Roll players in the success of Green Futures celebrating Green Futures’ 10th birthday, with from ltr Dorothee Lutzeyer, Susan Lochner, Sharlene de Villiers, Hilary Bosher, Viola Siyotywa, Sean Privett en Cynthia Privett

The Green Futures Horticultural and Life Skills College were very proud to celebrate their 10th birthday on the 9th of August. Of the almost 100 graduates, nearly 50 came to the birthday celebration. The Green Futures Horticultural and Life Skills College was established in 2003 as part of a dream of the Lutzeyer-family and provides an annual training programme on Grootbos to 8 - 12 unemployed youths from Gansbaai in horticulture, indigenous gardening, and life skills development. Their course is fully funded by the Grootbos Foundation, providing the students with uniforms, transport to and from the project, breakfast and lunch and all of their learning materials. The programme has produced approximately 1000 graduates to date. As part of their curriculum students are taught to identify approximately 220 different species of plants, an appreciation of fynbos and its ecology, why and how it can be preserved, how to use it in indigenous gardening, fynbos propagation and nursery skills, garden design, as well as garden establishment and maintenance using water-wise techniques. All theory is backed up by practical work in developing and maintaining gardens on Grootbos and for private clients. The sale and provision of landscaping services by the students provides income to the college. Through their labour, students help to pay for their own tuition. Pictures taken by Sophie Maher.
Their website, www.greenfutures.co.za can be visited for more information.

Lily Upton, Grootbos Foundation


The huge group of roll players, students and quests during the 10th celebration of Green Futures