2021 WESSA Annual Review

THE HILTON COLLEGE ISIVIVANE – WESSA E-STEAM IN ACTION In 2018, WESSA uMngeni Valley and Hilton College conceptualised the Isivivane Journey (Throw a stone onto the monument). Annually, the Grade 10 boys’ hike approximately 200 km and ‘journey’ from the Hilton College campus, through uMngeni Valley, into the Karkloof and Albert Falls areas. The boys collect a stone from Mount Gilboa, the highest summit in the Karkloof Range (1765 metres above sea level) and carry it ‘home’ to ‘throw it onto their monument.’ While the boys are hiking, cycling, zip-lining, canoeing, and camping, they are also fully immersed in nature where the WESSA guides educate the groups on the importance of water resource management, invasive alien protection, indigenous forest protection and biodiversity protection across at least 8 different habitats. The WESSA e-STEAM Programme is also fully integrated into the hike, where each group conducts a series of field surveys and a full catchment study of the upper uMngeni River, from Howick Falls to Albert Falls Dam, including the Karkloof, Yarrow, Molweni and uMshwati Streams, while also considering the importance of environmental education and protection.

Hilton College Isivivane

These pictures tell the story of the fantastic experience these boys had. We had another programme between 17th and 31st August 2021 (15 days).

20 Annual Review 2020-2021