Urban Conservation
From first camp to a career in conservation
We connect children to nature, train young people for work in the green economy, and back the communities who care for these places.
Twenty-five years of changing lives through nature
From the first camp on the banks of Zeekoevlei in 2001 to an environmental education model that has been building ever since.
62,689children have attended overnight camps since 2001
98,791children experienced environmental excursions and school activities since 2001
507volunteers have donated their time to conservation action since 2007
142children registered for the seven-year Conservation Leadership Project since 2013
Connecting people to nature and opportunity
We work at three leverage points that feed one another: a child meets nature, a young person builds a career in it, and a community keeps the place alive.
Leverage point one
Build whole-school environmental stewardship
Schools are willing to act on environmental issues. We build the systems, the teacher confidence and the learner experiences that turn that willingness into school policy, so it survives the one motivated teacher moving on.
7,952learners reached through outdoor experiences over a 12-month period
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Leverage point two
Create green economy pathways for young people
Youth unemployment for those aged 15 to 24 sits at 60,9% while conservation sites go understaffed. We run the training, placements and mentorship that connect the two.
741training places filled over a 12-month period
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Leverage point three
Scale people-centred urban conservation
Urban biodiversity survives when the people living beside it have a stake in it. We grow conservation around those relationships.
155 haprotected and co-managed over a 12-month period
Explore this workStories from the ground
Urban Conservation
Stepping into Spring at Kenilworth Racecourse Conservation Area
16th October 2026Read the story
Whole-School Stewardship
Sustainable Schools wins Gold for Eco-Innovation at the 2026 Eco-Logic Awards!
9th October 2026Read the story
Urban Conservation
Call for Nature Connect Small Grant Funding Applications – 2027
28th September 2026Read the story
Green Economy Pathways
Celebrating women shaping careers, communities and conservation
9th August 2026 · Llewellyn WilliamsRead the story
Urban Conservation
A Nature Connect and AIMS partnership is putting numbers behind the toad tunnels
30th July 2026 · Reid SperisenRead the story
Urban Conservation
Most snakes killed in South Africa were never a threat.
16th July 2026 · Reid SperisenRead the story
News
25 Years. One Purpose. Changing Lives Through Nature
16th June 2026 · Llewellyn WilliamsRead the story
Urban Conservation
When Conservation Leaves the Reserve: Lessons from a Fynbos Partnership
11th June 2026 · Fayruz PrinsRead the storyR1,400 sends a child into nature for the first time
Two nights at our camp on the West Coast, with our educators throughout. Eighty-nine percent of the groups we host come from under-resourced schools.
