This year’s North Rupununi Wildlife Club Festival culminated in a vibrant celebration of nature, culture, and conservation leadership.
The festival, which concluded Tuesday, was launched on Monday under the theme: “Innovate, Preserve, and Protect the Future of Our Culture and Nature.”
According to a release, the occasion brought together over 300 participants from 18 clubs across 16 communities, making it the largest community youth event in the North Rupununi.
Monday’s opening ceremony was attended by community leaders and villagers, Iwokrama staff and volunteers, members of the diplomatic community, environmental partners, and club members.
Aiming to make conservation fun and engaging, the festival showcased the immense artistic and cultural talent of North Rupununi youth. Activities included a banner and costume parade, art competition, cultural dances, poetry recitals, competitive games, environmental quizzes, face painting, and more.
Clubs also presented their Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) projects during the opening day.
The festival concludes with traditional activities such as cotton spinning, cassava grating, archery, and the highly anticipated Wildlife Costume Pageant.
Founded in early 1998 through a partnership between Iwokrama and the North Rupununi District Development Board (NRDDB), the Wildlife Clubs promote conservation practices among community youth.
These clubs play a vital role in introducing hands-on environmental education focused on natural resource management and cultural heritage. Today, many Toshoas and village councillors from North Rupununi communities are proud former members of the Wildlife Clubs. The first Wildlife Festival was hosted in 2001.
Iwokrama and NRDDB expressed appreciation for the support of parents, village leadership, the ExxonMobil Foundation, Vanda Radzik, and Banks DIH.
“We also appreciate all the organisations that joined to share their experiences, including the EMC Foundation, Protected Areas Commission, Conservation International–Guyana, and the Guyana Wildlife Conservation and Management Commission. The EMC Foundation also presented educational materials to the clubs,” the release stated.
A cultural performance from Surama
