The Wild Crew – Seeds

The weekend of the 14th and 15th was very busy for the School Programme team, with a Wild Crew outing on the Eastern side and another one on the Western side on the Sunday. The theme was seeds – those tiny little things that seem so insignificant but feed the world!

Saturday’s event was well attended with the arrival of our usual group and, to our delight, some new faces. The weather was perfect – not too hot, making our Nature walk very pleasant. There was such a variety of plants on the way offering up seeds for our important mission of sample gathering that we ended up stopping constantly. Before we knew it, it was time to get back to The Sheds with our treasures. Three ‘stations’ offered three different activities, creating a poster demonstrating seed dispersal, dissecting and studying seeds under a microscope and, to take home, planting a seed and making a seed bomb. The children got a chance at each station and each activity seemed to be enjoyed equally, although making mud with sand, water and flour for the seed bomb was definitely a favourite.

On the Western side of the Reserve it was our first ever Wild Crew outing. Despite the group being small, the children were excited, enthusiastic and keen to learn! Our Nature walk took place in lovely cool weather and exploration was as much a part of the walk as collecting the seeds was. On our return the enjoyment of sticking, cutting, drawing, dissecting and studying and of course making a ‘dough’ for the seed bomb was carried out with great enthusiasm. We even had a young and very adventurous cat join in the fun. We know the children came away with new experiences and knowledge. We’re not so sure about the cat.

All in all it was an absolutely awesome weekend for all the children and the educators. A special thanks to our volunteer Erin (many hands make light work) and to our generous hosts on both sides, making these outings possible.

If you see the value in teaching the next generation about the importance of our natural world and empowering them through knowledge, please consider becoming part of our Sponsor a Child Programme.

Email Dalene at: events@crocodileriverreserve.co.za