Various stakeholders, including local primary schools, gathered to celebrate Arbor Day at Klipriviersberg Nature Reserve on August 29.

Dr Cheryl Ogilvie, a third-year Tshwane University of Technology (TUT) lecturer, led students involved in fields such as nature conservation, horticulture and honorary ranging.

SANParks Joburg representative Erlo Duncan said the organisation operates across 31 regions, focusing on youth conservation education.

“We target high school learners and help them learn about conservation,” Duncan said.

“We engage in education and participation programmes, creating opportunities for learners to learn about nature and become aware of alien invasive plants.”

Ogilvie added that technology plays a crucial role in monitoring alien invasive plants, highlighting apps such as EarthRanger and iNaturalist that record and map data on invasive species.

Role of technology and outreach

Kirsten Neke and Johann Kruger from Leadership for Conservation in Africa, working on the ShareScreen Africa project, said the organisation collaborates with investors, communities and government to connect them with conservation initiatives.

Kruger explained that TUT is among the institutions where they conduct free ecotourism lecture series that cover the use of apps to monitor invasive plants. The JRS Biodiversity Foundation funds the ShareScreen Africa project.

Learners from Lawley, Lenasia and Naturena primary schools visited interactive stalls to learn about nature and the environment before taking a guided walk through the reserve with TUT volunteers.

Other participating stakeholders included the Klipriviersberg Nature Reserve Association, Rand Water’s Water Wise programme, interpretive walk volunteers, Reduce Recycle Reuse, SANParks honorary rangers and junior honorary rangers, JPCZ (which hosted a tree-planting ceremony), career exhibition participants, KaiNav Conservation Foundation and ShareScreen Africa.