Who we are

In 1985 the Lapalala Wilderness School was founded by Clive Walker, with the encouragement and support of Dale Parker. It has gained international recognition for the outstanding contribution it has made to enriching the lives of thousands of children through a greater knowledge and understanding of nature, wildlife and cultural heritage.

Learners have an unrivalled opportunity to experience and enjoy spectacular scenery, with 88km of rivers with crystal-clear water winding through the natural wilderness.

There is a rich diversity of fauna and flora, with over 280 species of birds and a well-established population of both white and black rhino. From every point of view, it is an ideal outdoor classroom, situated in one of South Africa’s genuinely untransformed and unspoilt wilderness areas.

The school now offers a revised and updated curriculum which has been developed in close cooperation with Share-Net, and is linked to the Eco-Schools programme (more here).

Major improvements to the School’s accommodation and dining facilities have been made, including the installation of the kind of energy- and water-saving devices which will increasingly have to be adopted by all South Africans in the years to come. The encouragement of wise and sustainable use of our natural resources is an essential component of our education programme.

Close attention is given to the number of learners participating in each course, the duration of each course, and the value added by staying overnight.

Furthermore, all environmental education programmes at Lapalala have a component on HIV and AIDS, in line with similar international agendas.

The Lapalala educational experience can be enhanced by a visit with an orphaned black rhino on a nearby property.

The maximum number of children staying overnight at any one time is 60. This not only enriches the quality of the wilderness experience, but also enables the School to give close individual attention to smaller groups.

Lapalala Wilderness has renewed its commitment to community development, and staff are visiting learners from schools in the neighbouring communities on a regular basis, in addition to welcoming them to Lapalala itself. Through this outreach programme and the focus on the Eco-Schools Project, the School is committed to fostering a passion and love for nature, wildlife and conservation, ideally identifying and nurturing the conservation champions of the future. Special consideration will be given to addressing the priority needs of the schools in the rural communities in and adjacent to the Waterberg Biosphere Reserve, an initiative which is being developed in consultation with Limpopo provincial government departments.