BY NOKUTHABA DLAMINI
Eighteen Victoria Falls City Council Junior Councillors have completed a three-day conservation and leadership camp aimed at equipping them with environmental knowledge and strengthening teamwork as young leaders.
The Painted Dog Research Nature Conservation, Research Education and Bush Camp was held from 26 to 28 June 2026 at the Painted Dog Research and Conservation Centre’s Mashambo Camp in Sizinda, outside Victoria Falls.
According to Victoria Falls City Council spokesperson Leonard Ncube, the primary objective of the camp was to build teamwork among the newly inducted Junior Councillors while exposing them to practical conservation and environmental management skills.
During the programme, the young leaders received training in agroforestry, pocket forests, water recycling, water harvesting, permaculture, conservation building and sustainable development. They also learned about the Communal Areas Management Programme for Indigenous Resources (CAMPFIRE), endangered species, wildlife behaviour, animal tracking and tranquilising, and how different animals and vegetation adapt to their environments.
Ncube said the programme was particularly important because Victoria Falls is both a UNESCO World Heritage destination and a Wetland City whose economy depends heavily on tourism.
“Such learning equips young people to become advocates among their peers and within their communities on environmental conservation. They should also be able to cascade this knowledge to their schools and communities,” he said.
The programme was organised through a partnership between the City of Victoria Falls and Painted Dog Research.
All 18 Junior Councillors attended the camp. The participants represented schools including Mosi-oa-Tunya, Herentals, MASS, Grace Missions, Mother Touch and Waterfalls.
Among the practical skills they acquired were identifying animals using bones, teeth and dung, tracking wildlife and understanding the basics of animal tranquilising—skills that also form part of wildlife conservation and tourism.
Ncube said the initiative aligns with the City’s broader vision of promoting sustainable tourism, environmental management and conservation by empowering young people to become environmental ambassadors.
While the Junior Councillors are expected to continue educating their peers and communities and participate in community projects, he said the programme is designed to complement rather than interfere with their academic studies.
He added that investing in young people is essential because they are both current and future leaders, and they are among those most affected by challenges such as climate change and human-wildlife conflict.
“Capacitating them enhances the future of our humanity and environment,” he said.
