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We offer a variety of alternatives to children and the schools. Bush Awareness Days at Antares (suitable for 4-7 years old) Curriculum Based Environmental days at Antares Training Centre (suitable for 8-12 years old) Curriculum Based Environmental overnight at Antares Training Centre (suitable for 8-12 years old) General
operational procedures For the duration of the children's visit we operate to a high level of safety, ensuring that each child is aware of their surroundings and its potential danger. We will take a maximum number of 16 children and insist on 2 adults (usually one being the class teacher) on each trip. These numbers enable the children to be split into two groups, which will comply to the correct number for game drives. Before arrival to the environmental centre all parents of visiting children and accompanying adults must complete an indemnity form. This form must be brought with them. We would also request that we are informed of any medical and health conditions for both visiting adults and children on arrival. The suggested arrival time for day visitors is between 8 and 9am and departure at 3pm or earlier if requested. Lunch will be around 12.00-1.00pm. Suggested Equipment to bring/wear. Hat Additional equipment required for overnight stays Torch Bush Awareness Days at Antares These days are aimed at teaching very important safety knowledge and skills to children who are exposed to potential dangers of the bush. Being parents of 2 young children here in the Lowveld, my husband and I are only too aware of the potential dangers that exist in the bush to an unknowing inquisitive child. We have an advantage over many parents, as we are both qualified Field guides with plenty of bush knowledge and experience, which we are able to pass on to our children and teach them how to play safely in the bush. We would like to share this with other parents and their young children. Activities
offered :- HABITATS REPTILES INVERTEBRATES
/ MINIBEASTS ANIMAL
DEFENCES Latest News 19th June 2008 Kingfisher school in Phalaborwa recently sent 2 groups of children to attend a Bush Awareness day at the centre, the grades 000, 00 and R and then the grades 1&2. Both days turned out to be a great success with the children learning a lot of useful information from Mel and from reports we have had back many of them couldn't stop telling their parents about it for days afterwards.
Curriculum Based Environmental days at Antares Training Centre What we can offer: Teacher Run Days: Antares
center can offer you as a school and teacher the opportunity to bring
your students out of the classroom and into the bush for a day to further
their environmental or geographical studies being carried out in the
classroom. We can offer you the expertise of an SKS guide and a level
1 guide who can assist, where necessary, the teacher with their class
studies and drive the game viewer. These teacher-run days could be run
for any of the school grades. Curriculum Based Environmental Days: We can also offer you the opportunity to come and study Curriculum Based topics taught by our staff either as a day trip or overnight. Curriculum Based Environmental Days are linked to the National Curriculum outcomes based education and ensure that the topics studied are relevant and accessible to all pupils of all cultures. We intend to provide an exciting programme of activities that introduce children to the natural world around them in a fun and constructive manner, The Environmental days are aimed for teaching grades 3-5. Science
topics studied Classification Living
things and their environment Science,
Society and the environment All the above topics studied are linked to the learning outcomes 1,2 and 3 of the national curriculum. Topics include Bird
Id and Data Collection Topics related to learning outcomes Learning
outcome 1 Learning
outcome 2 Learning
outcome 3 Below are two sample day itineraries but these can change according to group sizes, ages and expectations
The following is a suggested itinerary for an overnight trip. Please contact us in advance to discuss your personal requirements.
Latest News 28th August 2008 Our first curriculum-based school group was again from Kingfisher School in Phalaborwa. The grade 7's spent 3 nights with us from 25-28th August 2009. All in all there were 18 students and 1 teacher. Unfortunately due to circumstances beyond our control the teacher changed on a daily basis but in the end everything worked out OK. The kids had such a great time they are now demanding to come back for their farewell function later in the year. The students were split into 3 groups of 6 and each group went on game drives or walks on a daily basis. There wasn't a single walk during the trip when we didn't walk into a herd of elephants. We saw on average 20-30 elephants every day come down to drink at the waterhole in front of the centre. We saw lots of other species too, including a white-tailed mongoose on one night drive (this was a first for me on this reserve). Other activities included various team building exercises where students had to solve a puzzle of 3 lions and 3 monkeys and then row the length of the pool making sure the monkeys were never in danger of being eaten by the lions. While this was going on another group was walking the plank! On this exercise every other person on the planks was facing the opposite direction and so left and right became an issue. The third group in the meantime was practicing communication skills and their trust in others by walking blindfolded around the bush. We also took them out one morning and made plaster of paris casts of various animal prints which they thoroughly enjoyed. The results were generally pretty good and each student was able to take their print home with them having identified the species concerned. They also enjoyed a trip around one of the buffalo breeding projects based on the reserve and some even got to shoot the dart gun. We tried to show them how to divine for water with varying degrees of success among the students. Some were naturally sceptical of this skill and others were just "gob-smacked". One of the big highlights was taking a cruise on the Olifants Barrage and doing some bird and animal watching. We got to see a number of hippos, elephants and buffalo as well as many different bird species. The final morning had them pond dipping and discovering the aquatic life found within the waterhole. A number of interesting species were found and the kids were truly engrossed in this exercise. I am sure many of them were really not expecting to find so much and it opened their eyes to a whole new world. Below are some photos from this successful school visit
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