Cheetah Conservation Fund’s 2020 School Outreach Gets Underway with Presentation at Otjiwarongo Primary School Recorded by CNN

MEDIA CONTACTS:

Annetjie Siyaya: annetjie@cheetah.org (067) 306225 or 0818228657

or Susan Yannetti: susan@cheetah.org

CHEETAH CONSERVATION FUND’S 2020 SCHOOL OUTREACH TOUR GETS UNDERWAY WITH PRESENTATION AT OTJIWARONGO PRIMARY SCHOOL RECORDED BY CNN

OTJIWARONGO, NAMIBIA (30 January 2020) — Cheetah Conservation Fund (CCF) launched its 2020 School Outreach Tour, a major component of its Future Conservationists of Africa (FCA) Program, on Monday, 27 January. CCF brought a CNN television news crew along to record the Education Team’s first outreach event of the year at Vooruit Primary School in Otjiwarongo. The team gave a cheetah presentation and introduced young learners to one of CCF’s Livestock Guarding Dogs, a nine-year-old female named Kiri. CCF Founder and Executive Director, Dr. Laurie Marker, read to the students from several of her books, including Chewbaaka, the story of an orphaned Namibian cheetah cub.

“CCF looks forward to this time each year, when our education team sets off a tour of Namibian schools, to meet as many young learners as possible and share messages about cheetahs,” said Dr. Laurie Marker. “Otjiwarongo is known as the Cheetah Capital of the World. Cheetahs are a driver of Namibian tourism, and people from all over the world travel to see them here in their natural environment. We teach about the value of having wildlife on our landscape, and how we can coexist.”

CCF is celebrating its 30th Anniversary this year, just as the nation of Namibia, and one of the greatest contributions of CCF is the education and training of Namibia’s next generation of conservationists through FCA. Since the programs began in 1994, over 600 000 learners have participated in one of CCF’s education programs. Through the School Outreach Tour, CCF teaches learners about; predators found in Namibian ecosystems, the role of predators in ecosystems – food chains, why cheetahs are special & why they are Africa’s most endangered big cat. CCF staff teaches young learners how to live in harmony with cheetahs through good livestock, rangeland and wildlife management, while instilling a sense of national pride in wildlife and the countries beautiful landscapes. CCF educators are sometimes accompanied by one of CCF’S Livestock Guarding Dogs (LGD) who serve as ambassadors for education for our LGD Program. CCF’s ambassador LGD meets teachers and learners, and serves to illustrate the important work that they do to ensure the future survival of the cheetah in the wild, on Namibian farmland.

In addition, the School Outreach Tour also focuses on careers in conservation economic and the economic benefit of conservation. Training is provided for teachers with a focus on helping science and environmental educators and trainers on utilize CCF’s Teacher’s Resource Guide (TRG), which links to the National Curriculum. CCF believes that education is key to cheetah survival, and by incorporating this tool, teachers everywhere can become part of the international effort to save this magnificent species.

CCF’s School Outreach Tour aims to reach schools in the cheetah ‘hotspot’ areas. Learners from grades 7 – 10 are targeted for this program. During the first two terms of the year, CCF Education Team of environmental educators will visit schools in Otjiwarongo, Outjo, Kalkfeld, Omaruru, Otavi, Kombat, Tsumeb, Grootfontein, Okahandja, Gobabis and Windhoek. CCF Educators will contact schools to make requests, and both educators and schools can contact CCF directly to schedule an outreach visit (067306225). TRG training offered to teachers throughout the country.

The CNN program featuring CCF’s visit to Vooruit Primary School will air in March 2020.

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CCF Centre

The Cheetah Conservation Fund Field Research & Education Centre is open to the public every day from 08:00 to 17:00 except 25 December. The Centre hosts community members and school groups from Namibia as well as international tourists and groups from all over the world. The Centre also offers Day & Overnight programs at Camp Lightfoot. Day Programs are free, while a small fee is charged for Overnight programs. Visitors have the opportunity to see some of CCF’s non-releasable cheetahs, which adds another context and reinforces the knowledge they have gained from CCF’s School Outreach Program or books.

The Cheetah Conservation Fund Field Research & Education Centre is located 45 km from the town of Otjiwarongo on the D2440 road. For more information, contact: ccfinfo@iway.na or go to www.cheetah.org.