Bushveld Mosaic

Bushveld Mosaic 2024 kicks off on 20 January 2024 with the Course Introduction. Please email Peter Gordon-Cumming at [email protected] for the course information and registration pack if you are interested in enrolling for this life-changing journey.

Feedback from the Class of 2023:

I have never in my wildest dreams imagined, in January when I signed up for Bushveld Mosaic 2023, that the course and experience would be so special and would enrich my life so tremendously! Time, money, and energy well spent and invested – I would do it all over again tomorrow at the drop of a hat. – Izak

I do not know of another course where all the lecturers are of such outstanding quality, the organisation and communication of such high quality and the genuine passion for nature by everybody so obvious. If you are interested in nature, do not miss out on this unique Bushveld Mosaic Course. The standard is very high, but worth it every step of this fantastic journey! – Albert

The Bushveld Mosaic lecturers are excellent and really go the extra mile. – Ingrid

This Course is a game-changer! I have learned so much, which will change how you see and experience nature. Your game drive will never be the same again! – Lampies

Visit our website https://www.bushveld-mosaic.org.za/?page_id=7102 for a detailed course timetable and the line-up of our 2024 lecturers.

As always the Archaeology weekend at Pilanesberg was filled with wonderful walks.
Read all about it at

Archaeology Weekend: 18-20 August 2023 Pilanesberg – Bushveld Mosaic Archaeology Weekend: 18-20 August 2023 Pilanesberg The archaeology weekend was held at Pilanesberg National Park, at Lampies’ happy place, the beautiful Potokwane Camp, as our home base.  As always, the weekend cannot start before the dreaded test on Friday evening is out of the way. This time ar...

and the Mammals weekend is on the website. Do have a look

Mammals weekend. Pilanesberg, 19-21 May 2023 – Bushveld Mosaic Mammals weekend. Pilanesberg, 19-21 May 2023 What we have here is…… Winter has arrived! This weekend saw us all clad in warm clothing, jackets, scarves, and beanies. All that is, except Luke, with his shorts, vellies and bush shirt. Temperatures at Potokwane camp dived overnight to some 3°C, an...

and now Trees is behind us, so time to read what the students thought

Trees weekend– Borakalalo: 17-19 March 2023 – Bushveld Mosaic Trees weekend– Borakalalo: 17-19 March 2023 Report and photographs by Sarel van Wyk and the Wetlands Team This was a first visit to Borakalalo National Park for some of our team, and the less said about potholes on the tarred road to Bora the better. However, on arrival at the National Park, and F...

Read all about the recent Grasses weekend held at Kgaswane

Grasses Weekend 17 – 19th February 2023 Kgaswane – Bushveld Mosaic Grasses Weekend 17 – 19th February 2023 Kgaswane We were supposed to go to Borakalalo for the module on grasses, but due the heavy rain and the chance of flooding at our usual campsite, our weekend was moved to Kgaswane. Kgaswane – A hidden gem We arrived on Friday afternoon to a beautiful desti...

The first module for 2023 has taken place and the first write up has been written.
So read about it at

Taxonomy and Ecology 27 – 29 January 2023 – Bushveld Mosaic Taxonomy and Ecology 27 – 29 January 2023 If a mosaic is defined as a pattern produced by arranging small pieces of stone, then I believe I have been placed in the most vibrant of all mosaics! and so 2023 starts with a group of 16 students ready to learn and unlearn We are different people from di...

Bushveld Mosaic is for you, whether you want to:

• be actively involved in conservation,
• develop a deeper awareness of our natural heritage,
• pursue a career in field guiding or
• simply want to enjoy the bush more than ever before.

Contact details:

Please visit www.bushveld-mosaic.org.za for the detailed 2023 timetable and more course information.

For general enquiries, please call Peter Gordon-Cumming (076 045 5330) or André Harmse (082 806 3834).

To register for Bushveld Mosaic 2023, please email Peter for the course information pack at [email protected].

The Birds Practical weekend was held at Pilanesberg National Park this year. Thank you for the report, Maeva Louis Dewas.

Birds Practical: Pilanesberg (14-16 October 2022) – Bushveld Mosaic Birds Practical: Pilanesberg (14-16 October 2022) Weekend report by Maeva Louis Dewas The birding weekend usually takes place at Borakalalo, but for the second time, the excessive water at Fish Eagle Camp forced us to change our plans and instead meet at the Pilanesberg National Park. Arriving at...

The Archaeology Weekend Report has been posted on the website. Thank you for the report and photographs, Waldemar Wellmann.

Archaeology weekend: Pilanesberg (26-28 August 2022) – Bushveld Mosaic Archaeology weekend: Pilanesberg (26-28 August 2022) Web report and photographs by Waldemar Wellmann The archaeology weekend was held at Pilanesberg, with the now-familiar Potokwane camp as our base. On Friday evening, the usual task of writing a module test had to be completed before we could relax...

The 2022 First Aid Weekend Report has been posted on the website. Thank you for the report, Tebogo Dhlamini and photographs, Ronnie Henderson.

https://www.bushveld-mosaic.org.za/?p=8742

First Aid Weekend – Pilanesberg (22-24 July 2022) – Bushveld Mosaic First Aid Weekend – Pilanesberg (22-24 July 2022) Edited text by Tebogo Dhlamini, photos by Ronnie Henderson For this weekend, from 22-24 July 2022, we were doing our First Aid training at Pilanesberg, where we camped in the official section of the Manyane camp site. The Manyane camp site is not t...

The 2022 Geology weekend was not the coldest on record but lived up to its reputation of being the coldest weekend of the course. Thank you for the weekend report, Darian de Bruin.
https://www.bushveld-mosaic.org.za/?p=8717

Bushveld Mosaic: Geology Weekend – Borakalalo (10- 12 June 2022) – Bushveld Mosaic Bushveld Mosaic: Geology Weekend – Borakalalo (10- 12 June 2022) Weekend report by Darian de Bruin The geology weekend has always been known for being one of the coldest weekends we will experience this year, and so far, it is living up to its reputation. The 2022 Geology weekend lived up to it...

Thank you for the Mammals Behaviour weekend report, Jacek Zawada, and the photographs, Megan Griffiths.

https://www.bushveld-mosaic.org.za/?p=8671

Bushveld Mosaic: Mammal Behaviour weekend – Pilanesberg (20-22 May 2022) – Bushveld Mosaic Bushveld Mosaic: Mammal Behaviour weekend – Pilanesberg (20-22 May 2022) Report by Jacek Zawada, photographs by Megan Griffiths. We all seemed to arrive a bit late at Pilanesberg for our Veld Management test and mammal behaviour practical. This was mostly attributed to the earlier gate times, due ...

The weekend report for Veld Management, with Dr Graham Von Maltitz, has been posted on the website. Thank you for the report, Maeva Louis Dewas and Ronnie Henderson for the photographs.

https://www.bushveld-mosaic.org.za/?p=8659

Bushveld Mosaic: Veld Management- Pilanesberg (23-25 April 2022) – Bushveld Mosaic Bushveld Mosaic: Veld Management- Pilanesberg (23-25 April 2022) Report by Maeva Louis Dewas, photographs by Ronnie Henderson For the Veld Management  weekend we were supposed to all meet at Borakalalo. Unfortunately, Peter told us we had to change the initial venue as Fish Eagle camp and surround...

Team Wetlands was responsible for the 2022 Catchments, Wetlands and Rivers weekend report. Tracey Andrews compiled the report, which includes some photographs by Darren Oosthuizen. Thank you, both!

Tracey’s web report included her beautiful poem below, which we thought deserved a post on its own.

Kgaswane Jewel

Kgaswane is our local Jewel
Tinkling steams, so clear and cool
Mountain tops of granite splendour
Oom Paul our early founder

Ramsar wetland in reserve
Vital to protect and conserve
Kloofs and valleys all around
The amazing views astound

Sable and eland stand so tall
Impala, kudu, loved by all
Eagles, nightjars and the owls
But don’t forget the guineafowls

Study and admire our beautiful trees
Gracefully moving in the breeze
Stiples, prickles and the leaves
Lenticels, stomata, and those that breathe

Raasblaar, dikbas and lekkerbreek
Maroela, hookthorn and Transvaal teak
Water quality we must study
Clear and running and not just muddy

The Sunday SASS could not be done
Disappointment seen from everyone
River in flood, torrential rain
Open book test to tease our brain

Cloudy nights and not much sun
The weekend was so much fun
Bushveld Mosaic is our name
Explore the wild side, our claim to fame

(Tracey Andrews)

https://www.bushveld-mosaic.org.za/?p=8623

Catchments, Wetlands and Rivers – Kgaswane: 8 -10 April 2022 – Bushveld Mosaic Catchments, Wetlands and Rivers – Kgaswane: 8 -10 April 2022 Report by Tracey Andrews The 2022 weekend for catchments, wetlands and rivers took place from 8-10 April at the beautiful Kgaswane Mountain Reserve near Rustenburg. The weather report for the weekend predicted 15mm of rain on Friday, 36m...

Thank you for the trees weekend report, Waldemar Wellmann. Please share with friends and other interested parties.

https://www.bushveld-mosaic.org.za/?p=8597

Bushveld Mosaic: Trees weekend – Borakalalo: 11-13 March 2022 – Bushveld Mosaic Bushveld Mosaic: Trees weekend – Borakalalo: 11-13 March 2022 Report and photographs by Waldemar Wellmann After negotiating the somewhat treacherous road to Borakalalo National Park (Peter assures us that it has never been in such a good condition), we arrived for the second time at Fish Eagle Cam...

True to form, the Bushveld Mosaic Class of 2022 stirred up a storm when they arrived at Pilanesberg for the first weekend of the course. Thank you for the website report, Johan Viljoen (Wetlands).

https://www.bushveld-mosaic.org.za/?p=8545

BM2022: Motivation, Taxonomy and Ecology Weekend – 28 to 30 January 2022. – Bushveld Mosaic BM2022: Motivation, Taxonomy and Ecology Weekend – 28 to 30 January 2022. Report by Johan Viljoen. After a long wait, the first exciting weekend of Bushveld Mosaic 2022 finally became a reality. The drive to Pilanesberg was very long, and time went by very slowly.  True to form, the Bushveld Mosa...