Friends of Kloofendal School programme
Introduction
We are becoming increasingly isolated from the natural world in the modern urban environment of Johannesburg. The Friends of Kloofendal (FroK) offer a programme for schools to help the children reconnect. This programme is aligned with the CAPS curriculum as summarised in the WESSA and WWF Eco-Schools Handbook (2013).
Our guides take groups of up to 20 children on walks into the Kloofendal Nature Reserve, focussing on the prescribed CAPS topics. In addition, we challenge the youngsters to gain an understanding of how the plants and animals and other forms of life survive and thrive in the harsh veld around Johannesburg. The Kloofendal Reserve is an ideal place for such outings:
• Natural environment
• Diversity of habitats
• Good facilities
• Safe
• In the western suburbs of Johannesburg
Our guides are qualified by FGASA, the Field Guide Association of South Africa. Although the FGASA web site seems to describes the role of Nature Guides as providing "the visitor to Southern Africa with a pleasant and memorable experience", we believe that a FGASA qualification provides the right mix and level of knowledge to translate a walk into the Kloofendal Nature Reserve into an appropriate learning experience as required for the school curriculum.