Our Impact
South Africa’s wildlife and natural landscapes are more than just precious resources, they represent our national and cultural identity. A concerted national effort is required to drive biodiversity skills development to implement South Africa’s dynamic and increasing complex biodiversity policies and strategies - a need to which GreenMatter and its network of partners responds to.
Founded in 2009 as a programme of The Lewis Foundation in partnership with the SA National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI), GreenMatter works towards unlocking the environmental, social and economic potential of our country. GreenMatter strives to achieve this through the development of suitably skilled biodiversity specialists, researchers and professionals primarily from historically disadvantaged backgrounds. The organisation brings together networks of organisations, institutions and agencies to implement solutions that are aimed at addressing the challenges around developing relevant and quality biodiversity skills.
Supporting and developing our knowledge foundation towards a socially inclusive and greener economy is GreenMatter’s priority. Since its inception in 2010, GreenMatter has impacted the biodiversity skills development sector in the following way:
Through the National Environmental Skills Summit (NESS), GreenMatter has engaged about 400 partners
Founded in 2009 as a programme of The Lewis Foundation in partnership with the SA National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI), GreenMatter works towards unlocking the environmental, social and economic potential of our country. GreenMatter strives to achieve this through the development of suitably skilled biodiversity specialists, researchers and professionals primarily from historically disadvantaged backgrounds. The organisation brings together networks of organisations, institutions and agencies to implement solutions that are aimed at addressing the challenges around developing relevant and quality biodiversity skills.
Supporting and developing our knowledge foundation towards a socially inclusive and greener economy is GreenMatter’s priority. Since its inception in 2010, GreenMatter has impacted the biodiversity skills development sector in the following way:
Through the National Environmental Skills Summit (NESS), GreenMatter has engaged about 400 partners
- Supported 83 GreenMatter Fellows
- Trained 206 teachers, 41 subject advisors and 160 partners
- Catalysed funding to support over 900 unemployed youth through the Groen Sebenza initiative
- Identified 400 mentors in capacity development initiatives
- Engaged 12 South African universities on Careers for Biodiversity
- Engaged over 50 university partners on higher education and curriculum innovation
- Engaged over 2000 youth through online platforms and campaigns
- Developed career toolkits, mentoring toolkits, interactive tools and apps
- Developed 3 generic teacher modules and 32 exemplars
- Conducted workshops with over 120 youth on entrepreneurship opportunities in the water and biodiversity sector
