‘Children learn best when exploring’ − and that is exactly what a group of learners did during a recent Iimbovane biodiversity camp.  The camp, which took place in Stellenbosch from 26 – 29 June 2023, was attended by 27 learners and three educators from various schools in the Western Cape.

Learning through exploration has a significant cognitive impact, as it promotes active engagement with various environmental issues. Therefore, the aim of the camp was  to encourage learning through exploration by encouraging learners to participate in various field investigations and scientifically focused activities.

The  camp programme included visits to the Stellenbosch University Botanical Garden and library,  and the Two Oceans Aquarium. At the Botanical Garden, learners were guided through the garden by curator, Dr Donovan Kirkwood, and garden staff. The tour and associated activities raised awareness of terrestrial biomes in South Africa, ex-situ conservation, and the succulent poaching crisis. At the end of the day, learners reflected on what they had learned during the tour, and the feedback was very positive.

As one learner reflected: “I learned today about fire and fynbos – I didn’t how important the fire was to the fynbos biome before the garden tour.”

The camp programme also included mini-research field projects to help the learners develop important practical science and life skills. During the plant study, the learners enjoyed a short hike in the foothills of Stellenbosch Mountain and then performed a vegetation survey on pristine fynbos and invaded areas to investigate the effects of invasive alien plants, such as pine and eucalyptus trees, on fynbos ecosystems. Later, they had the opportunity to analyze their data  and use  graphs to present their findings to the rest of the group.

On one of the days, the group  embarked on a journey to the Two Oceans Aquarium to learn about marine diversity  and the ecosystems where these animals live. After a quick introduction, the learners were asked to identify, count, and calculate the species diversity of four ‘marine ecosystems’ (tanks). None of the camp’s learners has ever dived or snorkeled before and were therefore truly fascinated by the underwater reality.

The final day of the camp was dedicated to the future botanical artists and herbarium illustrators in the group. After an overview of scientific drawing and its rules, the learners collected a ‘model’ of the leafy kind to draw. The group thoroughly enjoyed this activity and to test the accuracy of their drawing skills, they had to match the drawings of everyone else with the correct leaves.

Exploration-based education is vital as it equips the youth with the knowledge, skills, and values they need to become change agents in their communities, and eventually globally. By fostering a deeper understanding of and connection to the natural world, it inspires a collective effort towards a more sustainable and resilient future.

The Iimbovane project team were helped by Stellenbosch University students, Mokgatla Rapetsoa (PhD candidate), Zama Mnisi (Advanced Diploma in Sustainable Development) and Kristen Jacobs (BSc in Conservation Ecology).