Discover Eden

29/11/2024

Early this morning our team (Cape Nature, Conserve Eden and Eco Explorer SA) headed out to Lookout Beach for the annual Kelp Gull chick ringing.

Ringing gull chicks has been happening in Plett for several decades and has enabled us to learn so much about these sassy birds. Note, specialised training is needed to do this type of field work, and we spend as little time in the colony as possible.

After a bad breeding season last year (including kids running amok and breaking eggs) the gulls have bounced back - we ringed 120 chicks this morning and there were many more, plus plenty of nests still with eggs!

23/11/2024

A great morning training more bird ringers!

29/10/2024

A massive well done to these incredible young lads from Horris Hill School in the UK who completed our Youth Conservation Program in South Africa last week - and a big thanks to these incredible young three amazing teachers for accompanying them! We loved hosting you and sharing our passion for conservation with you all.

26/10/2024

We loved our hike with the scouts today!

26/10/2024

A great outing guiding birders for us this last week!

20/10/2024

The Horris Hill School group finished off a wonderful few days in Plett with another two great outings today. They kicked off with a walk on Lookout Beach learning bout coastal conservation and biodiversity and then spent the afternoon paddling up the Keurbooms River!

19/10/2024

An epic day exploring Nature’s Valley for the Horris Hill School group. Hiking to Salt River, exploring rock pools and seeing a stunning octopus and the learning about Fynbos and pollination ecology - what a great day!

18/10/2024

This afternoon the adventurous group from Horris Hill School hiked Robberg, enjoying great sightings of marine life in our bay, including whales, dolphins, seals and seabirds, and the magnificent biodiversity and views of Robberg.

18/10/2024

A fantastic outing this morning for the team from Horris Hill School to Lawnwood Snake Sanctuary to learn about reptiles, their care and their conservation!

18/10/2024

The Horris Hill School team finished off a busy first day yesterday with a bird ringing session with our Conserve Eden team - learning about how biologists catch, mark and release birds to study them.

17/10/2024

Next up for the crew from Horris Hill School to Raptor Rescue Plett to learn about the important conservation work they do for our local birds of prey!

17/10/2024

A massive welcome to these awesome students and teachers who arrived from Horris Hill School in the UK yesterday! They kicked off their conservation tour with a great trip with Offshore Adventures to the Robberg seal colony this morning!

29/09/2024

Wow, what a cool day we had sharing our passion for birds yesterday as part of the Bitou Birding Festival!

20/09/2024

We are grateful to Unity Environmental University Distance Education for our partnership with them, and to their students who sign up for our courses.

The value of hands-on learning isn't lost on Tami, a Unity-Distance Education student currently studying Marine Biology and Sustainable Aquaculture. Her desire to "get her hands dirty" drove her to apply for an internship with Unity partner Discover Eden.

Tami took full advantage of the outreach from the Unity Career Services team. "(Unity) sends students postings for new jobs, internships, and study abroad courses, which is how I found this amazing opportunity!" Upon acceptance, she packed her bags and left New York for a once-in-a-lifetime experience in South Africa.

Her time in South Africa was filled with learning moments only available through the Discover Eden program. Tami spent time rehabilitating penguins and turtles, snorkeling with seals, and gaining field experience in intertidal shore sampling using quadrats, along with several other unique opportunities. "This experience has truly enhanced my deep passion for conservation and research in the field," says Tami.

The skills she learned will not only guide Tami through her remaining terms at Unity as she pursues her degree, but they have already paid off. Thanks in part to the knowledge she gained during her internship with Discover Eden, Tami has received an internship offer from her local aquarium.

Reflecting on a summer filled with memories that will last a lifetime, Tami feels her time in South Africa has changed the way she views the world, and she encourages others to follow in her footsteps. "This experience has truly enhanced my deep passion for conservation and research in the field. I cannot recommend this opportunity (or one of Discover Eden’s many other courses) enough."

18/09/2024

Our dates for our 2025 experiential courses are out!!! Please check out and share as widely as possible! Bookings are flooding in so make sure you book early. Visit https://discovereden.co.za/ for more info!

11/09/2024

A great day out for our team!

04/09/2024

This awesome book our Conservation Director Mark Brown has been privileged to have been a part of is hitting the shelves in November. As a once-off, he can take pre-orders for collection here in Plettenberg Bay. Mark will sign copies, and a portion of each sale will be donated to Conserve Eden for local projects in Plett. Please DM me to order one.