On 1 February we kicked off our school bird club program for 2020 with a day exploring Table Mountain with the Pride of Table Mountain education group. 49 learners from Floreat Primary school took part in the hike. This was a larger group than usual: half of the kids were from Bird Club and the other half from the Enviro Group at Floreat. Four adults also joined.
Pride of Table Mountain is run by the Wilderness Foundation and focuses on giving learners a chance to hike on Table Mountain. The hike is structured to include various talks on ecology, water management and invasive species. We had the perfect day for exploring! Clear and sunny with a slight breeze.
After a quick introduction and snacks at the SANBI stone cottages next to Kirstenbosch Gardens we split into two large groups, one was dropped at Gate 1 of the gardens, and the other at Gate 2. Here we had about an hour to chat about some fynbos ecology before hitting the trails to hike up a portion of Skeleton Gorge.
None of the learners had hiked before and most found it a challenge but enjoyed reaching the contour path and the ravines! Most were also very impressed with the views over Cape Town! After a picnic at one of the ravines we hiked along the contour path towards Cecilia Forest. Here we had a brief chat about invasive plant species before returning to the garden.
The learners were treated to lunch afterwards and given about half an hour to play around the education centre. The boys in particular really enjoyed being able to run about. Everyone felt very proud of themselves at having managed the hike!
Birding highlights included the Spotted Eagle Owl next to the Boomslang, the Cape Spurfowls, Sombre Greenbuls and Helmeted Guineafowls.
Sanjo Rose
