ECO-FOCUSED IN A CHANGING WORLD

THE CONSERVATIONIST

COMMUNITY COEXISTANCE (COEX) is a community-based initiative that organically evolved from Wild Entrust, a globally recognized conservation research, education and development organization active in Botswana since 1990. COEX aims to promote landscape connectivity, ecosystem health, and economic development by empowering communities to manage and sustainably benefit from their natural resources. Each COEX “Village Development Program” (for example, HABU) addresses two fundamental goals: poverty eradication and biodiversity conservation.

DESIGN CHALLENGE: To create a brand identity and design campaign that brings together all aspects of the COEX initiative.

Specific COEX programs include:

•VILLAGE WATER provides the water infrastructure essential for a healthy community

•VILLAGE LIGHTS provides solar lights for homes and extra study time after dark

•VILLAGE KIDS educates children through play, creating relationships with animals and planting the seeds of empathy

•VILLAGE GREENS empowers women and youth growing vegetables to feed themselves and families while building the local economy

•VILLAGE GOVERNANCE mentors village leaders to govern and manage resources for the benefit of all

•VILLAGE HERDS employs 30+ Community Scouts trained in the Herding for Heath model for aggregated herds to reduce costs and conflict with wildlife and planned grazing for healthier rangelands

•VILLAGE ABATTOIR facilitates marketability for locally produced “wildlife friendly”, grass fed beef

•VILLAGE SAFARI promotes local tourism enterprise development that contributes to Botswana’s, previously inaccessible growing tourism market and diversification of the local economy.