Youth 4 Conservation is a Non-profit Organisation that is committed to creating meaningful conservation experiences for youth while ensuring tangible impacts on the ground.
We began with a vision to connect young people, as groups or individuals, to immersive conservation experiences in Africa. This provides an opportunity for personal enrichment while also providing direct support to important conservation projects. This is what we call a ‘win-win’!
OUR PRIORITIES
#YOUTHPOWER
Global youth are standing up and demanding to be heard.
Youth 4 Conservation provides this generation of critical thinkers with authentic conservation experiences that expose them to the real conflicts, challenges and opportunities that are happening on the ground. Whether you want to travel independently, in small groups, with your parents or with your school, then we are here to make it happen.
This generation has the power to boldly engage with our most critical environmental crises.
#MAKINGCHANGE
We believe in adventures with impact!
Our partners are organisations that take conservation seriously, whether it is conducting research, contributing to biodiversity, working with communities or building awareness around key conservation challenges. We choose partners who will ensure that the activities of our volunteers mean something on the ground.
All of the activities of our volunteers directly contribute to the conservation goals and objectives of our partners. We encourage youth to be active citizens, contributing to something bigger than themselves.
#CONNECTTONATURE
The research is conclusive – nature is good for you!
Youth 4 Conservation is committed to exposing youth to wild places and creatures that give them the chance to connect to the planet and to themselves. Ideally, our experiences are created to be immersive, multi-day adventures that give the opportunity to explore and discover.
We try to make our experiences as straight-forward as possible, assisting with all logistics from beginning to end. This means less work for you. While we ask our international volunteers to organise their own flights, we are here for everything else.
OUR VALUES
SOUTHERN AFRICAN YOUTH
We feel passionate about exposing young adults in Southern Africa to these adventures on their doorstep. While many schools provide amazing journeys all over the world, we feel strongly that our young people should be involved in the conservation challenges that impact them and their continent.
FINANCIALLY ACCESSIBLE
We have worked hard with our project partners to make our experiences as financially accessible as we can, including offering special rates to the Southern African community. For all our volunteers, we seek to create a balance between a cost-effective adventure and a meaningful contribution to conservation.
OUTREACH
We acknowledge that these experiences still cost money and it is a privilege to be able to afford the opportunity. Although it is only the beginning, we allocate the profits from our merchandise toward our Outreach programme. In addition, we welcome donations to help us support the participation of young people in nature-based experiences from under-resourced schools.
This is why we love what we do
Meet our team
MARIA HAUCK
Director/Founder
Maria is the founder of Youth 4 Conservation and is passionate about connecting young people with meaningful adventures in nature. Born in Canada, she fell in love with Africa and completed her PhD in ecological criminology.
She worked as an academic at the University of Cape Town for over 20 years before embarking on her journey with Y4C, inspired by her own daughter’s passion for conservation.
Maria is fuelled by the energy of the youth she works with and hopes to contribute to the positive impact of this new generation.
JORDAN CALDER
Director
Jordan is a conservation biologist and educator with a passion for exploring wild places and engaging young people in science, nature, and their potential to make an impact on Earth.
After completing her masters in conservation biology at UCT, Jordan worked with university students in Kruger National Park, followed by a foray into wildlife film making, before diving back into conservation research and environmental education.
As a qualified high school teacher Jordan has years of experience teaching biology, running school camps and creating life-changing conservation opportunities for young people.
LISA SCRIVEN
Director
Lisa Scriven has been working in responsible travel and tourism across the African continent for the past 20+ years.
She is best known for her expertise in sustainability standards and certification (including for volunteering!), technical business support, and her passion for ensuring market access opportunities for MSMEs.
Her expertise has seen her affiliated with leading tourism organisations including Green Destinations, Fair Trade Tourism, the Global Sustainable Tourism Council, and Traditional African Homestays South Africa.
AZZARA MAKAN
Facilitator
Azzara has completed her honours degree in Environmental and Geographical Science at UCT, specialising in ecology, politics and heritage studies.
She is passionate about socio-ecological heritage and education and is proud to be a part of the Y4C team!
CECILIA CERRILLA
Facilitator
Ceci is a Mexican-American conservation biologist based in Cape Town, dedicated to protecting and restoring South Africa’s threatened freshwater fishes—especially those of the unique fynbos region.
Passionate about research-based conservation, she spends much of her time exploring the underwater world of rivers. When she’s not snorkelling, you’ll find her hiking the trails of the Cape, with a special love for the Cederberg.
JOSHUA DWYER THIEM
Facilitator
Josh loves spending time in the ocean – surfing, fishing and diving. He is studying marine biology and quantitative biology at UCT, going into his third year. He also sews and makes balloon animals as a side hustle!
LAUREN VAN NOORT
Facilitator
Passionate about sharing outdoor experiences and inspiring a love for the natural world in others, Lauren has worked as a Marine Guide and PADI Divemaster around Southern Africa. Having studied Psychology, Sociology and a Post Graduate teaching degree, she enjoys combining her love for people, places and learning to share the wonders of the Cape with guests.
Coming from a family of natural scientists she has also spent a lot of time volunteering as a field assistant, working with African penguins, endangered fish of the Cederberg and various invertebrates in remote regions of South Africa.
LISA JORDAAN
Facilitator
Lisa is a passionate biology teacher with a deep love for conservation and outdoor education. She has always believed in the power of nature to inspire, teach, and connect people, and she is grateful to be part of the Y4C Team, which allows her to combine her passion for education and conservation in a meaningful way.
For Lisa, nothing is more rewarding than sparking curiosity in young minds and seeing them connect with nature. Her journey has been shaped by her passion for protecting our planet and sharing that joy with others.
MOHAMMED KAJEE
Facilitator
Mohammed is a PhD candidate at the University of Cape Town. His current research focusses on distribution patterns of freshwater fishes across the whole of South Africa.
Mohammed is particularly interested in social justice, climate change and finding ways to use science as a tool to create a more just and inclusive world.
NICOLA LAZENBY
Facilitator
Nicola is an expeditioner, an ecotherapist and a lover of all things wild. When she isn’t walking hundreds of kilometers across the American wilderness, you can find her snorkelling at Miller’s point learning how to track sea creatures, or bringing nature experiences into hospital settings to help people get well.
KATE VALASIS
Support Team
Kate has been a key part of Youth 4 Conservation for over six years, helping shape its visual identity with everything from branding to brochures. She’s the creative mind behind the Y4C logo and branding, making sure it’s a true reflection of the organization’s mission.
As the founder of Kallima Brand Media House, Kate is a graphic and web designer with a true passion for creativity, aesthetics, and social media marketing. She’s had the privilege of working on a variety of artistic projects and collaborating with hundreds of clients, all driven by her love for design and storytelling.
A dedicated advocate for wildlife and nature, Kate is proud to support Y4C’s vision and feels fulfilled using her skills to help amplify conservation efforts and inspire positive change.
GEORGA KEY
Support Team
Georga has a degree in Film and Television Studies from the University of Cape Town and considers herself very passionate about conservation and education!
She was lucky enough to go on one of Y4C’s first Botswana camps, and it is a memory she holds dear. She wishes everyone could experience that feeling, and is happy to be part of the Y4C team who makes that possible.