment

Main aims / objectives of the approach
The Approach focused mainly on other activities than SLM (Alien invasive plants, soil and water conservation, life skills, pollution, water purification, drama and culture)

Create awareness in terms of sustainability & conservation. To create awareness in terms off different focus areas in Resource management, i.e. erosion control, water conservation. To combine learning & adventure. To follow up and evaluate different projects to ensure value adding To take information gained, back to the communities for value adding. To give learners a hands on opportunity.

The SLM Approach addressed the following problems: Physical soil erosion, overgrazing of natural vegetation, invader plants, pollution of fresh water resources
Conditions enabling the implementation of the Technology/ ies applied under the Approach
Conditions hindering the implementation of the Technology/ ies applied under the Approach
  • Social/ cultural/ religious norms and values: Social and cultural beliefs and practices are not always sustainable in the long term Treatment through the SLM Approach: Create general awareness and related issues and follow up with practical resource management activitiesto establish a sound conservation ethic
  • Institutional setting: Teachers don’t have capacity or are not interested or qualified to teach sustainability and conservation issues Treatment through the SLM Approach: Teachers training
  • Other: Lack of awareness of sustainability issues amongst youth - not part of school curriculum Treatment through the SLM Approach: Creating a programme for the youth. Teach them basic sustainable resource management principles.

Participation and roles of stakeholders involved

Stakeholders involved in the Approach and their roles
What stakeholders / implementing bodies were involved in the Approach? Specify stakeholders Describe roles of stakeholders
teachers/ school children/ students
national government (planners, decision-makers) Free State Department of Agriculture
Local implementing agent Aasvoelberg outdoor centre
Involvement of local land users/ local communities in the different phases of the Approach
none
passive
external support
interactive
self-mobilization
initiation/ motivation
Awareness: specialists and youth. Follow up and planning: specialists and youth
planning
implementation
monitoring/ evaluation
Research
Flow chart

Decision-making on the selection of SLM Technology

Decisions were taken by

  • land users alone (self-initiative)
  • mainly land users, supported by SLM specialists
  • all relevant actors, as part of a participatory approach
  • mainly SLM specialists, following consultation with land users
  • SLM specialists alone
  • politicians/ leaders

Decisions were made based on

  • evaluation of well-documented SLM knowledge (evidence-based decision-making)
  • research findings
  • personal experience and opinions (undocumented)

Technical support, capacity building, and knowledge management

The following activities or services have been part of the approach
Capacity building/ training
Training was provided to the following stakeholders
  • land users
  • field staff/ advisers
Form of training
  • on-the-job
  • farmer-to-farmer
  • demonstration areas
  • public meetings
  • courses
Subjects covered

Alien invasive plants, soil and water conservation, life skills, pollution, water purification, drama and culture

Advisory service
Advisory service was provided
  • on land users' fields
  • at permanent centres
Name of method used for advisory service: Experiential learning through implementation
Monitoring and evaluation
no. of land users involved aspects were regular monitored through measurements management of Approach aspects were regular monitored through measurements There were several changes in the approach as a result of monitoring and evaluation: (1) Approach for awareness creation changed, e.g. use songs and drama (2) Follow up visits establish a ripple effect (3) Junior LandCare clubs at schools fro continuous involvement and value adding

Financing and external material support

Annual budget in USD for the SLM component
  • < 2,000
  • 2,000-10,000
  • 10,000-100,000
  • 100,000-1,000,000
  • > 1,000,000
Precise annual budget: n.a.
Approach costs were met by the following donors: government (Free State Department of Agriculture): 85.0%; private sector (Aasvoelberg outdoor centre): 15.0%
The following services or incentives have been provided to land users
  • Financial/ material support provided to land users
  • Subsidies for specific inputs
  • Credit
  • Other incentives or instruments

Impact analysis and concluding statements

Impacts of the Approach
No
Yes, little
Yes, moderately
Yes, greatly
Did the Approach help land users to implement and maintain SLM Technologies?

Better management of school grounds and own living areas (houses)

Did other land users / projects adopt the Approach?

More or less similar approach followed in the Western Cape Province

Main motivation of land users to implement SLM
  • n.a.
Sustainability of Approach activities
Can the land users sustain what hat been implemented through the Approach (without external support)?
  • no
  • yes
  • uncertain

Conclusions and lessons learnt

Strengths: land user's view
  • Exposure to experience in natural resource management (How to sustain/ enhance this strength: Continuous funding)
  • Improving interpersonal and personal life skills (How to sustain/ enhance this strength: Ensure life-skill training stays integrated to the programme)
  • Fun (How to sustain/ enhance this strength: Make sure fun is integrated in the programme)
  • Exposure and the possibility for future career choice (How to sustain/ enhance this strength: Maintain a positive attitude towards sustainability in general and explain careeer opportunities to them)
  • Positive contribution to society (How to sustain/ enhance this strength: Become involved in local natural resource management initiatives)
Strengths: compiler’s or other key resource person’s view
  • Sponsored participation (How to sustain/ enhance this strength: Continuous funding)
  • Existing infrastructure (How to sustain/ enhance this strength: Continuous funding for maintenance and expanding)
  • Compotent facilitators (How to sustain/ enhance this strength: Continuous training and exposure)
  • Establishsed and successful programme (How to sustain/ enhance this strength: Continuous evaluatuion and exposure to other similar initiatives)
  • Available natural resources at the centre supports active learning (How to sustain/ enhance this strength: Concerning natural resources land negotiate access to neighbouring propoerties)
  • Provincial Department of Education support the initiative because it compliments the natural science curriculum (How to sustain/ enhance this strength: Continuous involvement and expand exposure to National Department of Education to enhance a National buy-in)
Weaknesses/ disadvantages/ risks: land user's viewhow to overcome
  • Funds allow only a limited number of students to participate - some have to be left out More centres, more funding
Weaknesses/ disadvantages/ risks: compiler’s or other key resource person’s viewhow to overcome
  • Funding criteria Change policy to accommodate a broader spectrum of youth
  • Funding inadequate to make a definite impact Negotiate for additional and sustained funding
  • Too few similar centres Sponsorships to build / develop more centres
  • Junior LandCare not a priority by executuve management in all provinces Buy in of managers through continuous exposure to impacts and success stories

References

Compiler
  • Unknown User
Editors
Reviewer
  • Fabian Ottiger
Date of documentation: April 21, 2009
Last update: June 18, 2017
Resource persons
Full description in the WOCAT database
Linked SLM data
Documentation was faciliated by
Institution Project
This work is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareaAlike 4.0 International