Wilderness Network
Collaboration is the key!
The WILD Foundation is a proud founder member of The Wilderness Network, a consortium of independent, forward-thinking, like-minded organizations. The Wilderness Network was born in wild country, informed and inspired by the many decades of work in the African wilderness by WILD?s founder Ian Player and his mentor, Zulu elder Magqubu Ntombela saving the white rhino from extinction, creating new wilderness areas, emphasizing the central role of traditional peoples in nature conservation, and more. Now, as a group of closely collaborating organizations with many partners and associates, The Wilderness Network works worldwide to:
- Protect and sustain wilderness, wildlife and human communities
- Promote the values and services provided by wildlands and seas
- Provide wilderness-related information, education, experience and training
Member Organizations:
Featured Network Project
Wilderness Leadership School Partners with LoveLife, South Africa’s National HIV Prevention program for youth
The Wilderness Leadership School has formed a partnership with the LoveLife program, South Africa’s National HIV program for youth. WLS is working specifically with the groundBreaker leadership group – youth ages 18-25 who are otherwise unemployed, recruited for a year-long training and service corps. The goal of the partnership is for each groundBreaker to participate in a 5-day wilderness experience. The trail experience will help to build leadership and commitment to a future for both themselves and the environment.
At the current rate of infection, South African teenagers have a 50% chance of contracting HIV over the course of their lives. Half of South Africa’s new HIV infections occur before the age of 25. Relatively modest changes in adolescent sexual behaviour could substantially curtail the HIV epidemic and there are hopeful signs that perhaps the worst-case projections for the scale of the HIV epidemic in South Africa may yet be averted.
The groundBreak program and the wilderness experience component offered by WLS are key to helping to build the next generation of South African leaders!