- – park forms part of the urban regeneration project aiming to transform Maun’s tourism image
The long wait for the much-anticipated opening of the Maun Educational Park, which has remained closed for over 10 years finally came to an end last Saturday, much to the excitement of the public.
The Chief Executive Officer of the Fauna Conservation Trust of Ngamiland, Tiego Mpho has announced that the park has been opened partially while the grand event is set for September this year.
In an interview, Mpho said the official opening will happen as a side event of the Botswana Sustainability Week slatted for Maun on the same month along with unveiling of a solar plant that has been donated to the trust by MMG Khoemacau.
Visitors can expect to enjoy a wide range of outdoor activities including picnics, nature walks and runs, electric cycling, and mokoro rides within the sanctuary. Further, they will also experience the true magic of nature, where they can spot baboons, monkeys, warthogs, impalas, zebras, giraffes, and various bird species.
Mpho appreciated the generous support provided by Chobe Holdings, Chobe Impact, Natural Selection Foundation, MMG Khoemacau and Conservation of Natural Ecosystems Trust (CONNECT) to bring the park to a state where it can start receiving people.
The restoration of the Maun Educational Park is part of a broader Maun Urban Regeneration Project that aims to transform the tourism image of the village.
The project that will transform the riverbank into accessible and sustainable public spaces also encompasses the development of the Thamalakane Riverfront.
Mpho updated that the project is progressing well as they are almost done with the development of its master plan.
He reiterated the plan to take advantage of Botswana Sustainability Week to present the master plan and solicit funding from donors. “From there we hope we will have enough to commence the implementation of the project which we anticipate to have it completed in no more than three years,” said Mpho.
Previously, Mpho explained that the project comes much bigger than the park, stretching from the caves by the old Maun General Hospital and goes all the way to the popular entertainment spot known as Matlapana beach. He revealed that they will construct a boardwalk along the river, connecting the two areas offering scenic strolls and providing unique vantage points for people to experience the riverfront.
Mpho revealed plans to adopt the one-way old bridge by Maun Lodge as a monument that will become a spot for various chilled activities. In addition, the trust also wants to develop as a monument, the old boat station near Thamalakane Primary School that used to serve as a market place and arrival for people coming from the Okavango Delta.
The boardwalk will also encompass stops at other popular entertainment spots like Big Tree and Matlapana old bridge. “We are hoping to work with the Matlapana Development Trust so that we are able to develop the beach area as one coherent project along the river front,” revealed Mpho.
The trust further plans to transform landsides along the Maun International Airport to be attractive to tourists. The other idea according to Mpho, is to construct an amphitheatre at Nhabe Museum offering different types of public performances to tourists and the general public.
