The story always begins before the photograph
Simon Page
Documentary Nature & Wildlife PhotographerÂ
Global Ambassador | Rewilding Africa
Rewilding Africa
Rewilding Africa CIC is a community‑interest organisation working to strengthen conservation across the African continent through collaboration, long‑term planning, and community‑led restoration. Their mission centres on the National Park Conservancy model — a framework designed to support national parks, empower local communities, and create sustainable pathways for nature recovery.
To transform conservation in Africa by putting communities at the heart of decision-making, ownership and economic opportunity – creating new National Park Conservancy destination brands and thriving landscapes where people, wildlife and nature prosper together.
Conservation by communities, for communities – with nature at the centre.
We believe Africa’s conservation future should not be built around protected areas in isolation.
It should be built around people and nature working together across entire landscapes.
National Park Conservancies create a framework through which communities surrounding national parks can participate in, benefit from and help lead the conservation and sustainable development of their natural resources.
Our MissionÂ
PHASE 1 : ADVOCATE -MARKET - MOBILISE
Building the platform for a National Park Conservancy
Phase 1 is about creating the conditions for change.
Rewilding Africa CIC works with national park authorities, governments, communities and strategic partners to advocate for the National Park Conservancy approach, establish stakeholder support and create a compelling destination proposition.
We help to:
• Advocate for community-led conservation
• Engage governments and national park authorities
• Build relationships with communities and traditional leadership
• Bring conservation, tourism, NGO and private-sector stakeholders together
• Develop the National Park Conservancy identity and destination brand
• Develop the strategic vision and investment proposition
• Identify conservation and community enterprise opportunities
• Build partnerships and secure an appropriate Memorandum of Understanding
• Develop fundraising and investment strategies
• Mobilise catalytic funding and strategic partners
• Prepare the project for detailed conservancy planning and development
Phase 1 creates the platform.
PHASE 2 : PLAN - DEVELOP - INVEST - MANAGE
Turning the vision into a functioning conservancy
Once Phase 1 has established the mandate, partnerships and funding platform, Phase 2 can move into detailed National Park Conservancy planning, development and management.
Our proposed eight-step framework includes:
01 — Natural Resource Audits Understanding the landscape, biodiversity, communities, natural resources and opportunities.
02 — Comprehensive Community Planning Working with communities to establish priorities, rights, aspirations and development opportunities.
03 — Land-Use Mapping & Zoning Creating a landscape plan that balances conservation, community needs, enterprise and ecological connectivity.
04 — Governance & Legal Structures Establishing appropriate community, conservation and investment structures to manage the conservancy.
05 — Destination Marketing & Investable Opportunities Creating a compelling destination proposition and developing appropriate tourism and other sustainable land-use opportunities.
06 — Community Enterprise & Social Impact Investment Connecting communities with markets, enterprise development, finance and impact investors.
07 — Rewilding & Landscape Restoration Restoring habitats, reconnecting wildlife corridors and increasing biodiversity across the wider landscape.
08 — Long-Term Conservancy Management Establishing the systems, partnerships, businesses and management structures required to create a financially sustainable conservancy.
Phase 2 turns the platform into a functioning conservation economy.