Wildlife and Environmental Society of Malawi

The Wildlife and Environmental Society of Malawi (WESM) is a non-profit, non-governmental membership organization dedicated to the conservation of wildlife and the natural environment in Malawi. It was founded in 1947 in Blantyre as the Nyasaland Fauna Preservation Society, making it the oldest surviving conservation organization in the country. In its early decades the Society focused on protecting wildlife, especially large mammals, and it was active in proposing and helping to establish several of Malawi's reserves and national parks, including Lengwe, Majete, Mwabvi and Nyika. It also successfully campaigned for tighter hunting controls. WESM is legally registered in Malawi and affiliated to the Council for Non-Governmental Organizations in Malawi (CONGOMA). It is a member of international conservation bodies such as IUCN, BirdLife International and EEASA, and serves as BirdLife International's national partner in Malawi. The Society operates through nine branches located in Balaka, Blantyre, Dwangwa, Lilongwe, Monkey Bay, Mzuzu, Mulanje, Nkhata Bay and Zomba. Each branch is a local membership organization whose members include individuals, companies, institutions and wildlife clubs, and branches are largely run and managed by volunteer members. The core work of each branch includes organizing and supporting school-based Wildlife Clubs, with the goal of enhancing environmental knowledge and involvement; there are currently some 1,500 Wildlife Clubs across Malawi. Branches also organize regular talks and social events, publish newsletters, wildlife books, park guides and extension materials, arrange special-interest events and weekend wildlife walks, and implement local conservation activities. In 1992 the Society established a Secretariat with professional staff to relieve volunteer members of their workload and to strengthen project planning and delivery. WESM depends mainly on the work of volunteers and welcomes committed students and new graduates for attachments and internships. It occasionally employs professionals on funded projects. With over 500 individual members and more than 1,500 Wildlife Clubs, its nine branches aim to make a visible and measurable difference to the well-informed conservation and sustainable management of wildlife and the natural environment in Malawi. Current activities include bird monitoring at Vwaza Marsh, community beach clean-ups around Lake Malawi, teacher training for Wildlife Clubs, ranger recognition events, and borehole restoration bringing safe water to communities in Nkhotakota.

The Wildlife and Environmental Society of Malawi was founded in 1947 in Blantyre as the Nyasaland Fauna Preservation Society. In the early days, the aim was to protect wildlife, especially the larger mammals. During the 1950s and 1960s, WESM was active in proposing and helping to establish Malawi's reserves and parks such as Lengwe, Majete, Mwabvi and Nyika. It also successfully campaigned for tighter hunting controls. In the 1970s and 1980s, the Society began establishing school-based Wildlife Clubs, starting from its Blantyre base and later expanding branches to Lilongwe, then Mzuzu and Zomba. In 1992, the Society established a Secretariat with professional staff to relieve volunteer members of their work overload and to strengthen project planning and implementation. From the 1990s onward, alongside the growth of branches and Wildlife Clubs, WESM has continuously implemented community-based natural resource management and related projects. In the 2020s, WESM has been involved in waterbird resource management at Chia Lagoon with support from BirdLife International and the Darwin Initiative, and in community-led advocacy around the protection of Mount Mulanje. The Society remains a non-profit, non-governmental organization legally registered in Malawi, affiliated to the Council for Non-Governmental Organizations in Malawi, and a member of international conservation organizations such as IUCN, BirdLife International and EEASA. It operates nine branches in Balaka, Blantyre, Dwangwa, Lilongwe, Monkey Bay, Mzuzu, Mulanje, Nkhata Bay and Zomba, with over 500 individual members and more than 1,500 Wildlife Clubs across the country.

• 2025

  Chia Lagoon and floodplain designated a Key Biodiversity Area (KBA) under BirdLife International criteria.

• 2025

  Mount Mulanje inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site; WESM led community advocacy against bauxite mining plans.

• 2023

  Began community-based waterbird resource management at Chia Lagoon with BirdLife International, MUST and Microloan Foundation under the Darwin Initiative.

• 1992

  Established a Secretariat with professional staff to relieve volunteer members and strengthen project implementation.

• 1970

  Began establishing school-based Wildlife Clubs, starting from Blantyre and later expanding to Lilongwe, Mzuzu and Zomba.

• 1950

  Active in proposing and helping to establish reserves and parks such as Lengwe, Majete, Mwabvi and Nyika; campaigned for tighter hunting controls.

• 1947

  Founded in Blantyre as the Nyasaland Fauna Preservation Society.

Malawi's oldest and largest grassroots conservation membership organization, combining volunteer branch networks with a professional secretariat.

1. 1Homepage - WESMwesm.mw
2. 2About - WESMwesm.mw
3. 3About - WESMwesm.mw
4. 4Opportunities - WESMwesm.mw
5. 5Wildlife and Environmental Society of Malawiwikidata.org
6. 6マラウイ野生生物環境協会ja.wikipedia.org