We champion the harmonious co-existence of humans and nature through knowledge and practical conservation of Zambia’s ecosystem.

OUR HISTORY

OVER 60 YEARS OF ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION!

The Wildlife and Environmental Conservation Society of Zambia was founded in 1953 by concerned members of the hunting fraternity as the “Game Preservation and Hunting Association.” In recent years, however, emphasis has shifted towards a wider range of environmental and conservational issues.

In 1957 the society mobilised international resources to rescue animals that would have otherwise been drowned or stranded by the rising waters of the newly created Lake Kariba. When the rescue work of “Operation Noah” was completed, the assets were sold and the proceeds used to create the Wildlife Trust Limited, whose purpose was one of supporting the work of the society. Around the same time came a name change to the Wildlife Conservation Society of Northern Rhodesia.

In 1964, alongside a newly independent nation, the Wildlife Conservation Society of Zambia was born with the first Republican President, Kenneth Kaunda, as patron. Two years later Treetops and Nyamaluma School Conservation Camps were constructed within the Kafue National Park and the Luangwa Valley respectively.

The first children’s clubs, Chongololo Clubs, were formed in 1972 and the first Chongololo magazines printed and distributed within the same year. Our Chongololo programme was furthered in 1978 with the launch of the Chongololo Club of the Air radio programme. In 1978, through the initiative of the Copperbelt Central branch of the Society, a 13-week television series ran, called The “Chongololo Show.”

In 1980 clubs were launched in secondary schools. This initiative was given further support in 1986 with the launch of the Chipembele Magazine. In 1990, the Chongololo Programme was awarded the Global 500 Award by the United Nations Environment Programme for its sustained contribution to promoting environmental protection through awareness.

In 1995, reflecting the fact the society’s emphasis had changed from solely wildlife to broader environmental issues, the society came to be what it is today: the Wildlife and Environmental Conservation Society of Zambia.