Majka Burhardt, a climber sponsored by Osprey Packs, is traveling to Gorongosa National Park, Mozambique this month to lead the 2015 Lost Mountain Next Gen Symposium, which seeks to promote the “disruptive” conservation techniques and strategies.
The 12-day symposium is the brainchild of Burhardt and fellow professional climber Kate Rutherford. The goal is to bring together an international group of university students, scientists, conservation leaders and professional adventurers to launch a conversation on “disruptive” conservation, a new model for building community-driven conservation in some of the world's most remote and biologically diverse places in the world.
“Osprey supports community-driven environmental education, outreach and dialogue both here and abroad,” said Rob BonDurant, Director of Marketing, Osprey Packs. “Who better than Majka and Kate, two world-class climbers and environmental stewards to inspire and empower our future generation of conservation leaders.”
During the symposium, African and American students will be introduced to conservation planning and management principles, leadership development models, Leave No Trace techniques, and examinations of contemporary challenges facing conservation and development. The symposium offers a chance for participants to explore a multidisciplinary approach to conservation, science, and natural resource stewardship in conjunction with learning hands-on skills for working in these environments and forging key connections with current and future leaders.
“The 2015 Lost Mountain Next Gen Symposium is about bringing future leaders into the discussion now,” Burhardt explains. “In doing so, we are taking a multidisciplinary approach to one of the most fundamental challenges facing our world today: can there be powerful collaboration between communities and ecosystems that allow them to both thrive?”
Twenty of the Next Gen Students hail from some of the best graduate and undergraduate programs in conservation sciences across Southern Africa. As the core of the group, they represent the bright future that lays ahead for conservation in their own countries.
“At this point in the process, it’s imperative to bring future leaders into the discussion around conservation and allow them to be part of the action,” says Burhardt. “And what's even more important? That we do it right now.”
Osprey Packs
Independent since 1974 and still anchored by the design genius of company founder and owner, Mike Pfotenhauer, Osprey Packs is a leader in technical packs for outdoor, cycling, travel and urban adventures.
