NATURE EDUCATION & AWARENESS RAISING
It’s not only the environment that is negatively affected by poor land-use practices and unsustainable and harmful practices that affect our natural world. We as humans also suffer. Healthy natural areas are essential if people are to live healthy lives. As humans, we benefit when our ecosystems work as they should.
At the Kogelberg Biosphere, we realise that by showcasing nature’s value, we can encourage healthy natural areas that can support wellbeing.
That’s why we focus on nature education, especially reaching the youth, by running environmental education programmes, and why we work with many members and partners who run their own programmes. By working with young people, we help to play a role in instilling a love of nature in our future leaders. Our programme seeks to educate this vital audience on protecting nature by focusing on biological health benefits and ecologically sustainable practices as well as opportunities for job creation through eco-tourism.
YOUTH | OUR GOAL
To inspire a love for nature while bringing across the message of conservation.
The nature education programme for the youth works with the youth across the biosphere, including the towns and farming communities around these towns. And the activities are carried out throughout the year.
Our UNESCO Youth Network
UNESCO recognised the lack of youth participation in UNESCO programmes – and this set the scene for the UNESCO Youth Forum. Biospheres around the country were offered support to establish their own network structures to function in tandem with the South African Man and the Biosphere (MAB) Youth Network structure. The MAB Youth Network is made up of young people who are committed to improving the world and their communities.
The Kogelberg Biosphere Youth Network was established in July 2023, partnering with local schools and community to groups to assist with environmental education classes and outings, to teach children about the biosphere. The project will benefit all the communities within the biosphere boundaries and focus on the youth.
Our environmental education programme is not only about teaching young people. We also include a monitoring and evaluation leg – which guides our awareness programmes and allows us to answer the most pressing questions. For example, a survey with 250 people in three informal areas in Grabouw gave the Kogelberg Biosphere an excellent impression of how people view the natural environment, fynbos, fire and invasive alien trees.
These surveys showed that participants enjoy the benefits of our environmental education programme. We see a mindset change regarding the way these participants view wildlife and understand biodiversity concepts.
It shows us that effective and ongoing awareness programmes are necessary to bring about positive change. It’s also essential that these environmental benefits need to correlate with lifestyle benefits to those affected by the socio-economic challenges.
The Kogelberg Biosphere team works across the land and waterscapes in our biosphere, to make things better for both people and nature.
But the Biosphere team cannot achieve success without the buy-in of our Biosphere residents, and other partners and stakeholders.
That’s why it’s vital that we raise awareness around the importance of this natural area, and why it needs to be protected. But more than that – that we use our platforms to showcase the many projects that we roll out, and the strength of the partnerships in our Biosphere.
To achieve this, the Kogelberg Biosphere team has created a communications plan according to which we operate – guided by and implemented by the Kogelberg Biosphere team and Directors, working with LoveGreen Communications.
Raising awareness on our digital platforms
Working with partners, we have revamped the website to showcase our work. The goal of the website is not only to raise awareness with residents and visitors, but also to encourage greater interaction and involvement in the Biosphere.
We also relaunched on social media platforms, to excite our Biosphere Living residents about how they can benefit from living in a Biosphere, and to show how all residents have a role to play to help nature and people.
A newsletter is sent quarterly to those who have signed up, sharing up-to-date and relevant information regarding Biosphere projects, as well as tips on how to live closer to nature, and how to protect homes and natural areas against possible threats that relate to Biosphere Living. These newsletters are also uploaded later to our Resources page
Wherever we can, we share stories with our partners in the media, to encourage greater reach. We’re grateful to our wonderful media partners, such as The Village News and the Overstrand Herald for reporting on vital Biosphere-related matters.
Partnerships are also vital for the Biosphere, and we work closely with a number of partners, who share our news and collaborate on printed works (such as books).
To find out more, check out our social media
Get involved
You can also get involved in the Biosphere, by giving your voice to the natural world. Find out more here.
Check out our Kogelberg Biosphere resources – including past newsletter, annual reports and other key info here.
Donate
We are a not-for-profit company and a public benefit organisation. All funds raised therefore go to meeting our motto: Nature for Life.
We can provide 18A tax exemption certificates to donors.
For more information, contact admin@kogelbergbiosphere.org.za
LATEST NEWS
The Kogelberg and a changing climate: What can you do?
There’s a downside to being home to a rich natural world; it’s that the Kogelberg Biosphere stands to lose more in the face of the enormous threat of a changing climate.
Why we should give this slow grower a break
Fynbos must burn. But there’s one notable loser when fynbos burns too often in the Kogelberg Biosphere: it’s a pretty protea that only occurs in our corner of the earth.
Biosphere Living
Become a Kogelberg Biosphere member – and enjoy benefits specially designed to assist you and/or your business.
You can take the next step, to become even more involved in the Kogelberg Biosphere.
And remember to include us in your social media posts, by using the hashtag: #BiosphereLiving.