For The Love Of Nature

Wow, wow and WOW!🤯

There is no other way to describe the raw beauty of Escape To Nature in the Elands Rivier area! I was privileged to go explore there today with Rob Witte from Voetsac Hikers and Charl Gouws to help the new owners start planning what is going to be some amazingly beautiful trails. On that note, the hiking is not yet open to the public, but when they do we will be the first to let you know. In the meantime you can go enjoy the amenities such as camping or birdwatching for a weekend.
You can expect beautiful forest gorges with streams, some challenging climbs to mountain ridges with amazing views and more!
Find out more about them on their website https://escapetonature.co.za/ or their page https://www.facebook.com/share/17hvBH6tCW/?mibextid=wwXIfr

There is going to be another Wild Mushroom Forage opportunity this weekend ... this was an amazing experience and we highly recommend that you book a spot with Duncan Fungus Among Us 🍄. This weekend they will have their resident chef there preparing the forage and also sharing recipes.... so you definitely dont want to miss out.

**UPDATED AGAIN**
Looking for a hike this weekend? Then you’ve come to the right place.
As always we make it easy by having all the local club hikes in one place for you to choose from.

PLEASE FOLLOW THE LINKS TO THE CLUBS FACEBOOK PAGE OR WHATSAPP GROUP FOR MORE DETAILED INFO.

*THE FOLLOWING HIKES WILL HAPPEN ON SATURDAY 13 JUNE 2026*

EASY/ EASY+:

Club: Start Hiking Gqeberha
Trail: Springs Resort (Uitenhage)
https://chat.whatsapp.com/F60Dkiux4eCJrA5lKx1rSt?s=sw&p=a&mlu=4
Description: A trail with an amazing variety of flora from fynbos to dense bush and a huge variety of succulents - oh and there is even a watch tower you can climb!
Distance: 8-10km
Cost: Free

Club: Voetsac
Trail: The Island
*CANCELLED*
Description: *CANCELLED DUE TO WEATHER CONDITIONS*
Distance: 8Km
Cost: R73 for members & R103 for non members.

Club: Let’s Go Hiking
Trail: Bluewater Bay to St George’s Beach
https://chat.whatsapp.com/IUJS3CnKvlM0NsC5ruNbWu
Description: Walk from Bluewater Bay Lifesaving Club to St George's Beach along the shoreline. Coming back we will follow a walkway between the homes and surrounding greenery back towards the Lifesaving Club. The 7km hike ends at the Lifesaving Club.
For those wanting extra distance we will continue alongside the Swartkops River before returning to the parking area.
Distance: 7km or 10km
Cost: R30

MODERATE:

Club: Voetsac
Trail: The Island
*CANCELLED*
Description: *CANCELLED DUE TO WEATHER CONDITIONS*
Distance: 10Km
Cost: R73 for members & R103 for non members.

Club: Voetsac
Trail: Blindekloof via Bushpig (Groendal)
*CANCELLED*
Description: *CANCELLED DUE TO WEATHER CONDITIONS*
Distance: 10Km
Cost: R70 for members & R100 for non members.

*THE FOLLOWING HIKES WILL HAPPEN ON SUNDAY 14 JUNE 2026*

EASY/ EASY+:

Club: Trail Trekkers
Trail: Norm-Hudlin
https://www.facebook.com/share/1AK86yWFDs/?mibextid=wwXIfr
Description: Easy, flat 7km - dams are full and the forest is green.
Distance: 7km
Cost: R40

Club: Active Us Wellness
Trail: Grysbok Trail (NMMU)
https://www.facebook.com/share/18jWw3zxoi/?mibextid=wwXIfr
Description: This trail offers diverse fynbos vegetation as well as array of African mammals, including the Plains Zebra, the Red Hartebeest, and the Grysbok all within the confines of the Reserve.
Distance: 3,5km
Cost: R30 (includes an electrolyte drink)

MODERATE:

Club: Let’s Go Hiking
Trail: Oldenburgia (Grahamstown)
https://chat.whatsapp.com/HzbyOWfi03b5YZWOTnr92s
Description: A challenging trail with some amazing vistas and one of the only places on earth to see the Oldenburgia tree. If you are lucky you will see huge king proteas in bloom as well.
Distance: 14km
Cost: R30

**Note that all hike ratings and descriptions are - as far as possible - as per the individual club and not necessarily our rating or description. Please choose your hike carefully according to your experience and fitness. If in doubt ask the hike leader ahead of time.**

🍄Ever eaten a wild mushroom? It is scary because we fear what we don't know.... so we joined a mushroom foraging experience to learn more. It was an amazing!!!. We have much to learn but you have to start somewhere... have you ever gone foraging for wild mushrooms? 🍄We highly recommend joining Duncan from Fungus Among Us on their next forage.

𝐖𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐞𝐚𝐭 𝐚 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐝 𝐦𝐮𝐬𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐨𝐦? 🍄

🍄 Foraging for Mushrooms: My First Wild Mushroom Foraging Adventure! 🍄

This weekend I joined my very first mushroom foraging experience, hosted by Duncan from Fungus Among Us. When I told friends about my weekend plans about mushroom foraging they were a little suspect... and probably expect I am going to go on some psychedelic trip... because I saw alot of these 🤔 reactions but if you are guided by a knowledgeable person then you dont need to over think it... it is pretty much like picking strawberries but way more exciting. ☺️

Duncan is incredibly knowledgeable, passionate, and has an infectious enthusiasm for all things fungi.

⚠️If you want to blend in with an experienced group of foragers, you'll need a few essentials: gumboots , a wicker basket (which helps spread spores as you walk), a makeup mirror for inspecting mushrooms in tricky places, a brush, a pocket knife, and plenty of enthusiasm!

Before we headed into the forest, Duncan gave us a fascinating introduction to the world of wild mushrooms, fungi, and mycology.

🍄 We learned that mushrooms are actually more closely related to animals than plants. Unlike plants, fungi don't photosynthesise. Instead, they absorb nutrients from their surroundings similar to what they portrayedin the movie Avatar.
🍄Their cell walls contain chitin, the same material found in insect exoskeletons, and they form vast underground mycelium networks that play a vital role in forest ecosystems.
🍄We also learned about the two major ecological roles of fungi.
🍄🍄Saprotrophic mushrooms are nature's recyclers, breaking down dead organic matter and returning nutrients to the soil.
🍄🍄Mycorrhizal fungi form partnerships with plant roots, helping trees absorb water and nutrients while receiving sugars in return. It's a remarkable example of nature working together.

Out in the field we learned the basics of mushroom identification and sustainable mushroom harvesting. Duncan showed us how to tap mushrooms to release spores before collecting them, and when it is best to cut versus gently twist them from the ground.

One lesson was repeated throughout the morning: if you're not 100% certain of an identification, don't eat it. Many edible mushrooms have poisonous lookalikes, making accurate identification absolutely essential. We also learned to identify the different parts of a mushroom, including the cap, gills, stem, ring (or skirt), and volva.

After the forage, Duncan prepared some of the mushrooms we had found, giving us the opportunity to enjoy the rewards of our morning in the forest.

What an incredibly informative morning spent in nature, learning about the fascinating world of fungi, wild mushroom foraging, and the hidden mycelium network beneath our feet. 🍄🌿

Have you ever been mushroom foraging? Keep your eyes peeled on social media under Fungus Among Us for the next event. It is not to be missed.