Treverton Wildlife Area
A passionate and heartfelt commitment to the environment gave birth to an insistence that this rare inheritance needed to be conserved, thereby presenting our exceptional educational tool.
The 270-hectare Treverton estate incorporates a large variety of ecosystems – wetland, grassland, rocky outcrops, springs, spring dams, catchment area and indigenous forest together with exotic forest and plants.
A passionate and heartfelt commitment to the environment gave birth to an insistence that this rare inheritance needed to be conserved, thereby presenting our exceptional educational tool.
So in 2000 a game fence was erected and the Treverton Wildlife Area (TWA) was established as the first natural, wildlife and game area in South Africa entirely managed by school pupils and staff under the guidance of experts in the field.
Over the years game species (blesbok, zebra and hartebeest) have been re-introduced to augment the already resident species (reedbuck, duiker, serval and other small mammals) and the TWA is now a beautiful tranquil, game-filled area adjacent to the College campus, with an emphasis on pupil participation and utilisation.
Volunteers get involved in all aspects of the management of the area – particularly in the translocation of the animals. Pupils receive project management training, are able to be physically involved, and most importantly realise that they can make a visible and long-term difference.
We are pleased to announce that Treverton has been awarded the Green Flag Decade Award for their environmental programme in 2019.
Some of the comments the judging team made were:
- It is remarkable that the environmental ethos at your school is all encompassing. Whole-school involvements is clearly one of your major strengths. We are sure you will agree that it is one of the big reasons for sustainability and continued success of Treverton Eco-School – you are a true inspiration to this school programme! It is incredible that you do not just have a small Eco-committee but rather an embedded and integrated whole-school approach. Outstanding!
- It is evident that experiential learning is big at Treverton, so naturally you easily link lessons within the curriculum to various Eco-School themes. We know many school would love to learn how you achieve such immersion of EE, ESD, Global Citizen Education and citizen science in your curriculum. Hats off!
- Learners have reported on fabulous Eco-School theme projects this year. The cross-curricular approach to teaching is evident in your lesson plans, which is refreshing to see.
- It is so nice to see a practical yet scientific hands-on learning approach.
- Amazing work!
Congratulations to the entire Treverton team on achieving this impressive report back.
Treverton has been with the ECO-Schools programme for over 15 years, receiving the International Green Flag Decade Award. Treverton conducts a variety of environmental and education for sustainable development projects, incorporated into their academic programme throughout the year, at all levels of the school. Previously, lengthy reports were submitted to ECO-Schools but due the depth and range of projects that Treverton conducts an ECO-School representative now elects to visit the school, view some of the projects and interview teachers. ECO-Schools concept is to show growth in their environmental involvement each year. We are proud to note that even though Treverton’s starting point at the onset of our involvement with ECO-Schools was high we have managed to build on each year to show improvement on previous years, thus receiving the Green Flag for each of the 15 years.
We have a proud working relationships with the following organisations
The following article is a good indication of “How Immersion in Nature Benefits Your Health.” They discuss how studies point in one direction. Nature is not only a pleasure to have, but it is essential for physical health and cognitive function. Below is a good explanation on why and motivation for the TWA and making good use thereof. Click here
