AFRICAN CONSERVATION TRUST
Trusts in Pietermaritzburg

The African Conservation Trust was established in 2000 to achieve self-sustaining funding for environmental and heritage research and conservation in the southern Africa region. The region's water sources were showing the strain of decades of neglect, and soil erosion and wetland degradation were fast reaching the critical point of no return. In addition, almost no priority was being given to scientific research and monitoring of environmental degradation, nor staffing for such projects. There was also increasing pressure from escalating levels of pollution and waste yet few were sounding the clarion call for change. Southern Africa has one of the most rapidly urbanising populations in the world and the impact of growing city populations living primarily in low-income areas with insufficient infrastructure, was having a negative and cumulative effect on the surrounding environment. The amount of unsorted household waste was growing at unprecedented levels, overwhelming existing landfill sites and municipal waste management resources. At the same time, interest in and understanding of the need to preserve South Africa's heritage and multi-cultural legacy was growing. Africa's indigenous knowledge systems were gaining recognition amongst the international community and the archaeological discoveries at the Cradle of Humankind focused attention on the ancient history of southern Africa. Yet, at the time, those who advocated using modern technology coupled with traditional approaches that included job creation and community ownership, to preserve the region's ancient and natural resources were not taken seriously. There was a dearth of funding and on-the-ground agencies to undertake science-based heritage conservation projects that included their modern day communities for sustainability purposes. It was for these factors that the African Conservation Trust was established. For the first five years, ACT was primarily a volunteer-driven agency, one of the few that offered the opportunity for ordinary people to take part in groundbreaking environment and conservation projects in southern Africa, working alongside scientists and academic experts in archeology, anthropology, environmental protection and wildlife conservation. Not only did the ACT volunteers get to experience Africa as no tourist ever could, but their hands-on involvement in ACT projects increased their skills and knowledge in ways that would have been hard to achieve elsewhere. The African Conservation Trust (ACT) is an established not-for-profit and public benefit organisation that has been operating in southern Africa since At the core of ACT’s activities is the conservation of our precious environment, biodiversity, natural resources and heritage. Based in KwaZulu-Natal and with a historical footprint of working throughout southern Africa, ACT strives for environmental conservation and socio-economic sustainability. We work predominantly in areas where conflict exists between the natural environment and human habitation, and work to build sustainable communities that are economically, environmentally, and socially healthy and resilient. Our projects aim to conserve South Africa’s valuable biodiversity while also addressing the many socio-economic problems that our country faces. We cannot sustain or conserve southern Africa's natural resources nor alleviate the environmental crises we face without the participation of the very people affected; ACT always involves local communities and works in partnership with other stakeholders to implement projects that have a long-term impact. Job creation, poverty alleviation, community sustainability and education are key principles of all ACT initiatives.