Getting up close to nature

"The ants are gathering food at a dead plant"
This is one of many observations made by a Levana Primary group during our Nature Champion events at Princess Vlei this month, sponsored by the table Mountain Fund.
    In June this year, 130 learners from five schools descended on the Vlei to plant 475 indigenous plants at Princess Vlei (read more here). In August and September, these learners will be returning from to the vlei to check on their garden. 
   The children are each given a section to examine, and asked to make notes on the progress of the plants, and also to observe what other wildlife can be found on and around the plants. They have found praying mantises, lizards, lady birds, bees, butterflies, spiders, ants and many other insects.
   Some of the plants are doing well, but sadly many were stolen within a few days of being planted. We believe they were stolen to be sold - if any readers have been offered plants for sale under suspicious circumstances please let us know.
   We will add photographs to this album as the other schools come to do their observations.
  In addition to the fynbos planted at the Vlei, the project made R1000 availalbe to one of the participating schools, Lotus High, to plant and indigenous garden at the school. In the photograph below, Shafiek Isaacs from Lotus High shows where some of these were planted. Children bring grey water from their homes to water the plants.

* Read more about the Nature Champion Fynbos Garden here.