Lutendo Mugwedi is the Chair of the Vhembe Biosphere Reserve in South Africa and an Environmental Sustainability professor at Venda University. His work is rooted in integrating community voice and diverse perspectives to address complex socio-ecological challenges.

In this conversation, we explore human-wildlife interactions, sustainability, and the critical role of traditional knowledge in shaping more resilient futures. Lutendo shares insights from his own journey, reflecting on what a life deeply connected to the natural world has taught him as a transdisciplinary practitioner supporting the Vhembe Biosphere Reserve.

A huge thank you to TRANSECTS, the Transdisciplinary Education Collaboration for Transformations in Sustainability, for collaborating on this episode and helping bring it to life. Hosted by the University of Saskatchewan and supported by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada, TRANSECTS is rethinking how sustainability education is approached around the world.