Youth from Mitchell’s Plain and surrounding areas attending the Youth Nature Life Skills Programme and Nature Patrol Training Project at Wolfgat Nature Reserve are not only helping the City of Cape Town with its eco-tourism needs but also patrolling the False Bay Coastline.
The NPC Cape Flats Tourism and Environmental Development Association (Cape Flats Teda) was established in 2008.
“At the nature reserve, we protect and conserve our natural heritage through education, empowering our community through creating business opportunities and skills development programmes. We have three programmes, namely, nature patrol and safety, eco-tourism and environmental education,” says Selwyn Kondowe, director of Cape Flats Teda.
With the patrol and safety programme day-to-day patrols are held where rangers monitor, record and report what they see. The rangers work with safety and security agencies in the City of Cape Town, which includes nature conservation, the marine unit, the police and law enforcement officers.
Recruitment for this programme is done around Wolfgat, Macassar Dunes Conservation Area, Vesuvius Way Conservation Area in Mitchell’s Plain and Zandwolf Nature Reserve, the coastal section linking to Wolfgat Nature Reserve on the False Bay coast.
With this programme, they work in partnership with local ward councillors.
During the programme, the recruits will receive a variety of job skills, which will help them make better career choices.
“The eco-tourism programme focusses mainly on how to increase tourist interest and visitors to the reserves, where the local youth will guide them, increases social capability and creates employment opportunities,” Kondowe says.
The environmental education programme takes the community and learners on day and night hikes.
Nature skills school camps is a programme to teach life skills to those who need assistance with communication, behavioural, anger, goal setting and substance abuse challenges.
“Our next interview process and recruitment takes place on Monday 3 April and delegates must be between 18 and 35 years old. You do not need a matric certificate to be a recruit but must have a passion for nature.
“Recruits will have to pass a fitness assessment and theory test where they are taught a basic introduction to biodiversity, know the history of the Cape Flats Nature Reserve, identify the flora and fauna, incident report writing, survival skills and nature patrolling and operations planning,” he says.
Recruits also have to pass an advanced training camp over four days and four nights where they have to survive with only eight meals over four days and only sleep for 16 hours during day time.
They also have to do theory right through the night, do an obstacle course for 24 hours in water and land, patrol and run with heavy equipment as well as deep sea canoeing. The training is on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays in Strandfontein.
If you think you are the right person to complete the programme you can make an appointment at head office in Tafelsig by phoning 071 566 6094 or email Selwyn.Kondowe@capefltsteda.org.za or Selwyn.capeflatsteda@gmail.com
