Gansbaai finally has a high school! The new Gansbaai Secondary School opened in January alongside the Spaces for Sport grounds. It was opened as a no fee school to benefit the local community, and although a low fee has been implemented to cover some running costs, this still leaves the school with many requirements.



Recently, the Grootbos Foundation Landscaping Collaborative, along with Dyer Island Conservation Trust, embarked on a mini project to “green” the new school by donating and planting twenty trees as well as sponsoring some much needed hose pipes.



With our local press in attendance, and some very enthusiastic school pupils of Grade 9, we all got our hands dirty, learning how to correctly plant and position a tree as well as how often to water it. We planted two hardy tree types to withstand the winds and salty air – the camphor bush and the wild silver oak. The trees were given personal names by the pupils as they took ownership as to their future care. We hope that in twenty years times the trees will stand as testament to the school’s history and something that those pupils involved will look back on with pride. A special thanks to the Grootbos Foundation, the Dyer Island Conservation Trust, the high-school students and all the others involved in this special project!