Kulani Nyakane
In a world where conservation has become a global priority, the conversation often revolves around protecting endangered species, saving habitats, or reversing the effects of climate change. Yet, there is another equally important dimension: ensuring that local communities, especially young people, have meaningful access to the very ecosystems being conserved. Without that connection, conservation risks becoming distant, abstract, and exclusive.
In Bushbuckridge Local Municipality, Mpumalanga, on the western boundary of the Greater Kruger National Park, this connection is being built step by step, trail by trail, and campfire by campfire. For the past four years, the Bushbuckridge Hiking Club has afforded local youth opportunities to explore nature through hiking, backpacking, and camping experiences that would otherwise be out of reach.
Breaking barriers in the outdoors
For many young people in Bushbuckridge, scaling mountain trails, camping in nature, or backpacking through Kruger National Park feels impossible. Outdoor activities such as these often come at a steep financial cost.
Recognising this barrier, the Bushbuckridge Hiking Club was built. The club creates opportunities for local youth to enjoy and learn from the ecosystems around them – spaces that are nearby but inaccessible. Since its founding, the club has provided a bridge between the community and the landscapes that surround it.
The club has taken participants on unforgettable adventures.
Hiking the northern Drakensberg, overlooking the Blyde River Canyon, the third largest canyon in the world.
Backpacking along the Olifants River in Kruger National Park, where elephants, hippos, and crocodiles thrive along ancient riverbanks.
The Timbavati Primitive Trail, offered by Lowveld Trails Co., where participants camp under the stars in Timbavati Private Nature Reserve, experiencing the raw wilderness with nothing but the night sky as a ceiling.
These trips have become transformative journeys that allow young people to experience what eco-tourism often markets as luxury but is, in fact, their birthright: access to nature.
A club with a purpose
What began as a small initiative now has over 100 participants. The Bushbuckridge Hiking Club brings knowledge sharing, identity, and conservation into recreation. Each hike and camp are opportunities to learn about biodiversity, ecosystem services, and the importance of protecting natural heritage while strengthening a sense of belonging to these landscapes.
The club also builds confidence, teamwork, and resilience. Hiking long trails teaches endurance. Setting up camp fosters problem-solving and collaboration. Spending nights in a Big 5 ecosystem nurtures courage and independence. These lessons ripple beyond the wilderness; they shape how young people see themselves, their communities, and their futures.
For many young people, these adventures are full of firsts: the first time seeing wildlife up close, the first night sleeping outside in nature, or the first time standing on a mountain peak. These milestones spark lasting wonder and possibility, showing that nature is not something to be feared or excluded from, but something to be celebrated and protected.
Conservation through connection
Conservation is often framed in technical terms – endangered species, population numbers, carbon storage. While these are crucial, conservation also thrives when people feel a personal connection to the natural world. Without it, efforts risk becoming detached from the communities that live alongside wildlife.
The Bushbuckridge Hiking Club demonstrates that conservation can begin with something as simple as walking a trail. When local youth discover the beauty and value of their ecosystems firsthand, they are more likely to see themselves as stakeholders in conservation, defending the rivers, savannas, and wildlife they have come to know.
In this way, the club is shaping not only hikers but also future conservation leaders who understand that protecting nature is not an abstract cause but a lived reality.
Sustaining the vision
Despite its impact, the Bushbuckridge Hiking Club faces the same challenge as many grassroots initiatives: limited resources. Even the most basic outdoor activities require transport, gear, safety equipment, and food. Without support, many eager young people are left behind.
Partnerships, such as with the Connected Planet Foundation, a UK-based organisation that values conservation and youth empowerment, have already made a difference in supporting the club’s camping expeditions. But more help is needed. A donation to the club doesn’t only fund a hike; it opens the door for a young person to step into nature with curiosity, often for the very first time.
A legacy
The Bushbuckridge Hiking Club’s vision is clear: to expand its reach, bring more young people into nature, and ensure that local communities stand as co-guardians of the ecosystems around Kruger National Park. With each trip, the club builds not only memories but also resilience, awareness, and pride.
In a world where conservation is often seen as the work of scientists, policymakers, or international organisations, this grassroots effort reminds us that conservation is also about people. It is about ensuring that those who live closest to nature are included, inspired, and empowered.
The Bushbuckridge Hiking Club is living proof that creating access to nature can change lives. For the youth of Bushbuckridge, the trail is more than a path through the mountains; it is a pathway to identity, opportunity, and hope.
Kulani Nyakane is a PLAAS Living Landscapes in Action 2024 alumnus and member of the Mazingira Yetu Network, founder of the Bushbuckridge Hiking Club, and a National Geographic explorer.
