2006/2007 students graduation with Sean Privett; Susan Lochner; Michael Lutzeyer & George Gibbs (ABSA Foundation)

Michael Lutzeyer congratulating Beauty & Viola

Kenneth; Viola and Kosi at The Eden Project

Outing with Pam and Andy in Cornwall

Sean, Matthew, Kosi, Kenneth & Viola walking in Hyde Park

A sad farewell to Neil MacDonald

Viola and Tanya Goldman

Green Futures team with truck load of plants at Soccer Project in Gansbaai

OCTOBER 2007

Graduation 2007

Our 2007 graduation took place on 31 July at Grootbos. All 11 students were awarded their National Certificate in Horticulture. They also received certificates in First Aid; Computer Training and Fair Trade and Tourism Award. The 2007 students were a fantastic group who showed lots of self motivation and really did their best in every aspect of the course.

All the students successfully found employment on completion of their course. Viola Siyotywa has been funded by the Raimondo Trust for a year as a trainee facilitator within the Green Futures program. This is a great achievement and it is hoped that Viola will be able to take up a position as a facilitator at one of the new colleges in the Green Futures roll out. Kenneth Malgas, Siphiwe and Siyakhula Volibi have been employed as part of the Green Team that will be run by Green Futures and be responsible for landscaping and maintenance in the Grootbos Gardens as well as off site landscaping projects. Eric Mbalekwa was employed as a trainee salesman at Super Plants in Hermanus. Nqumla Vuyani has been employed by Volkmar Schmidt at City Gardens Landscaping. Mziwenkosi Maboko has been employed as a Landscape assistant at Witkrans farm near Gansbaai. Beauty, Chumani and Alan have been employed as trainee guides at Grootbos Nature Reserve. Thobile Mhlanti has been employed as an assistant Nursery Manager at the Green Futures Nursery. We are extremely proud of them and wish them all the best for the future.

Experiential Training

Kenneth, Viola and Kosi together with the Privett Family spent three weeks in May in Cornwall at the Eden Project. The students were overwhelmed by the experience having never previously traveled abroad. Our hosts at the Eden Project were once again fantastic and the students were really made to feel at home and part of the Eden Team. We would like to make special mention of Tim Smit, Tony Kendle, Sarah Baker, Pam Horton, Andy Jasper, Peter Stewart & family who organized various activities and really made the students stay exceptional.

Our remaining students were once again hosted by SANBI at Kirstenbosch gardens and Harold Porter Gardens were they too had a fantastic three weeks. Thanks to all the staff and in particular Cherise Viljoen (Kirstenboshc) and Berenice Carolus (Harold Porter) for making our students feel so welcome.

What really makes this experiential training so worthwhile is that it broadens the student's horizons and shows them a whole new world of plants and their value to society. Without exception, the students return from their three weeks with a far clearer idea of want they want to do on completion of their course.

Farewell to Neil MacDonald

Neil MacDonald joined the Green Futures team as our Horticultural lecturer in 2006. Neil has done a fantastic job and has been much liked by the students. Neil has the opportunity to return to his roots in the Northern Cape where he will be taking up a position managing and training a team in mining restoration. We wish him every success in his new venture and hope that his time at Green Futures has aided his career development.

Green Futures on the Cape Flats

Gareth Rossitor has completed a 6 month feasibility study funded by the Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund which explored the viability for an expansion of Green futures to two sites on the Cape Flats (Harmony Flats and Edith Stephens Wetland Park). Thanks to Gareth and Tanya Goldman for all their hard work in developing this proposal which has attracted a lot of interest from various partners including SANBI, Working for Water, Working for Wetlands, Botanical Society and The City of Cape Town. We are in the process of developing a proposal for the funding of this initiative and hope to open a new Green Futures College as early as 2008 at Edith Stephens. Watch this space…

Spaces for Sport

The brain child of Michael Lutzeyer, the Spaces for Sports Project in Gansbaai is now a reality. 5 soccer fields, a clubhouse, the first FIFA standard artificial turf soccer pitch in South Africa is under construction. Thanks to support from Grootbos guests and International tour operators, the Green Futures students are busy planting 1000 indigenous trees and shrubs at the fields in Gansbaai. Not only will this facility be one of the most impressive community sports programs anywhere in the country but give it a few years and it will also be the most beautiful indigenous landscaped soccer facility.

http://www.greenfutures.co.za
Tel: 028 384 8044
Fax: 028 384 8100

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