ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the growth of nature conservation in southern Africa and the lessons it holds for preserving the human environment at home and abroad. It also outlines the origins of this conservation, its growth and its achievements. It attempts to understand what has shaped the perceptions that have driven nature conservation and the way it has been applied in the region since the early 19th century, because knowing where we are and how we got there is a logical first step towards developing a strategy for the future.
