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Lapalala Wilderness School
Words & pics - supplied LAPALALA WILDERNESS SCHOOL which is situated in the Waterberg Biosphere is soon to open a new environmentally friendly campus to expand upon and continue all previous efforts in creating and nurturing future conservation champions and environmental leaders.
Thirty-seven years ago, an idea became a vision, and that vision became a reality for well-known artist and conservationist Clive Walker and Lapalala founder Dale Parker.
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The first groups of children came to Lapalala in 1981 and slept at a campsite on the Palala river called Rapids, a well-known river site to this day.
In 1985 a new portion of land was added to Lapalala and the existing farmhouse on the property was restored to become the first fixed operating base for Lapalala Wilderness School, formalized under the auspices of the Wilderness Trust. As it evolved, it became recognized as a centre of excellence in environmental education and to date, over one hundred and forty thousand learners, students and teachers have been enriched through their time at the school.
Today the Lapalala Wilderness School is run by its Director, Mashudu Makhokha and a dedicated team of educators.
“Our vision is to teach young people the concepts of conservation, ecology, the protection of wild creatures, wild landscapes and the natural resources of our environment. Lapalala Wilderness School is an educational institution like no other. It uses the environment as its classroom to deliver learning which has the potential to create lasting change in both learners and the world in which they live,” he shares enthusiastically. On 26th November 2022, the Lapalala Wilderness School will officially open its superb new facility. The new campus has been funded by the Parker family and the Mapula Trust, under the guidance and direction of Duncan Parker and with assistance from
Gianni Ravazzotti and the Italtile Foundation. Leading by example, the new school is a Net Zero Carbon Building. This eco build used energy efficient materials and rammed earth walls with soils sourced from foundation excavations.
The environmentally friendly rammed earth walls are aesthetically pleasing and are fire, water, mold and termite resistant. They have high thermal properties and are energy efficient maintaining cooler temperatures during high summer temperatures.
The school precinct is off the national grid and uses a hybrid integrated solar power system with batteries and inverters. Two boreholes provide water to the school and rainwater is harvested into tanks. Wastewater is collected, treated and reused on site, where appropriate. The school layout and design have a minimal impact on the natural beauty they inhabit and have succeeded in efficiently using space and energy.
The student and staff areas provide privacy but are cleverly connected via common areas, pathways and open functional spaces where a combination of indigenous grasses, succulent gardens and medicinal plants have been grown. The curriculum has evolved over the years to be relevant in today’s world. Teachers learn how to integrate environmental issues into the South African curriculum, and children learn practical skills they can apply in their communities.
At Lapalala Wilderness School the experience provides an appreciation and love of nature via interpretive river walks, game drives, stargazing,
THESE PAGES: The school’s location in the wilderness; various buildings on the campus, the solar panels, School Director, Mashudu Makhokha
spoor identification, and informative conservation and wildlife talks.
Practical skills include creating food gardens, beekeeping, tree planting, water and energy audits, and how to recycle, repurpose or reuse waste material. The knowledge and skills empower the youth to share what they have learned and to play an active part in making a difference with the many challenges facing our planet.
www.lwschool.org
The Lapalala Wilderness School project has been awarded a Net Zero Certification from the Green Building Association of South Africa, and are due to receive the certificate on the 24th of November, just in time for the official opening.
A Net Zero/Net Positive - Carbon building according to the GBCSA is defined as: “A building that is highly energyefficient, and the remaining energy use is from renewable energy, preferably on-site but also off-site where absolutely necessary, so that there are zero net carbon emissions on an annual basis (Net Zero), or if the energy from renewable energy results in more energy being produced than what is used on site (Net Positive)”.
