Sometimes visitors are Melville Koppies’ best marketers.

“As you get older, time flies,” one visitor said. “We need to find ways to slow it down. And breaking your routine, seeing and experiencing new things and meeting new people are just some things you can do. All these things happen easily on the Koppies.”

“I feel like I’m not in the city. I feel safe and free of pollution,” said another visitor.

“It’s one of the best causes to support in Joburg,” said someone else.

The money you pay supports the families of three conservation workers who work full-time to maintain the paths (and make new ones), keep the Koppies clear of invasive alien plants and weeds, and burn the grassland areas from time to time to prevent them from becoming a forest and so maintain the grasslands’ biodiversity.

The Koppies is open every Sunday from 08:00 to 11:30.

The cost is R100pp, R50 for under 18s and under five’s get in free.

You can enjoy self-guided hikes of between 500m and 5km and book a personalised guided tour (079 532 0083).

Monthly events: Second Sunday of each month is storytelling and the last Sunday of the month is a guided hike (maximum three hours/8kms).

Security and safe parking are provided opposite the entrance to Melville Koppies, at Marks Park Sports Club, in Judith Road, Emmarentia.

All income used for conservation of the Koppies.

For more details contact: wendavid@mweb.co.za, 079 532 0083 or www.mk.org.za #melvillekoppies.