A visit from Lessons in Conservation (LiC)

Jul 17, 2025

We had some great company at Gobelo Farm in Hwange this past week: a small group from Lessons in Conservation (LiC), an environmental education non-profit working across six African countries. LiC is youth-led and focused on helping young people understand and care for the natural world. Their work involves connecting with schools and communities to teach kids about conservation in a way that’s hands-on and meaningful.

Their team of eight university students came to tour Gobelo Farm and experience a bit of life here and we were just as excited to show them around as they were to explore. They asked great questions, shared insights from their own experiences and fully embraced the Gobelo way of doing things…how we build, how we farm, to how we cook and host.

One of the first things that caught their attention was the resilience of the plants growing here. Like we have mentioned before our soil has its challenges, but the team was impressed by how much we have been able to grow using practical methods and materials we have on hand. It was a nice pat on the back and a reminder of how important it is to keep experimenting, learning and adapting.

They also loved experiencing our farm-to-table approach. We believe in making the most of what we grow and they got to see this first-hand: picking ingredients, walking the garden rows and then seeing those same ingredients being turned into delicious food, right on site. “There’s something very grounding about knowing exactly where your food comes from” one of them said... and they really connected with that sentiment.

But what may have left the biggest impression was hearing about why Gobelo exists. We spoke about how part of our mission is to provide alternative sources of food for the local community. Increasing access to fresh produce will in turn help reduce the pressure on wildlife through poaching. It’s something that resonates with anyone interested in conservation and it really sparked a lot of discussion among the group.

Of course, no visit to Gwango would be complete without meeting Husky, one of the resident German Shepherds who help to keep the elephants and other wildlife safe here at Gwango…an important member of the team. Husky didn’t hold back either. He joined the tour, posed for a few photos and made sure the guests felt very welcome. He of course, (as usual) stole the show in some of those group pictures.

It was a great day for everyone involved. The team from Lessons in Conservation left with full notebooks and big smiles and we were reminded again of how valuable these exchanges are. When people visit Gobelo, they ask questions, they reflect, they leave with new ideas. And in turn, they leave us inspired too.

We are so grateful to the LiC team for spending time with us and for the important work they’re doing across Africa. We hope to host more groups like this in the future. These conversations matter and they are part of how real change begins.

Until next time,
The Gobelo Team