DAY 1 We arrived at Potokwane on Friday afternoon and settled down at 19:00 to meet our lecturer for the weekend, Dave Nel from Turtle Life Support, who is also an Honorary Officer in his spare time. Dave is extremely passionate about first aid and loves sharing his knowledge and experiences with people. Dave startedRead more ⟶
Geology Weekend. Borakalalo. Friday 9th to Sunday 11th June 2023
With the Geology weekend the Bushveld Mosaic 2023 nature course reaches its halfway mark! We can’t believe the year and course have progressed so far so quickly. After again braving the potholed and challenging road from Brits, all arrived safely at Borakalalo on Friday afternoon. At sunset it was chilly but not too cold. LittleRead more ⟶
Mammals weekend. Pilanesberg, 19-21 May 2023
Winter has arrived! This weekend saw us all clad in warm clothing, jackets, scarves, and beanies. All that is, except Luke, with his shorts, vellies and bush shirt. Temperatures at Potokwane camp dived overnight to some 3°C, and we saw frost on our early Sunday morning bush walk. On Friday evening we wrote our VeldRead more ⟶
Veld Management weekend– Borakalalo: 14-16 April 2023
Report and photographs by John, Ingrid, Debbie, Luke DAY 1 It was our second visit to the Borakalalo Nature Reserve, and as rocky slopes members we were the first to arrive and happy to have the pothole road behind us! It was time to relax until the tree test that evening. Driving down to FishRead more ⟶
Wetlands, Catchments and Rivers 31 March – 2 April 2023
Water…. The life force for all living organisms! This short but powerful opening statement was the start of a fascinating weekend. This very insightful weekend spent in the beautiful Kgaswane Nature Reserve, had us experiencing a freshly squeezed, great tasting sample of this incredible resource, almost from the point of origin. It was a welcomeRead more ⟶
Trees weekend– Borakalalo: 17-19 March 2023
Report and photographs by Sarel van Wyk and the Wetlands Team This was a first visit to Borakalalo National Park for some of our team, and the less said about potholes on the tarred road to Bora the better. However, on arrival at the National Park, and Fish Eagle Camp, we were quick to realiseRead more ⟶
Grasses Weekend 17 – 19th February 2023 Kgaswane
We were supposed to go to Borakalalo for the module on grasses, but due the heavy rain and the chance of flooding at our usual campsite, our weekend was moved to Kgaswane. We arrived on Friday afternoon to a beautiful destination. Kgaswane nature reserve is truly a hidden gem. The rain had subsided, and weRead more ⟶
Taxonomy and Ecology 27 – 29 January 2023
If a mosaic is defined as a pattern produced by arranging small pieces of stone, then I believe I have been placed in the most vibrant of all mosaics! We are different people from different walks of life, all arranged together for a year to gain a deeper understanding of the complex and exciting mosaicRead more ⟶
Arthropods Practical: Kgaswane (11-13 Nov 2022)
Report by Tracey Andrews, photographs by André Harmse As I live in Rustenburg, I was really looking forward to our last Bushveld Mosaic weekend at Kgaswane, where I could show off all the hidden gems of this beautiful mountain reserve. Our last Bushveld Mosaic “Wetland” weekend at Kgaswane was challenging due to the heavy rainRead more ⟶
Birds Practical: Pilanesberg (14-16 October 2022)
Weekend report by Maeva Louis Dewas The birding weekend usually takes place at Borakalalo, but for the second time, the excessive water at Fish Eagle Camp forced us to change our plans and instead meet at the Pilanesberg National Park. Arriving at the Manyane campsite, we were surprised to find out that we were onlyRead more ⟶