By S WARD | Admin Co-Ordinator of Youth in Conservation
Since the last report in July this year, the Jonny Lowe Memorial Trust has convened a further three four-day pupil excursions and an environmental awareness excursion for teachers has been planned for October.
During the course of the year, there have been numerous letters of thanks from members of staff and heads of schools. Creston College, for example, published the following:
IFA LETHU TRIP TO WEENEN GAME RESERVE INSPIRES CONSERVATION AWARENESS (as reported in the Whole School Newsletter Date: 8 August 2025 | Issue no.: T3W03).
“A group of Grade11 learners, accompanied by Miss Vosloo and Mr. Berning, recently participated in the Ifa Lethu excursion to the Weenen Game Reserve.This educational opportunity was made possible through the generous sponsorship of theJonny Lowe Memorial Trust.
The trip offered learners a unique chance to engage directly with conservation efforts and develop a deeper understanding of wildlife preservation. Learners explored the practical challenges and triumphs of protecting South Africa’s natural heritage.
Special thanks go to Mrs Dee Dickens and Dr Peter Ardington for sharing their expertise with the group.The insightful contributions brought real-world context to the learners’ understanding of conservation and environmental responsibility.
We are also grateful to Mr.Frik Lemmer, Warden in Charge at Weenen Game Reserve, for his warm hospitality and detailed guidance throughout the visit. His knowledge and passion added immense depth to the experience.
Thanks to the continued support of the Ifa Lethu programme, the Jonny Lowe Memorial Trust, and the contributions of these dedicated professionals, our learners returned inspired ,informed, and more deeply connected to the importance of conserving our naturalworld.”
The reports from the pupils about their experiences on the trips are very positive. One of the pupils on the May 2025 excursion stated that,
“…we have to think about the consequences of our actions”
which certainly resonates with the environmental objectives of Jonny Lowe Memorial Trust.
The students are also asked to rate the different aspects of the excursions and make suggestions so that the talks and activities are kept currently in tune with this age group. One pupil suggested that a discussion about the stars would be interesting: this is possibly because they are in tented accommodation and are more aware of the beautiful skies without their cell phones, music and TV! “Light Pollution” is beginning to have a negative impact on some species, both nocturnal and diurnal, and would therefore be an interesting study.
The last trip in September hosted pupils from three different schools, and the programme allowed a good balance of presentations, topic conversations, practical activities (problem solving, walks, etc.) and exploration time. There were obviously some highlights, one of which is described by the convenor, Mak M.
“A highlight for the trip was doing a ‘track and signs’ walk through the Nyandu river after I got the group to sit on a rocky outcrop eroded away by the water to act as a bit of silent time after two busy days. As I was about to start rounding the group up, a white rhino cow and her calf walked down to the river about 80m from us around the corner; they were completely unaware of our presence from the initial sighting right until our extraction 20 minutes later. It was an incredible experience for the group, a first dangerous game encounter on foot for the whole group, and the first ever rhino sighting for one pupil. It is always a humbling experience to be ‘defenceless’ when facing a wild animal, especially a fully grown white rhino.”.
Mak K. also asked the pupils five questions to be answered on WhatsApp on the drive home:
1. Highlight of the Weekend?
2. What would change for future trips?
3. One or two topics you'd like to be covered in future.
4. What other practical activities would you like covered?
5. ±200 Word Report of the trip.
Perhaps the following reaction best describes the impact of the trips on the students:
Hendrik ‘Drikus’ K. – Wembley College
“1. Honestly hard to pick as there were many great times, but however I think standout was the animal spoor tracking with sir (Mak).
2. Nothing.
3. Just as there was an in depth look into bats I would have also liked having a presentation about birds however this is a personal preference.
4. Nothing all we covered was brilliant and well done.
5. The camp was a daunting thought sitting on the bus on the way, thoughts of how boring and uninteresting the 4 days was going to be raced through my mind. From the moment Dr Peter gave us that first presentations something in me shifted. A boy who couldn’t care less about the environment and what is ecofriendly has suddenly been exposed to the beauty and passion for conservation especially for the soil. I never knew how interesting conservation could be as well as the implementation of the theory behind it. I was quite pleasantly surprised to find there is a spot for hunting which I love to do and always thought was bad to do. Now I understand that it’s a part of conservation when done in the right manner. Never again will I just look outside with boredom but now I will be able to search for the endless connections between plants, animals and soil. The hidden world that this trip has shown me and gave me the responsibility to look after. We all are so lucky to have been met with the people that are so enthusiastic and carry so much love and passion for their surroundings and our future as the people living amongst the usually overseen natural world.”
The success of the JLMT project, Environment in Education, would not be possible without the enthusiasm and expertise of the convenors who share their knowledge and willingly give up their time to be a part of these excursions. In addition, the staff at Weenen Nature Reserve and the Nyandu camp are also enthusiastic supporters of the Ifa Lethu programme and philosophy.
This year marks the 50th anniversary of the creation of the Weenen Nature Reserve, and the rehabilitation of the area has been a slow but successful exercise. It was an inspiring event organised by Frik Lemmer, the Officer in Charge of Weenen Nature Reserve and acting District Manager of Uthukela. He described how the Reserve has developed and how they now have good breeding herds of white and black rhino. Frik L. is a passionate conservationist and has been instrumental in developing the Ifa Lethu programme with the Jonny Lowe Memorial Trust convenors. He is always available to take the pupils on game drives, and to give demonstrations and talks about the wildlife and vegetation in the area.
A video of his reference to the JLMT environmental education at Weenen is included as a link below.
2025 has been another very successful year for the Ifa Lethu project.
Links:
By S WARD | Administrator of Youth in Conservation
By Shirley Ward | Administrator of Youth in Conservation
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