Flying High with Future Rangers
The ultimate goal of the Future Rangers Program is to connect passionate youth to various career pathways in conservation.
This year, we have a select group of 15 top Grade 12 learners, all who will be completing high school in December, with ambitions for employment in the conservation and tourism sector. One of these students is Clarity Mathonsi from Mahlale High School.
Since he was young, Clarity has dreamed of becoming a pilot, but unfortunately never had the opportunity to fly and experience aviation first hand. However, everything changed last week…
With support from the Thompson Family, we arranged for Clarity and two of his classmates to meet the Chief Pilot at the Southern African Wildlife College, Bruce McDonald; conservation legend and career aviator. After a brief overview of the aircraft and its conservation application, Bruce surprised the students by taking them for flips over the greater Kruger. The excitement was palpable as the students taxied down the sandy runway, and took off into the open skies. On return, Clarity exclaimed “I feel good, fantastic, amazing! Thank you to everyone for helping me make my dream come true. It means a lot!”
With Clarity fully convinced this is his path, we’re actively working together to explore various pathways to pursue his licence, blazing a trail for the first pilot from Welverdiend to take flight. A massive thank you to the Southern African Wildlife College, Bruce McDonald, and the Thompson Family for supporting this life changing experience.
First-Time Safari Magic
“If children do not grow up knowing about nature and appreciating it, they will not understand it. And if they don’t understand it, they won’t value it. And if they don’t value it, they won’t protect it.” – David Attenborough
Taking that first step towards knowing about nature is how much of our time this month was spent. We took a total of 93 primary school students on their first ever safari experience. Over a total of 6 day trips to Manyeleti Game Reserve and 1 visit to the Kruger National Park, countless memories were made, increasing the sense of connection to nature for our younger Future Rangers.
Sprout Scouts in Action
“We dig! We grow! In the sun: We learn and glow!”
This catchy tune opens each Sprout Scouts session – and the students are loving it. The program is thriving in several of our schools, where learners are getting hands-on with spinach, beetroot, and onions. It’s more than gardening; it’s learning through doing.
The vegetables harvested contribute to the schools’ feeding schemes, ensuring that each learner receives a wholesome meal at school, while learning valuable life lessons and skills.
Growing Leaders: Staff Development
We were thrilled to welcome Renee Lighton for an educator development workshop, hosted in collaboration with the Timbavati Foundation. Participants included our own teaching teams, along with educators from EcoChildren and Rhino Revolution. With a focus on leadership in environmental education, the session was a catalyst for connection, change and inspiration.
The following day, we celebrated the opening of the new Koru Camp facilities – now more welcoming than ever. Seven of our GCC Future Rangers were invited to attend, partaking in the many exciting activities for the day. From tree planting to traditional African dancing, the opening ceremony was one to remember. We wish Koru Camp all the best on this new venture and will undoubtedly keep returning with our Future Rangers.
FGASA Success
Huge congratulations to our team – each staff member who took the FGASA Apprentice Field Guide written exam has passed! Next up: practical assessments, so we will be ramping up time in the field with help from our amazing partners. Meanwhile, new team members are eager to begin their FGASA journey too. Let’s do this!
Sharing Our Story Through GCC Experiences
Welcoming visitors is one of the most meaningful ways we get to share the work we’ve committed our lives to. Whether it’s university students studying ecology, or families on safari eager to connect more deeply with the land – they all become part of the GCC story. Spending time immersing oneself in the Future Rangers Program ultimately helps sustain and grow our cause.
June was especially full, with back-to-back guest visits. The much anticipated quarterly visit from our long-standing partners at the Katie Adamson Conservation Fund kicked off the month. KACF arrived with a group of enthusiastic and kind-hearted guests whose presence at Mahlekisana Primary School brought warmth, energy, and a shared sense of purpose to our work on the ground.
Jim Hart and Anne London with Arts for Animals, joined us all the way from New Orleans to conduct an in-depth training session with our staff. Our education team was exposed to the powerful impact of art in the classroom, with Anne teaching us all how to draw, and then how to facilitate the development of new knowledge through the creative process.
We then welcomed the Thompson family from Denver, who joined us for a powerful week with our Wildlife Guardians Experience. In addition to the various GCC activities, we visited pivotal partners at the Southern African Wildlife College and Timbavati Nature Reserve, exposing the family to the various short and long-term conservation solutions these pioneering organizations are developing and deploying.
And to wrap up June, we welcomed Ryan Sojnocki & Elsa Grude from British Columbia, Canada. They spent 2 nights camping with our Sokisi High School learners at Koru Camp, visited our partner schools, and generously funded a team building experience for the GCC staff and 9 of our grade 12 Future Rangers at the famous Blyde River Canyon.
Our international community of friends and partners form the lifeblood of the GCC family. Nothing beats real human interaction, discussing the future of the natural world, and spending quality time with the next generation of conservation leaders.
