THE SKS (WILDFLOWER) QUALIFICATION
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The SKS wildflower guide is a professional nature guide who specialises in guided wildflower experiences. This guide is able to interpret the wildflower environment and conduct a wildflower experience at an advanced level of knowledge and skill. This guide has the ability to integrate the wildflower experience into the broader ecological environment.
At this level the guide:
- This guide is operating as a professional nature guide specialising in wildflower guiding as a specialist wildflower guide at an advanced level.
- The competence of wildflower guiding at this level is assessed within different vegetation areas or biomes. A Specialist wildflower guide at this level may be operating as a competent specialist wildflower guide in a number of different sites, areas or biomes.
- Has attained a FGASA Level 3 nature guiding qualification.
- Has been declared competent against the FGASA wildflower theory examination assessment, the slide assessment and the wildflower guiding skills practical assessment.
- Has a valid, up-to-date recognised First Aid certifica
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HOW DO I GET A FGASA SKS (WILDFLOWER) QUALIFICATION?
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Once you have attained the FGASA Level 3 nature guiding qualification you will be eligible to apply write the SKS(wildflower) theoretical examination
to be practically assessed for the FGASA Specialist Wildflower Guiding Qualification by means of:
- A Wildflower theory examination
- A wildflower slide assessment
- A wildflower guiding skills practical assessment.
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APPLICATION AND PAYMENT:
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Theory examination: You will need to send your exam application form and proof of payment for the SKS(wildflower) theory examination to the FGASA Johannesburg office. Remember that examination applications close 1 month before the set national examination sitting.
IMPORTANT: You will only be eligible for the wildflower guiding skills practical assessment once you have been declared competent for the wildflower theory examination and the wildflower Slide assessment.
The practical assessment for the SKS (wildflower) qualification is carried out by a registered FGASA wildflower assessor in a guiding area of your choice. You will need to take the assessor on a guided wildflower experience in a wildflower area or your choice (with or without paying clients), preferably with clients.
The practical Assessment will be explained to you in detail by your assessor in the pre-assessment brief. The assessor will make sure that you know what you will be assessed on in order that you can prepare yourself for this assessment.
(Payment for your practical assessment is done directly to the assessor and does not come via the FGASA office.
You can choose which vegetation areas / biomes you want to be assessed for. The Slide assessment will assess all the areas that you want to be assessed for, however the Practical wildflower skills assessment will take place in one area only in order to assess wildflower guiding skills.
Once you have been declared competent for the Wildflower theory examination, the slide assessment and the wildflower skills practical assessment you will have attained the FGASA SKS (wildflower) Qualification for the specific area/Biome in which you have been assessed competent to guide in. The SKS(Wildflower) qualification (and certificate) will reflect which areas the guide has been assessed competent to guide in. For example: SKS(wildflower) - Waterberg . If the guide is assessed as competent for all the areas (biomes) s/he will be deemed an SKS (wildflower) National guide.
This qualification will require the following:
- The theory examination.
- The guide will be assessed by means of the wildflower Slide assessment.
- The guide will be assessed by means of a wildflower Skills Practical assessment.
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THE SLIDE ASSESSMENT (VISUAL IDENTIFICATION)
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This assessment consists of one section for each of the vegetation areas / biomes that you wish to be assessed for.
The slide identification assessment will consist of between 100 and 200 slides depending on the particular area you are being assessed for. The variations in the number of slides used for the assessment will depend on the total number of known species of flowers in the area. A certain percentage of flowers in the area will be used for the slide identification assessment. You will be required to name both the common name and the scientific name of each flower depicted in the slide. If there is no known common name for a particular flower you will need to state this apart from giving the full scientific name.
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WILDFLOWER LISTS
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All wildflower lists for wildflower species you are required to know for all areas in the country once made available will be obtainable from the FGASA office. These lists will inform you of what species you need to know for the particular areas in terms of identification. These wildflower lists can be emailed to you or you can obtain a copy of the lists from the FGASA Johannesburg office.
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WHAT LEARNING MATERIALS DO I NEED FOR THE SKS (WILDFLOWER) QUALIFICATION?
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The following learning materials are compulsory :
- Wildflower Training Manual – Lee Gutteridge
The following learning materials are recommended:
There are many books on wildflowers, most of which are very specific to particular areas. It is recommended that you make use of any flower identification books that are relevant to your area of guiding operation.
Some examples:
- The South African Bushveld - A Field Guide from the Waterberg – L. Gutteridge
- Field Guide to the Wild Flowers of the Highveld – Van Wyk and Malan
- A Field Guide to the Proteas of Southern Africa – Rebelo
- Field Guide to Fynbos – Manning
- Wild flowers of South Africa – John Manning
- Wild flowers of KZN & the eastern region – Elsa Pooley
- Mountain flowers – Elsa Pooley
- Common Wild flowers of the Okavango Delta – Veronica Roodt.
- South African wildflower Guides : Namaqualand / Outeniqua / Cape Peninsula Transvaal Lowveld & Escarpment / Hottentots Holland to Hermanus / Karoo /West Coast / Southern Overberg / Nieuvoudtville
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