Pride Programme

Appreciation for Fynbos is deepened

South Africa’s Western Cape province is a botanical treasure chest, home to the smallest yet richest plant kingdom in the world. So biodiverse is the Cape Floral Kingdom in fact, that it sustains well over 9000 plant species, 70% of which are found nowhere else on the planet.

At the Table Mountain Fund we believe that by immersing oneself in fynbos and gaining a better understanding of the uniqueness of this diverse floral kingdom, one’s appreciation and love for fynbos will grow and one will proudly take up the responsibility of conserving it.

This programme aims to ensure that:

More people will have meaningful immersive experiences in fynbos and the surrounding marine environment
More people value the indigenous and endemic fynbos species
More quality fynbos spaces will be established, especially within an urban context
The number of tourists visiting fynbos areas will grow
Youth are educated on the wonders of fynbos
Knowledge gaps with regards to fynbos conservation are identified and researched.

The Table Mountain Fund aims to contribute R4.5 million towards the Pride Programme, ensuring that individual’s appreciation and love for fynbos will grow and they will become proud custodians of the Cape Floral Kingdom.

Pride Projects:

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Credit: Brave Rock Girl

Daring Disas Part 2: Youth in Conservation

Brave Rock Girl

1 August 2024 – 30 September 2027

This project aims to provide youth from the Cape Flats (predominantly girls) with meaningful immersive experiences in the Cape Floristic Region and to encourage them to value, respect and develop an appreciation for fynbos. Through monthly workshops, attending of camps and conservation events, adventure, conservation and educational holiday programmes and conservation career days, this project will assist youth in gaining the skills and confidence required to become decision makers and to speak up to protect the environment and themselves while urging their families and communities to join them.

Credit: The Character Company

The Character Company Legacy project

The Character Company

1 August 2024 – 30 September 2025

TCC is a long-term MENtorship programme for young boys growing up with absent fathers or no positive male role models in their lives. Through focused weekly sessions, adventures and camps, a positive male role model (screened and vetted by TCC) walks a mentorship journey with a group of no more than five boys. Boys are enrolled in the programme between the ages of 5 and 12 years old and there is no “exit age”. TCCs five values (Honesty, Courage, Kindness, Respect & Self-Discipline) are supported by an activities-based 12 month curriculum. With respect as one of their core values, the boys are MENtored to understand their responsibility as custodians of nature through various initiatives and outdoor experiences. TCC has recently started a programme in the Western Cape and through this project, will be providing outdoor experiences to groups of boys in Somerset West, Wellington, Delft and Milnerton.

Credit: Pierre van der Spuy

Conservation Leadership Programme

Nature Connect

1 October 2024 – 30 November 2027

The Conservation Leadership Programme is a cornerstone of Nature Connect’s environmental education strategy and combines conservation education with life skills and leadership training to inspire a new generation of conservation leaders. This programme recognises that deep environmental transformation requires a multi-faceted and holistic approach with repeated interventions proving more effective in fostering change. Therefore, this programme works with youth for a period of seven years, from the ages of about 11 to 18. Since 2013, there have been seven cohorts, each comprising 15 to 24 youth. This project will support another three years of this programme.

Credit: GVB Conservancy

Rivers of tomorrow: Youth led state of the river reporting

Grootvadersbosch Conservancy Trust

1 October 2024 – 30 November 2027

The project aims to enrich rural youth’s understanding and appreciation of freshwater systems in the Greater Cape Floristic Region. This will be accomplished by creating five “state of the river” reports using data from local miniSASS and SASS5 activities conducted near areas where youth live and play. The project will support a national citizen science initiative for river health reporting and encourage local organizations to produce similar reports for their own catchments. This initiative will raise awareness among youth, foster local conservation efforts, and help hold decision-makers accountable for implementing improvements in river health.