On February 7, around 130 primary school children enjoyed a trip to the Colbyn Wetland Nature Reserve to learn more about the wonders of wetlands.

This was the 11th annual event celebrating World Wetlands Day, hosted by the Wildlife and Environment Society of South Africa (WESSA), affiliated Friends of Colbyn Valley and the Agricultural Research Council (ARC).

They were assisted this year by the Southern African Young Geomorphologists (SAYG) and BirdLife Northern Gauteng (BLNG).

Participants were taken on a muddy walk into the Colbyn Wetland, and built a simple model to show how healthy wetlands capture and store water.

In the miniSASS (mini stream assessment scoring system) session, they used a ‘citizen science’ tool to classify the water quality of a stream based on the kinds of invertebrates (very small animals) they found there.

Wetlands are particularly important as habitats for birds, and the programme kicked off with an opportunity for a close-up view of some of the Colbyn Wetland’s feathered fauna.

The bird ringers from BLNG set mist nets in the reserve before dawn, allowing visitors to see how the birds are caught, measured, ringed and released, and explaining how the practice of bird ringing contributes to avian science and conservation.

Several environmental professionals and students volunteered as leaders and facilitators at the event, which was aimed at children aged 8–13, drawn from various schools and youth groups across the city.

“The programme was designed to create awareness about the value of wetlands, how they function in the landscape, and how to restore and protect them. Participants were taken on a wetland discovery walk, built a simple model to show how wetlands work, and became ‘citizen scientists’ by performing miniSASS to classify the water quality of a stream based on the kinds of invertebrates they find living there,” said Friends of Colbyn Valley spokesperson, Tamsyn Sherwil

World Wetlands Day marks the anniversary of the adoption of the Convention on Wetlands (also known as the Ramsar Convention) on February 2, 1971.

The day unites people across the globe in recognising the critical importance of our planet’s wetlands, inspiring their protection.

The theme for World Wetlands Day 2026 was ‘Wetlands and Traditional Knowledge: Celebrating Cultural Heritage.’

This highlighted the deep-rooted connections between wetlands and cultural practices based on traditional knowledge, sustaining wetland ecosystems and preserving cultural identity.

The Colbyn Valley Wetland, situated in the heart of Pretoria, is a hotspot for urban biodiversity and offers residents a unique educational and recreational resource.

In particular, the Colbyn Valley Wetland includes areas of peat, a relatively rare occurrence in South African wetlands.

The wetland is conserved within the Colbyn Wetland Nature Reserve, proclaimed in June 2014 and managed by the Tshwane metro.

The reserve is open daily from 06:00 to 18:00.

*THIS STORY HAS BEEN AMENDED*

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