About Birding and a beautiful Memory Board

An interesting visit to Amohela ho Spitskop Country Retreat & Conservancy by the Edwards and Hughes family, with their children Lexi and Callum and Jared and James and grandmother visiting from Canada, a dedicated bird enthusiast. The group booked into two of our self catering cottages, but chose the option of Dinner Bed & Breakfast and had all their meals in the warm cosy dining room with combustion wood fire roaring. Indeed an inspiring group as the parents through their love of nature and the environment have passed this love on to their children. Allen, our dedicated birder and environmental enthusiast, took the group out on a couple of "expeditions"  and found the children deeply interested in all aspects of the environment, including, birds, spiders, trees, shrubs, insects and the feeding/watering bee project on the Conservation Estate. Despite the dry conditions and chilly winter weather, their  birding checklist over the three days is really impressive.

Evenings were spent in the lounge with a big crackling combustion wood fire, discussing the day and parents engaged the children in quiz questions on the days sightings and findings. A moment of levity as parents quizzed the children on the vegetables chosen from the three course dinner served: " of course I have vegetables, I have lots of roast potatoes" and the room erupted into laughter.

Our love of working with groups of all ages but especially children, and this involved group of children made for a special weekend.

On the morning of their departure from Amohela ho Spitskop Country Retreat & Conservancy Allen offered the children each a feather from our "gifted" supply of feathers and each child had to identify the feather chosen.The three boys with a feather each and the only special young lady in the group with two long slender porcupine quills. We have many porcupine resident on the Conservancy, this stunning animal embodies the spirit of family and trust and female energy.

Imagine our delight when some days later we received an email with the most amazing Memory Board, using the feathers, quills and memories of the weekend spent at Amohela.

Thank you Lexi, Callum, Jared and James, this is a very precious and stunning Memory Board,and we will treasure the photos of a special bunch of kids ( and parents)  

NOTE: We have since had the most amazing fantastic rain, hugely surprising for the winter months in our high cold climate, and there is water in most of the dams across the Eastern Free State, in most cases the first in four years.