Zandvlei Trust

Vrygrond library Nature Circles - July 2010 by Sharon McCallum. Nature-based activities for children, youth and families in the Greater Zandvlei area.
Presented by Alice Ashwell & Erin Versfeld with help from Sharon McCallum and the Vrygrond Library staff.

photograph by Alice Ashwell                                                photograph by Alice Ashwell

Rael Mentoor holding the Bird of Paradise             Kerwin Zwake (red cap) and Avumeele Nomdake (hood)
Flower talking stick in the introductory circle         observing birds at the Zandvlei Wetland.
and telling us what his favourite animal is.

The excitement of the World Cup notwithstanding, a number of youngsters from the Vrygrond Community Library were treated to a very special type of environmental education during the school holidays - funded by Zandvlei Trust.

Many said, when asked what makes them happy, that they are happy in nature with this group and happy at the Library. This is very telling.

photograph by Alice Ashwell 

This young group of children from the Vrygrond Library holiday programme
visited Zandvlei Nature Reserve.

Two different aged groups, the first aged between 8 and 10 and the second between 10 and 14 years were collected twice from the Library at approximately 09h45 and returned safely, happy, excited, educated and thoroughly in love with nature, at between 12h30 and 1pm.

It was my special privilege and joy to watch the awe and excitement in the eyes of these fresh young kids as Alice introduced them to the wonders of nature and to witness their growing knowledge and confidence to speak about matters deep to them.

photograph by Alice Ashwell                                                       photograph by Alice Ashwell 

Marlin (with the talking stick) telling Neville, Ryall     Stephanie, Chenille and Kevin at the Nature Reserve.
and Sharon why he loves nature.

Alice has an engaging non-threatening way with the youngsters, who easily relate to her fascination with all things in nature.
She taught them a song about nature circles - which we sung at each lesson - whilst holding hands with each other and with a tree - something like this:
We are in a nature circle, me and you and sky above Earth and plants and air about us, we are all connected.

That is her message - the interconnectedness of the web of life - how each one of us is linked to the earth and the sky and the stones and the water and birds and the animals. She reminded us that we relate to the world around us with our senses and, in addition to the 5 senses that we all know, we have a sixth sense - a feeling sense - or emotional sense - which is internal. Alice suggested that it is important that we recognize and respond to these feelings.

photograph by Alice Ashwell                                                                           photograph by Alice Ashwell 

Marlin, Neville and Shannon making their warrior headdresses.    Brave young warrior Ryall.

Each lesson had a special theme - one had its focus on flowers. The learners learnt the special differences of the variety of flowers in bloom in winter in the Western Cape and were able to identify many from pictures. Each flower was touched and smelt and listened to and felt (and tasted when appropriate) to get acquainted with its unique nature. Birds were the centre of another lesson - how the different parts of a bird - their beaks or feet or legs - suggest where they might spend their time and why. Carrying binoculars, we circled the Reserve searching for birds to identify as waders or fishers or eagles.

On the second visit of the older group, Alice read a story introducing them to the special message of Chief Seattle’s speech (brother eagle, sister sky) and the Native American tradition of viewing all things in nature as brothers and sisters. A small group of 3 or 4 learners was asked to walk quietly (accompanied by an adult) while concentrating deeply on what they saw and heard and what message they received from nature - a vitally different method of introducing nature to urban children. They were asked to think about what each of them could do to enhance the web of life or just do something for nature. This elicited some surprising responses - one that stayed with me was from Neville - who is a 19 year old youth with a disturbed past which he has turned around with the help of the ladies at the Library - and who came to all the lessons as an extra “adult”. He said that his task was to remind all the youth in Vrygrond to believe that whatever they want to do, they can achieve. This was the first time he had visited the Reserve and he found it inspiring as well as educational and fun.

The Warriors of the Rainbow! While walking in Zandvlei Nature Reserve, each of the children from Vrygrond decided on one thing they would do to help the circle of life.
To celebrate their commitment, each made a rainbow warrior headdress.

photograph by Alice Ashwell                                                     photograph by Alice Ashwell 

Warrior maidens Sherlyn, Fiona, Chenille and         The Warriors of the Rainbow above.
Stephanie.

At each lesson, the learners received apples at the start of the lesson, and at the end freshly squeezed orange juice and crunchies - often the highlight of the morning for hungry kids.