Nominations for the 2024 GOSCARs – the Grassroots Owen-Smith Community Ranger and CBO Awards – are officially OPEN!

In the heart of Namibian community conservation, we celebrate the dedication and hard work of game guards, lion and rhino rangers, fish and community resource monitors, and outstanding community-based organisations. Your nominations shine a light on those holding the thin green line in the field, facing challenges like renewed poaching.

NACSO would like to wish you and your loved ones a joyful holiday season and a prosperous New Year. Your consistent dedication and commitment to our shared vision have been fundamental to our success throughout 2023.

Together, we have faced challenges, celebrated victories, and made a significant impact on the conservation landscape of Namibia. Your passion, expertise, and collaborative spirit have played a crucial role in driving positive change for our environment, wildlife, and communities.

Five years of conducting annual wildlife surveys (Annual Game count) in Angola’s vast and recently proclaimed Luengue-Luiana National Park

Sharwimbo’s Gift: From Dishwasher to Camp Guardian – A Story of growth and perseverance

Meet Gift, a dedicated general worker at Sharwimbo Camp. His name truly reflects the invaluable contribution he has made to this tranquil haven nestled between Kongola and Susiwe, just a few kilometres from the pristine beauty of the Kwando River that divides Namibia and Botswana. Gift’s journey at Sharwimbo began as a dishwasher, but over the past decade, he has evolved into much more than that.

In the heart of the Zambezi landscape, game rangers, ministry officials, law enforcement, and support NGOs working within the community based natural resource management (CBNRM) sector came together with a shared passion to protect the wildlife that calls the region calls home. Game counts are an annual activity that started in 1999, is one of many activities that support wildlife monitoring and adaptive management within conservancies.

NACSO attended the launch of the Diamond Winner Draw and the Tourism Expo held at the Windhoek Country Club. The Hon. Minister of Environment, Forestry and Tourism launched the Tourism Expo under the theme “Beyond Borders” which will promote the KAZA landscape which comprises of a unique conservation area that spans over Angola, Botswana, Namibia, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. The launch of the expo coincided with World Tourism Day, celebrated under the theme “Tourism and green investment” calling on investment in people, planet, and tourism.