MOSSEL BAY NEWS - A group called the Wildlife Wanderers and Adventurous Explorers held its debut hike in the form of a night walk on the Wolwedans trail near Great Brak River on Saturday, 22 February.
The group was founded by Dana Bay Conservancy chairperson Erika van der Westhuizen and the Wildlife Crime Infor-mation Network's Leon Rossouw for people who want to hike and explore trails, rivers and beaches in the Greater Mossel Bay area.
The intention is to encourage people to learn about the environment and foster an interest in wildlife and the conservation of nature in the community, both young and old.
Saturday's hike had a group of 37 nature lovers gather together at 19:00, before setting off on the trail to a pond.
The hikers saw a variety of nocturnal creatures, including many different types of frogs, toads, crabs, spiders and some fish.
A clicking stream frog was one of the animals found during the walk.
Of the 37 hikers, 14 were children aged seven to 15 years old. The hike finished at 22:00.
Van der Westhuizen said they had originally planned for only 25 people but agreed to increase the number because it is the duty of adults to "instil the love, passion and respect for nature in the future generations".
She said: "There were teaching moments throughout the event. Just before walking back, we all sat or lay down, put off our lights and relaxed under the stars. We played some toad and owl sound calls and one toad decided to answer faintly. It was magical to listen to nature's sounds and just breathe," she said.
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