About us

Water is one of Africa’s most precious resources, yet it is finite. Protecting the headwaters and freshwater systems that sustain millions of people, wildlife, and ecosystems is at the heart of everything we do. Our rivers connect communities, cultures, and landscapes—linking people to nature and to each other.

The Wild Bird Trust was founded in South Africa in 2009 by Dr. Rutledge “Steve” Boyes to keep birds safe in the wild by securing critical habitats for ecosystems, wildlife, and people. Its first initiative, the Cape Parrot Project in Hogsback, focused on conserving one of South Africa’s most endangered parrots and the Afromontane forests they depend on. This project laid the foundation for the Trust’s approach: combining field research, community engagement, and conservation action to protect both species and habitats.

Building on this work, the Trust partnered with the National Geographic Society in 2014 to launch the National Geographic Okavango Wilderness Project (NGOWP). Established in 2015 as a basin-scale conservation platform, NGOWP works across Angola, Namibia, and Botswana to protect the Cubango–Okavango River system. The Project connects science, traditional knowledge, community leadership, and institutional partnerships across borders to strengthen stewardship from the Angolan headwaters to the Okavango Delta.

Implementation is led by nationally registered, citizen-governed entities in each country:

• Botswana: Nkashi Trust (formerly the Botswana Wild Bird Trust) anchors work in the Delta and eastern panhandle.
• Angola: Fundação Lisima leads programmes across the Lisima lya Mwono landscape in Moxico Province.
• Namibia: Kavango Wilderness Project coordinates activities along the Kavango River.

Our work is strengthened through long-term partnerships with the National Geographic Society, De Beers through the Okavango Eternal Partnership, and a network of regional and international collaborators. By combining science, local leadership, and community-led initiatives, we ensure that conservation is locally governed, sustainable, and designed to endure across generations.

Africa’s wild rivers and landscapes are under increasing pressure. Deforestation, climate change, fires, pollution, agriculture, and dams are threatening both wildlife and the communities that depend on these ecosystems.

To protect these critical habitats, we need long-lasting, community-led systems that balance conservation, sustainable development, and local livelihoods. Working in partnership with communities ensures that conservation is effective, inclusive, and designed to endure across generations.