Wild hearts, muddy boots and mountain magic

What do you get when you mix wild weather, powerful stories, trail legends and a hundred-odd humans who really care? You get Keeping it Wild in the Cederberg 2025 – a weekend of purpose, connection and proper dirty hands. It was cold. It was wet. It was wonderful.

For the third year running, our CN&CO team mate Blake Dyason, founder of Love Our Trails, teamed up with Sustainable Ceder to host this annual gathering at Driehoek Guest Farm – and despite the storms, over 100 people showed up to walk the talk for conservation.

Kicking things off with stories and soul

Friday night opened with poetry and reflection, as Hugh Corder shared readings from In These Mountains by the late Stephen Watson. The emotional depth of Hugh’s stories set the tone for a weekend that would challenge, inspire and move the campers.

Blake led a panel discussion with Edmund February, Monique Ruthenberg, Dawie Burger and Pieter du Toit, diving into topics from trail capacity and inclusive tourism to the real responsibilities of those who visit wild spaces. The conversation was honest and thoughtful, just the way we like it.

Drinks from Cederberg Wines, Driehoek Wines and Cederberg Brewery helped keep the fireside chats flowing well into the evening.

When the storm rolled in, the team got creative

Saturday morning brought wind and rain that tested tents and spirits alike. But the trail community knows how to adapt. Talks moved indoors, and the energy didn’t drop one bit.

Talks were delivered by:

Naas van Jaarsveld and Jeannie Hayward (Cape Leopard Trust) on their latest research and tech tools, including virtual reality and ongoing camera surveys
Steven Wessels, who brought VR to life with immersive conservation experiences
Evan Kortje (CapeNature) and Andries Louw, who shared innovative and practical environmental solutions
Jeremy Shelton (Freshwater Research) on alien fish and fragile ecosystems
Dawie Burger, who gave an inspiring update on Sustainable Ceder’s work replanting cedar trees and creating jobs in the region

Kids from nearby communities joined in the action – learning, laughing and discovering their role in conservation.

Evening talks that hit home

Saturday night’s speaker line-up was pure fire:

Galeo Saintz brought home the fact that trails aren’t just footpaths – they’re tools for healing ecosystems, supporting communities and preserving culture
Dr Charlene Janion-Scheepers introduced the humble ants quietly keeping the mountains alive
Chris Broeckhoven explored the world of the Armadillo Girdled Lizard (aka nature’s mini-dragon)
Jasper Slingsby brought stories from NASA-backed biodiversity mapping
David Mayson spoke on the vision for Driehoek’s long-term conservation and community model
Jeremy Shelton wrapped it all up with a powerful talk and video on indigenous fish, local knowledge and the future of community-led conservation

Sunday: time to get stuck in

As the weather cleared, Sunday offered a chance to put inspiration into action. Participants split into three groups for practical conservation work:

Clearing invasive alien vegetation
Planting cedar trees
Litter clean-up hike to Wolfberg Arch (four bags of rubbish, mostly toilet paper – we can do better, folks)

By the end of the day, boots were muddy, hearts were full and the impact was visible.

A massive THANK YOU

These weekends don’t happen by magic. They happen because a whole community of partners, sponsors and volunteers pour themselves into it.

Special thanks to:

Gone. Outdoor Store – for donating trail shoes to local teams
Culture Lab Kombucha – for fuelling everyone with wild Cederberg flavours
Cederberg Wines, Driehoek Wines, and Cederberg Brewery – for the generous (and warming) drinks
All the speakers – for sharing knowledge and passion so freely
Photographers Juliette, Sky, Jay, and Raydon – for capturing the spirit of the weekend
Cape Leopard Trust – for showing up with gear, people and all-round energy
CapeNature – for ongoing support of volunteers, researchers and the local community
Dawie, Lizette and family – for feeding and hosting everyone like long-lost cousins

And of course, to every single person who showed up, adapted, got involved and reminded us what real community looks like.

A celebration of community and care

Keeping it Wild in the Cederberg is more than a weekend getaway; it’s a reminder of what’s possible when people unite around a shared love for nature and community. It is a reflection of purpose in action, showing how science, storytelling and solidarity can work hand-in-hand to protect what matters.

As Galeo Saintz shared in one of his poems over the weekend: “There are ceders, and there are gods.”

It was, truly, one for the books.