By: Nthati Moerane
Maseru
As to carry on from the celebration that was held on March 02nd and 03rd at Ts’ehlanyane, called World Wildlife Day. The Wildlife and Environment Conservation Centre will hold a Wildlife Symposium, which will be on March 07th 2024 at the American Corner Maseru (ACM) at 5AM, with the aim to go deeper into this year’s theme of World Wildlife Day.
According to the founder and chairman of Wildlife and Environment Conservation Centre, Suping Makoaela, the World Wildlife Symposium is about delving deeper into the 2024 world wildlife day theme, which is connecting people globally, exploring digital innovation in wildlife conservation with renowned panellists and dignitaries.
Also to educate the nation about protection of wildlife and environmental conservation, this day facilitates networking of experts and people who are interested in wildlife, for them to share ideas about wildlife conservation.
The purpose is to raise awareness and also to celebrate the diversity of life on the planet and the vital role that wildlife plays in sustaining ecosystems and human well-being. In raising awareness, it is crucial to utilise how technology can help to monitor, conserve, and restore wildlife populations and habitats, as well as empower communities to recognize the urgent need to protect wildlife from threats such as habitat loss, climate change, and illegal trade. This celebration is open for anyone who is interested in wildlife and environment conservation.
The symposium will explore digital innovation and highlight how digital conservation technologies and services can drive wildlife conservation, sustainable and legal wildlife trade and human-wildlife coexistence, now and for future generations in an increasingly connected world. The digital conservation technologies help to access tools and effect researches that help in the conservation of wildlife. Connecting people and the planet dive into the fact that people rely on wildlife and biodiversity based resources to meet their needs such as food, fuel, medicine and others, “so it is important to enjoy the benefits and the beauty that nature brings us and the planet. That being said, people need to work together to make sure ecosystems are able to thrive and plant and animal species are able to exist for future generations.”
“Meeting with the experts and other people interested in wildlife will help our organization to partner with different people who might like the initiative that we have already taken, as this organisation is still very new.
Meeting with them can help us where we are lacking and also partner with us. Meaning the celebration is more beneficial to us because it will help in promoting our our organization, partnership and collaboration,” says Thato Nei, who works at the organization as a cameraman.
Nei states that the collaborations and partnerships are going to help the organization achieve its target mission, which is the protection of wildlife and environment. To connect with the experts and learn from their experiences. More-so to generate new ideas and develop some new strategies for protecting the wildlife, and expand their network. Finally, to create a positive reputation for an organization to build trust for the public for them to be able to work together in protection of the wildlife and environment.
Present will be renowned experts and dignitaries from private sectors, government parastatals, delegates from ministry of environment, a snake catcher and tour guide, Papiso Hlalele. In an interview, she says, “it is very exciting to finally have people who share the same passion of protecting wildlife in the country.”
As a snake catcher, the symposium will be very helpful as she plans to go and undertake level 2 of snake handling course.