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The Botswana Wild Bird Trust (BWBT) was founded in 2016 with the
      mission to conserve wild birds and their habitat through
      exploration, research and monitoring, conservation action,
      partnerships, awareness-raising, and support for local citizen led
      organisations.

Botswana

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botswana

The Botswana Wild Bird Trust was founded in 2016 with the mission to conserve wild birds and their habitat through exploration, research and monitoring, conservation action, partnerships, awareness-raising, and support for local citizen-led organisations.

Research expeditions undertaken have always included baYei guides and mekoro as a means to explore the narrow and winding waterways of the Delta. The footprint we leave on the environments we traverse, as well as what we leave on the world as a whole, governs our decisions on everything we do, including selecting a self-propelled mode of transport.

View a selection of our key projects which gives you a quick idea of where we work and what we do.

Our Work

our work

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Committed to securing permanent, sustainable protection for the greater Okavango River Basin, from the source waters in the highlands of Angola, to the Delta in Botswana.

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National Geographic Okavango Wilderness Project

The Educator Expeditions, are an educational and developmental project, aimed at supporting primary school teachers with the resources to improve the poor academic results. Schools in the North- Western districts, which are divided into the Ngamiland and Okavango sub-districts, have very little access to resources and training for both learners and teachers.These workshops which take the form of walks in the wild were launched to impart the use of scientific and academic knowledge of the NGOWP and the indigenous and local knowledge of the Delta people to teachers who come from other regions. The educators come to appreciate and understand the environment in which their learners are growing to help them become better custodians of this land.

We are also working with local Village Development Committees to support Early Childhood Development through their Play Groups and have launched Itsoseng an out of school and at risk youth development program which is in its pilot phase to help youth either return to formal schooling or enter some form of vocational training.

All of these education initiatives will be supported by the Nkashi Bus - Knowledge on the Go. Which is an extension of our Nkashi Knowledge Centres and will provide points of connection and engagement in remote communities.

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The Educator Expeditions, are an educational and developmental project, aimed at supporting primary school teachers with the resources to improve the poor academic results.

Education

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The Nkashi Knowledge Centres (NKCs) are dynamic community hubs dedicated to education, vocational training, enterprise development, and the preservation of traditional knowledge in the Okavango Delta region. Established by the Botswana Wild Bird Trust under the National Geographic Okavango Wilderness Project (NGOWP), these Centres serve as platforms for learning, collaboration, and sustainable development.

Located in Maun and the newly launched Beetsha Centre in the Eastern Panhandle, the NKCs are designed to meet the unique needs of local communities while promoting environmental stewardship and economic resilience. They act as inclusive spaces where small businesses are incubated, skills are developed, traditional knowledge is preserved, and solutions are co-created in partnership with communities.

Each centre offers tailored workshops, training programs, and access to resources that empower individuals—from young storytellers to entrepreneurs and Village Development Committees (VDCs). Through initiatives such as storytelling clubs, business skills training, and early childhood conservation education, the NKCs help foster local leadership and self-reliance.

The centres also feature facilities to support research and education, including office and accommodation space for visiting educators and scientists. Importantly, they are developed in collaboration with local artisans, traditional leaders, and community members, ensuring that the programs reflect local values and priorities.

To reach even more remote areas of the Delta, Nkashi has also introduced the Nkashi Bus—a fully equipped 4x4 mobile knowledge centre launched in 2023. The bus brings education, storytelling, and enterprise development directly to villages that are often inaccessible, extending the impact of the Nkashi mission beyond fixed locations.

Together, the Nkashi Knowledge Centres and the Nkashi Bus represent a growing network of community-driven spaces that inspire, empower, and support a sustainable future for the Okavango Delta and its people.

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The Nkashi Knowledge Centres (NKCs) are located in Maun and the newly launched Beetsha Centre in the Eastern Panhandle. 

Botswana

our work

National Geographic Okavango Wilderness Project

Education

Nkashi Knowlege Centres

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