Spotted eagle owl chick

CURATORS REVIEW

All in all 2009 has been a tremendous year at the GRBG. I have truly seen lots of growth in just about all sectors of the organization, and I am anticipating that we will see even more happening in 2009. I would personally like to thank all who have been involved with the GRBG in 2009, together we have worked and the word on the street is that the gardens have never been in a better shape... for this we only have ourselves to thank... keep up the truly fantastic work. We are always in need of volunteers and we would gladly welcome any people who would like to join our cause. We are in real need of people who enjoy indigenous gardening, plant propagation or people who could help with special event days such as the Fynbos fees and other plant sales.

ARBOUR WEEK

This year we celebrated arbour week with a bang. We collaborated with NMMU Saasveld, WESSA and DWAF to bring various schools to the GRBG. Saasveld Students set up various informative displays in our hall, discussing topics from ecology through to the various threats and uses of trees. Third year conservation students took scholar's through the displays. Sydney then took the scholars through the herbarium explaining its vital function in taxonomy and modern science, after which B- Tech Students took groups of children through a tree planting demo, each learner was then given an opportunity to plant a tree. Lucky draw prizes were then handed to the learners. We focused on bringing learners from the poorer communities who would not usually be able to reach the GRBG; the schools that attended were Mzoxolo Primary, Kretzenhoop Primary, Parkdene primary and Deneoord Primary. We sincerely enjoyed the collaboration and will certainly be doing something similar next year. A special thank you must go to WESSA for sponsoring the transport and DWAF for sponsoring the indigenous trees.

Mzoxolo Primary attending Arbour Week at the GRBG

GGSA MOZAIC PROJECT

Greater Good South Africa (GGSA) is a volunteering organization that tries to help NGO's across South Africa by making donations etc... This year GGSA initiated a do it day in which over 20 000 Volunteers from the corporate sector volunteered their services to various NGO's across South Africa, doing small projects that are needed in these organizations. We submitted three projects and the one they chose was to create a Mosaic on one of the Benches on the Medicinal Mound. The team from Kulula Air were kind enough to donate of their time and effort and created a delightful and colourful mosaic on the bench. Thanks must go to all involved, if you are in the area feel free to take a walk up to the Medicine Mound and Take a seat on our mosaic, touch wood its been three months and hasn't been vandalised yet.