Growing plants is one of the most rewarding and challenging hobbies around. What makes the plants we will grow even more meaningful is that they will contribute to building an ecological corridor between Table Mountain and Bonteheuwel.
At this training event we will show you how to grow three to five important pioneer species that we use to start a Fynbos patch after removing alien vegetation. When your plants are fully grown (3-5 months), you will return the adults and we will plants them out at one of our priority sites for the year, either along the Liesbeek River or in Athlone and Bonteheuwel.
Bring along:
1) recycled ice-cream containers, cooldrink bottles, milk bottles, and so forth to make plant pots
2) garden cutters or scissors you are will to cut plants with
3) gloves if you don't like soil on the hands
4) some lunch to share afterwards (optional)
About Training activities
During a training event, Communitree and friends help volunteers learn skills and acquire information they need to grow plants at home, to identify plants, know about the ecology, and to green in a responsible way. We hold different types of training events and workshops to try and cater to a wide audience.
Communitree organises home nursery workshops, in which we go over the process of setting up a home nursery, and we show how to plant seeds or cuttings and how to care for them. We hold these workshops ever first Saturday of the month. At the same time, we work with the team at the Habitat Restoration Unit at the City of Cape Town. This unit, located at Westlake Conservation Centre, has a wealth of knowledge on growing indigenous vegetation from seed or cutting, and we have different training opportunities here. Every Friday, our volunteers can join us for a "work and volunteer" session at the Westlake nursery, where we will help out at the nursery while learning about the plants and nursery management. Furthermore, special beginners training sessions are held every now and then in collaboration with the Habitat Restoration Unit, to teach about setting up a home nursery. Finally, Communitree collaborates with the Iingcungcu sunbird project and the Cape Bird Club to provide people with training on bird monitoring and identification. This is part of our monitoring programme.
