Walks and Talks 2026

Learn about the geology, botany, natural and cultural history of the southern Karoo desert with Professor Sue Dean’s biodiversity walk in the spectacular Wolwekraal Nature Reserve.

Karin Sternberg is an independent field researcher and conservationist, documenting the ecology of wild bees in South Africa. Through stories from the Great Karoo, she explores how searching for honeybees and solitary bees soon became a way of learning to read landscapes. How slowing down and paying attention to the ground beneath our feet opens into a world of intricate relationships between plants, pollinators, predators, parasites, soil, and weather. How an ordinary riverbank, an aardvark burrow, a porcupine digging, or a flowering shrub gradually become windows into biodiversity. Following bees means learning to read subtle movement, trace flight paths, and notice the countless interactions unfolding around us, from velvet ants moving through bee nests and lizards waiting beside flowers to resins being gathered from toxic plants. Wild bees become a lens through which we see everything else, revealing that even seemingly empty desert landscapes are teeming with life. If only we learn to look with a gaze groundwards.

Dr Brett Bard is an organic permaculture farmer widely recognised for his active integration into the region's sustainable eco-tourism and culinary landscape.

At ONS, food gardening is more than cultivation, it is a movement to feed a town through youth leadership, ecological wisdom, and community collaboration. Brett invites participants on a tour of the ONS vegetable garden, where permaculture design, organic practices, Fibonacci patterns, and traditional garden lore converge to create abundance. Under the PACT initiative, the ONS Hospitality School empowers young chefs to grow heirloom vegetables of exceptional quality, linking soil health to human vitality through the philosophy of “creative medicine.” By restoring the earth, we cultivate plants that restore us, offering the highest form of nutrition. The vision extends beyond ONS: satellite gardens across Prince Albert, supported by local landowners, supply fresh produce to ONS Restaurant, community events, and the PACT Youth Centre, while establishing a local market for residents. This project demonstrates how youth can lead the way in healing land, nourishing people, and building resilient communities.

Oudtshoorn-based Jan Vlok is a highly distinguished South African botanist, ecologist, and conservation scientist with over four decades of experience documenting and protecting the unique flora of South Africa. He is widely recognized as a leading authority on the Fynbos, Succulent Karoo, and Albany Thicket biomes. Join him as he takes you through the steps of starting a Karoo garden, from considering your personal preference to choosing the most suited plants, Jan will impart his expertise and experience in this not-to-be-missed talk.

A holistic veterinarian, Dr Brett Bard is recognized for his alternative approaches to animal healing.

In this talk Brett explores the healing journey of Tortoiseback Farm, where regeneration, permaculture, and organic cultivation converge to produce both food and medicinal plants—while teaching us to discern the difference. Merging the vision of Tortoiseback with Brettthevet’s holistic practice, the presentation highlights how wisdom from the wild informs the phenomenon of zoopharmacognosy: the innate ability of animals to self-medicate. By introducing secondary plant metabolites—herbs, extracts, clays, minerals, nutrients, and essential oils—into the environments of captive and domestic animals, we restore balance and vitality. This practice not only returns animals to health but also demonstrates a profound principle: healing the land and its creatures is inseparable from healing ourselves. Applied Zoopharmacognosy becomes a pathway to homeostasis, resilience, and even peace, reminding us that the instinctive intelligence of nature offers a model for sustainable wellbeing across species and communities.

John is a retired veterinarian and passionate amateur ornithologist who co-authored the highly acclaimed book Nocturnal Birds of Southern Africa, alongside illustrator and photographer Penny Meakin.

Join him for a talk and photo-video presentation focusing on Karoo avifauna, especially birds found in the Prince Albert vicinity including some of the Karoo ‘specials’. A part of the talk will be devoted to garden birds which are a feature of many of the participating open gardens.

The family and staff of Gay’s Dairy place a huge emphasis on their herd of free ranging, happy Guernsey cows. Join the tour and get a real taste of farm life, meet the leading Guernsey ladies and learn about the inner workings of the dairy that uses the finest raw milk to produce deliciously creamy products steeped in natural flavour.

Photo credit: Stephany Veldman Photography

Join Collette for an introduction to bats and echolocation and a walkabout with a bat detector, experiencing echolocation in action. After this there will be a brief introduction to scorpions of the region, followed by a scorpion viewing walk with UV torches.

A walk on the Gordon Koppie with local artist and nature enthusiast, Collette Hurt. Experience the koppie’s fauna and flora, geology, and views of Prince Albert and surrounds.

Join well-known organic gardening specialist and professional foodscaper, Sue Torrance, for an organic vegetable gardening workshop focusing on heirloom seeds, seed saving, companion planting and natural pest control.

Join Colleen for a flower arranging workshop and learn the art of hand-tying bouquets. This flower arranging technique gives your home a relaxed, freshly-picked charm that feels elevated and luxurious. During the workshop, you'll learn how to select your blooms, arrange and place the stems, and master the technique of hand-tying. All participants take home their own hand-tied bouquet.

Tanya Visser is a leading voice in South African gardening — a passionate horticulturist, respected editor and beloved media personality whose influence has shaped how many South Africans grow, nurture and enjoy plants. She is best known as the editor of The Gardener and Die Tuinier magazines, South Africa’s premier gardening publications produced by Lonehill Media, where she leads the creation of inspirational, practical and seasonal content for both novice and experienced gardeners.

Tanya’s love of gardening began at an early age helping her parents in their vegetable garden and tending orchids and potted plants — a foundation that blossomed into a lifelong vocation. She studied horticulture, gaining hands-on experience in the green industry before transitioning into gardening media and publishing.

In addition to her editorial leadership, Tanya is a recognized television presenter, having fronted The Gardener and Friends TV show where she shares practical tips and seasonal advice with a wide audience. Her work spans print, digital and broadcast, and she regularly speaks at events and workshops to inspire more people to enjoy the benefits of gardening.

Tanya strives to make gardening accessible and rewarding for everyone, offering achievable guidance on everything from vegetable gardens to ornamental beds. Her ethos is rooted in sharing the joy, resilience and life lessons that gardening can bring.

The family and staff of Gay’s Dairy place a huge emphasis on their herd of free ranging, happy Guernsey cows. Join the tour and get a real taste of farm life, meet the leading Guernsey ladies and learn about the inner workings of the dairy that uses the finest raw milk to produce deliciously creamy products steeped in natural flavour.

Photo credit: Stephany Veldman Photography

Starting at the base of Swartberg, Professor Sue Dean will guide you through the spectacular folded quartzites and natural hanging gardens. Fragrant Pelargoniums, mint, and honeybells grow close to the water's edge where Cape willows emerge among the boulders, there is change at every turn.

With John’s interest in nocturnal birds, it was a natural progression to develop a keen interest in the stars, planets and the night sky. A casual observation led to him wondering how difficult it would be to see all the planets, not just the most obvious ones. His quest began with Mercury which has reputedly only been seen by less than 1% of people, followed by the challenge of spotting Uranus. It was then the sighting of incredibly distant Neptune that hooked John on exploring and photographing the sights of the solar system, our galaxy and the celestial sphere of the universe.

Join him for a talk and slide show combined with a Karoo night sky viewing to witness a rising full moon and the identification of constellations, stars, and hopefully the elusive Mercury setting in the western sky.

Join Collette for an introduction to bats and echolocation and a walkabout with a bat detector, experiencing echolocation in action. After this there will be a brief introduction to scorpions of the region, followed by a scorpion viewing walk with UV torches.

Starting at the base of Swartberg, Professor Sue Dean will guide you through the spectacular folded quartzites and natural hanging gardens. Fragrant Pelargoniums, mint, and honeybells grow close to the water's edge where Cape willows emerge among the boulders, there is change at every turn.

Learn about the geology, botany, natural and cultural history of the southern Karoo desert with Professor Sue Dean’s biodiversity walk in the spectacular Wolwekraal Nature Reserve.