Discovery Trails
Our home range has been the Makuleke Contract Park in the Pafuri region of the Greater Kruger National Park. But we do forays into other wildlife zones in South and Southern Africa as well. We have facilitated geology excursions, youngsters’ trails (primary and high school), parents-and-children trails, adult trails, Kalahari San community link-ups in Botswana, palaeontological outings and other sorties of environmental interest.
Our set piece is a youngsters’ trail we run in Makuleke each mid-year, hosted by either EcoTraining or RETURNAfrica. Budding conservationists – or perhaps just life-enthused, adventurous primary school kids – are selected by and from a number of leading schools. Sometimes we include individuals not through schools but on the strength of recommendations coming our way from wherever. Anyone is free to nominate a promising person.
The group of around a dozen participate in a week-long trail in the arrowhead of wonderscapes that converge at Crooks Corner, meeting place of the Limpopo and Luvuvhu Rivers, and of three country borders.
Learn more: First Contact: Wilderness Greenshoots
“Out there in nature by myself, when you’re alone, you can become part of nature and your humanity doesn’t get in the way. It’s almost like an out-of-body experience when suddenly you hear different sounds, and you smell different smells, and you’re actually part of this amazing tapestry of life.” – Jane Goodall
“How can you buy or sell the sky, the warmth of the land? The idea is strange to us. If we do not own the freshness of the air and sparkle of the water, how can you buy them ? … Every part of this earth is sacred to my people. Every shining pine needle, every sandy shore, every mist in the dark woods, every clearing, and every humming insect is holy in the memory and experience of my people. The sap which courses through the trees carries the memories of the red man. So, when the Great Chief in Washington sends word that he wishes to buy our land, he asks much of us ... This we know: All things are connected. Whatever befalls the earth befalls the sons of the earth. Man did not weave the web of life; he is merely a strand in it. Whatever he does to the web, he does to himself ...
You must teach your children that the ground beneath their feet is the ashes of our grandfathers. So that they will respect the land, tell your children that the earth is rich with the lives of our kin. Teach your children that we have taught our children that the earth is our mother. Whatever befalls the earth befalls the sons of the earth. If men spit upon the ground, they spit upon themselves.
This we know: the earth does not belong to man; man belongs to the earth. All things are connected. … We do not understand when the buffalo are all slaughtered, the wild horses are tame, the secret corners of the forest heavy with scent of many men and the view of the ripe hills blotted by talking wires.
Where is the thicket? Gone. Where is the eagle? Gone. The end of living and the beginning of survival.” – Chief Seattle, 1854
Accounts
What Our Participants Say
"I will never look at sand in the same way again. I now see it as a book.
Every now and then on a hike we would sit down for five to ten minutes and just listen to the bush without moving or speaking. Doing this taught me what a precious gift nature is and how we as the people of the future should do everything in our power to preserve it.
I think that by coming here we learned so much about nature and the wild, and everyone has learned more about the wilderness as a whole. I think this has inspired us to conserve this amazing place so that future generations can see and learn about this beautiful and magical place and see what we have seen on this trip.
I think that this experience has showed us what our future could be like and paved the way to the future of this amazing place. I, for one, think that I would be proud to say that my legacy has created a better tomorrow for everyone and every living thing.
On our last evening we went on a short twenty-minute hike up a mountain where at the top you had a complete breathtaking view of the valley around us. At the top there was a cliff that went straight down to the river below. We were then told to find a place to sit and we were given blindfolds and we were told to just listen. It was beautiful. We could hear the Guineafowl and Wood Hoopoes all around along with all the other sounds of the bush. I loved it." – 13-year-old D, July 2016
"Thank you for such a life changing experience in the Kruger. This was such an unforgettable trip for me that has taught me so much about the wilderness. My favourite parts were walking down Lanner Gorge – the view was incredible – and walking through the Luvuvhu River.
I’ve learned a lot on this trip – particularly a whole lot about birding – that it isn’t just about seeing a bird and ticking it off a list – you need to look at its size, its body, its environment, its wingspan to really know it – all things I’m seeing differently since I’ve been back.
I loved the friends I made and the guides I met. Meeting all the other kids was one of the best parts for me. I feel in this day and age that you often need to be ‘cool’ to fit in but on this trip I felt like I could just be myself and I think people liked me and my sense of humour. When I got back I felt quite sad not seeing them anymore – it felt a bit like I’d found a new family there. There were so many funny moments that I still laugh when I think of them. If I could have one thing to experience again in my life, it would be this trip.
Lastly, I loved the stars we saw and learning about the universe, the constellations and facts like Alpha Centauri is the closest star to earth and realising how small we actually are. The picture taken by Voyager One of Earth was insane. I find it so fascinating and think I might want to study Astro Physics.
I will never forget this trip." – 12-year-old B, July 2025
For all those who have been on trail with Discovery Trails
Would you like to see who all over the years have been on the parents-and-children and then the youngsters’ trails? If you are one of our ‘alumni’, you are invited go to this private Facebook page to look around, perhaps stay in touch, perhaps contribute to some discussions and perhaps even plot some wild-side catch-ups in the future. If you cannot access the page but would like to, please send a request to contact@discoverywt.org (anyone under 16 should confirm parental consent for the request).