Program Overview

Conservation Connections is a three-tiered program developed by Werribee Open Range Zoo that empowers students to fulfil their roles as global citizens and make a tangible difference for conservation. 

Australian students first participate in An African Experience at Werribee Open Range Zoo, where they connect with Africa’s magnificent wildlife and learn about issues devastating these species.
Students wanting to take action against the bush-meat crisis and poaching then participate in the Ungana Project, developing wildlife education resources to be utilised in conservation education in Zimbabwe.

In 2007, Conservation Connections inspired more than 780 Australian school students to take action for African wildlife. As a result, Werribee Open Range Zoo distributed 360 kilograms of wildlife education resources to Zimbabwe, enhancing the capacity of Kusanganisa, the in-situ component of the conservation education program.

Step 1. An African Experience

An African Experience is an immersive education program at Werribee Open Range Zoo that enables students, through role play, to delve into the heart of Africa’s most serious and complex environmental issues, poaching and the bush-meat crisis!

As students are encouraged to think of creative solutions, the role of education is inevitably discussed. This is when students are invited to participate in the Ungana project once they return to school.

Step 2. Ungana

Ungana (Swahili for connect) provides authentic links to African in-situ conservation education. The project raises awareness of the importance of education as a conservation tool and provides a call to action. Educational resources that are donated to Ungana are distributed to African projects that utilise sound educational practices to generate behavior change for conservation.

Step 3. Kusanganisa

Kusanganisa (Shona for connect) utilises education techniques to connect Zimbabwean schools with wildlife, promote ecological understandings and inspire sustainable practices. With growing support from schools and community groups affiliated with Werribee Open Range Zoo, Kusanganisa continues to grow in the hope that future generations will have the knowledge, skills and behaviours required to better live in balance with their natural world.

To find out more about how to get involved in Conservation Connections contact Kylie Gordon on (03) 9731 9634