The Cape Leopard Trust is Sponsored a New Bus for the Environmental Education Programme

Published: 20 July 2011
 

The National Lottery Distribution Trust Fund (NLDTF) has provided exceptional support to the Cape Leopard Trust's Environmental Education Programme in the form of a grant of R1.3Million over three-years. This sponsorship has been vital in developing and ensuring a future for this initiative. The primary aim of the programme is to get children and adults into nature, providing experiences that connect them with the environment. Learning though personal experience is emphasised, as that way people can develop a real interest in the natural environment and care about what happens to it.

One of the most important items sponsored by the NLDTF is a 21-seater Mercedes Sprinter bus. This makes a huge difference, as transport has been one of the main problems groups have faced when wanting to participate in the programme. The vehicle will be used for taking groups on camps to the Cederberg as well as educational day trips in the Cape Peninsula and Boland mountains, where a Cape Leopard Trust research project is underway.

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The Cape Leopard Trust has received unbelievable support from a number of companies in helping with all the necessary additions to the vehicle. We would like to acknowledge and thank all of them:

Rola Motors (Helderberg) has been very generous with sourcing the vehicle at a reduced cost and agreeing to provide maintenance services at cost price. They also contacted the Strand Fitment Centre who kindly sponsored a sound system and introduced us to...

Bandit Vehicle Tracking who have sponsored a GPS tracker unit. This has been a tremendous help and a comforting safety feature as the bus can now easily be located via the Internet at any time.

We also needed a safe place to park the vehicle while it was in Cape Town. We were fortunate to have been assisted by Achievement Awards who offered free secure parking at Westlake Business Park.

Bridgestone tyres has extended its already generous sponsorship of the Cape Leopard Trust's vehicle tyres to include our Education bus, despite it having more tyres than a normal car! Top class tyres are essential for our occupants' safety, especially when travelling on the gravel roads of the Cederberg.

In order to make the most of the bus we needed a trailer. Fortunately David Knott of the BOE offered his personal trailer to the Cape Leopard Trust. It is the perfect size. Venter Trailer Sales ensured that it was roadworthy at cost price. Superquick Century City generously sponsored and fitted a tow bar for the bus.

Finally, the bus needed an identity. Henry from Mixed Media spent hours designing a full body wrap for the new vehicle. When it was ready, the Cape Leopard Trust was thrilled to hear that Impressions Screenprint were willing to sponsor the vehicle branding. They have done a fantastic job and the smart new bus is now ready to ‘hit the roads'!

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The Cape Leopard Trust wishes to extend its sincere gratitude to all of the generous sponsors of the Education Programme. It is very heartwarming to have such a positive response from so many people and it is an affirmation of the value of the work that the Cape Leopard Trust is doing in bringing people from all walks of life into contact with nature.

Background:

The Cape Leopard Trust is a predator conservation non-profit organisation based in the Western Cape, using the threatened Cape mountain leopards to highlight the importance of conserving the wilderness areas that we have left. The Cape Leopard Trust uses research as a tool for conservation, finding solutions to human-wildlife conflict and inspiring interest in the environment.

The Education Programme has an environmental camp in the Cederberg, where camps are held, mainly for school groups. It is essential that this experience is accessible to people from all backgrounds, so we ensure that funds are raised for sponsored camps where there is a need. For the next two years the NLDTF will be providing sponsorship for 16 sponsored camps a year. On these trips participants explore various themes including biodiversity, leopard ecology, human-wildlife conflict, animal tracking, geology, geography, rock art and astronomy.

The Cape Leopard Trust environmental camps and day trips are open to all school groups as well as other educational organizations. For more information please visit the website: www.capeleopard.org.za .

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