As 2025 winds down to a close, the Friends of Kloofendal (FroK) are gearing up for their last few weekend walks and events.

FroK hosts weekly nature walks focusing on birding, geology and wildflowers, tours of the iconic Confidence Reef Mine, and educational programmes on everything from scorpion sting first response to alien invasive plants.

Their final two events will be held late in November, with an informative alien invasive plant course, presented by renowned author and FroK member Karin Spottiswoode, hosted over three days from November 24–26.

The course runs daily from 07:00 to 11:00 and includes a presentation on plant taxonomy applied to Alien Invasive Plants (AIPs) occurring on the Witwatersrand.

The course deals extensively with why AIPs should be eradicated, the identification of AIPs, the most effective tools in getting rid of invasive species, the effective documenting of AIPs and the recording of work done using the GPS Essentials App.

Day one is concluded with a practical session in the field, while day two consists of revision, whereafter field work continues.

The course concludes on day three with the listing and analysis of data recorded over the previous two days, a tour by car to nearby sites, identifying AIP infestations along roads and in public open spaces and a discussion on control methodologies.

The course includes a copy of Spottiswoode’s book Invasive Alien and Problem Plants on the Witwatersrand & Magaliesberg – Field Guide.

For further details, contact Spottiswoode on 072 595 6991, or email her at Karin.spottiswoode@gmail.com.

The year’s activities will come to a close with the highly anticipated Frog evening, held on November 29 from 18:00 to 20:00.

Bookings can be made online at www.KloofendalFriends.org.za/events.