Spotlight section: Youth Environmental camps

The Greater Simonsberg Conservancy was chosen as the preferred service provider to host Junior Landcare Camps as well as the Cape Winelands ‘Youth in the Environment’ programme.  Since the Conservancy is a Public Benefit Organisation it is one of our goals to uplift the community and provide Environmental Education. These Camps will provide the ideal opportunity to attain these goals.

Each Camp will run for a period of three days, where 60-80 kids from grade 6 or 7 will attend. The camps will be hosted at Simonsberg CCC and all accommodation and food will be provided to the kids free of charge.

At camp the kids will have a fun learning experience, where we will discuss topics like Water conservation, Fire, Fynbos, aliens and biodiversity; Energy conservation; The sustainable use of natural resources (reduce-reuse-recycle, electricity saving tips etc..); Agricultural food security.
The Conservancy will also be working together with Department of Health to secure vegetable gardens at the schools attending the camps. This will provide an opportunity for the kids to put their knowledge gained at camp, to the test.

Between June and December 2010, the Conservancy will be hosting 9 camps, where we will have the chance to reach approximately 640 kids and teach them about our amazing environment as well as giving them an experience of a lifetime. 

Events:
Full moon hikes 2010:
23 September, 23 October
21 November, 21 December
For more information contact
the trail centre on 021 884 4752 or visit
www.dirtopia.co.za

Newsletters:
- January 2010.pdf
- November 2009.pdf
- June 2009.pdf


kids

   Projects:
 
 

Fire Management Plan
 The Conservancy has appointed a contractor to compile a Fire Management Plan for the 19 farms in the Conservancy. Once this Fire management plan is in place, the conservancy will operate according to the plan. We intend to have this plan ready soon. The Conservancy is also part of the Stellenbosch Fire Protection Association (SFPA) that is busy being registered. The SFPA will form the umbrella body for all fire issues in Stellenbosch.

  
 
Alien Clearing – Most members of the GSC are very actively involved in alien clearing initiatives on their farms. The GSC tries to help members as far as possible to get funding and herbicides, since alien clearing is a very expensive exercise. The conservancy has received herbicide from the Department of Water Affairs to assist our members. The conservancy was also granted funding from Landcare, to further assist members in covering labor cost of alien clearing. The conservation officer together with an environmental specialist identified priority farms within the Conservancy with light alien vegetation infestation, where assistance will be provided
 

 

 

 Skills Development – The GSC tries to develop the skill and knowledge of the people working on the farms within the Conservancy as well as people outside of the Conservancy. Training courses that have been held thus far were: Chainsaw course, Snake management course, Alien Plant Identification course and Fire Training courses.    

Environmental Education – The GSC believes in the principal of the kids being the next generation and we thus invite children and schools in the area to attend day outings in the conservancy. The conservancy has applied for funding from Landcare for Junior Landcare camps. These camps are over a three day period, and will cover various aspects of conservation.
 
 

Rehabilitation
The Conservancy has a greenhouse on DelVera property. This greenhouse is used to propogate plants for rehabilitation purposes. We are hoping to put this greenhouse to full use, with the proposed Green Futures College that we are in the process of setting up in the Conservancy

  

Owl Boxes - Wildlife Education Conservation helped the Conservancy in 2009 to put owl boxes up on some Conservancy farms. We implemented the boxes, to see if the owl boxes will help provide safe breeding space for the owls.
 
The Greater Simonsberg Conservancy      T: 079 276 36 38      F: 086 6613746      E-mail: conservancy@delvera.co.za