CRR Updates
Events
Run / Walk the Rhenoster
First and foremost: A huge thank you to our wonderful volunteers, including our talented cameramen, childminders, organizers and behind the scenes people. You are the face of the CRR at these events and were complimented numerous times on your friendliness and willingness to assist. The relaxed, cheerful atmosphere and sense of community was largely thanks to you. We would also like to thank those Landowners who so kindly opened up their property for this event and the Oori for allowing it to take place in their beautiful Game Reserve.
This year’s Run / Walk the Rhenoster fundraising event was the best one yet with the highest number of entries to date despite the early start and the cold! This was our fourth year ‘running’ this event and we upped our game with a new route, some new points of interest, new route markers and entertainment for the children whilst the parents did the run / walk.
At ‘base camp’ Sulize, the CRR environmental educator and volunteer teacher Nadine kept the children busy with games and face painting while Lizette from Die Doringbos Padstal provided tea, coffee, hot chocolate and delicious breakfast rolls, amongst other things.
The route change included a view of the Rhenosterspruit dam, and also some old favourites like a view of Koppie Alleen, Rhenosterkop, the wetlands and the Black Reef.
The 12km route enjoyed the most bookings and many of the participants commented on how much they enjoyed the views and the fact that the route was well marked.
Elizabeth had this to say; “Loved the new route. Scenery is spectacular. Will definitely do it again next year and will invite family and friends.”
Dean wrote: “Loved the scenery on the 12km as well as some challenging climbs leading to the finish. Will definitely be back next year.”
And Antea told us: “Well organised event, from booking up to leaving the event after the walk. The breakfast and coffee after the event was a winner! Thank you for a special event! Looking forward to next year.”
We hope we will enjoy just as much success with our next annual fundraising event, the Ride the Rhenoster, which will be taking place on Sunday the 26th of October on the Eastern side of the CRR.
For a selection of images, scroll down the bottom of this page.
School Programme
Change can be a good thing. Our ‘new and improved’ School Programme has certainly benefited from the decision to focus on doing one CRR School Programme event each month instead of one every three months along with separate outings for home schooled children. The numbers are more constant and the “Wild Crew”, as they have been branded, (and in some cases the Parents too) have really been enjoying the topics Sulize and Suretha put in their year plan. Soil, wetlands, insects and seeds are only some of the subjects addressed at our outings. As you can see from the video The River outing was one of their favourites:
Sustainable living was the focus of our School Holiday Programme. Click below to see just how much the children enjoyed the outing on reuse, repurpose and recycle as they made all sorts of exciting things from recyclable materials:
This year was our 4th year taking part in Yebo Gogga, the four-day science expo at WITS. Our display, From the Root to the Tip, showed the hundreds of children who came through the doors at WITS how plants exchanged resources and information.
The growth of our School Programme was apparent when schools started approaching us, asking to visit the CRR and requesting specific topics for the outing, rather than us contacting them to invite them here. We were also invited to address children at their school where we adapted our outings to take place in the school grounds. The School Programme team also volunteered at our local school, Laezonia Primary where we took out over two hundred children into the veld to teach about nature and what it means in our lives.
Sponsor a child programme
We currently have only five people who sponsor children on a monthly basis. Their contributions have ensured that at least 8 children from the Laezonia Informal Settlement attend every month. We would very much like to see this sponsorship grow. At only R90 per month you can make sure a child who would normally only learn about the environment and its importance in a classroom, will experience the wonders of nature first hand. Please consider helping us reach as many of the next generation as possible so that we can pass on knowledge and impress on young minds the vital role the Environment plays in the survival of all living things.
