The Prince of Wales kicks off day two of World Shooting Week with a special guest

Prince William On November 5, he took an early morning hike under South Africa’s iconic Table Mountain, setting the stage for the Earthshot Prize awards in Cape Town.

The 42-year-old royal was joined by the Australian TV star. Robert Irwinson of the late “Crocodile Hunter” Steve Irwin and Global ambassador of the Earthshot Prize. They walked in a group up Signal Hill, a scenic overlook above Cape Town, to highlight the urgent need to protect biodiversity. Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis joined them in the last part of the walk.

At the stunning park, which forms part of the Cape Floral Kingdom World Heritage Site, William met with rangers, environmentalists, firefighters, mountain rescue volunteers, biodiversity experts and youth advocates. This unique region, known for its rare and endangered plant species, is vital for global biodiversity. William spoke with local experts about the critical work they are doing to preserve the region’s rich flora and fauna, balancing conservation with accessibility for residents and visitors.

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The march and talks underlined William’s commitment to environmental stewardship just ahead of the Earthshot Award awards on Nov. 6, where he will honor groundbreaking efforts to heal the planet.

At the top of the walk, overlooking the suburbs of Cape Town and the South Atlantic Ocean below, the Prince was then taken to meet a group of young people from the Mayine Africa E Foundation, which promotes mental and physical wellbeing in the Nyanga community. .

Founder Bathandwa ‘Just B’ Diniso explained how they use trips to the Mountains and parks to encourage appreciation and care for nature. She tells PEOPLE: “He was so cold! He’s a great guy. (The kids) didn’t need to panic. It wasn’t me! Because I could see how he interacted with people.”

He adds: “He was asking us what we were doing and what our vision was. Our vision is to raise children who wake up every day inspired, motivated and eager to learn. We introduce children to parks and nature. “Once they understand nature, they can take care of it.”

“The mountains, parks, nature help. He said he liked it very much and wanted to hear from the kids if they could work, see opportunities, volunteer, and what they thought about the conversation. They said we should pay attention to this.”

At the end of their walk, they were welcomed by Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis. “He commented on the beauty of the mountain and the park,” she tells PEOPLE.

“What struck me on both days was how genuinely caring and engaging he was. “Obviously I meet a lot of foreign dignitaries, but he strikes me as a very, very interesting person who really cares about the issues he’s working on while he’s here.”

“This clearly comes from the heart and I am very impressed.”

Irwin and the prince, wearing an EcoAlf T-shirt and a green jacket from British company Rapanui, have been allies in the fight for the planet for several years. Inspired by his late fatherIrwin with his sister Bindi IrwinThe 26-year-old and the rest of the family passionately support the animal protection charity Wildlife Warriors and work to protect endangered species. Australia Zoo.

Last year Irwin called William “a A true guide to everyone In the protected area.”

“It’s hard to put into words how big a project Earthshot is for wildlife conservation, climate action and the world. For Prince William, who has such a wonderful platform to make his voice heard, it’s such a refreshing, wonderful thing to see the resources available to create positive change. I applaud what he did,” he tells PEOPLE.

During his second visit on November 5, Prince William met with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa at the president’s official residence in Cape Town. The visit highlighted a key aspect of William’s role in this mini-tour: his soft power diplomacy is an extension of the work he, his father King Charles and other senior royals undertake on behalf of the UK government.

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William’s spokesperson noted similar high-level meetings, such as his meeting with President Biden during the Earthshot Award event. Boston in December 2022 and his meeting with Singapore’s president last year became the “golden subject” of Earthshot visits.

British High Commissioner to South Africa Antony Phillipson stressed that William’s visit represented the “highest level of interaction” between the two countries and “consolidated the narrative” of King Charles’ first state visit as monarch two years ago.

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“We see this as a follow-up to the state visit in November 2022, which we continue to view as a very historic moment, through the United Kingdom and South Africa, as the first state visit hosted by His Majesty the King,” he added. .

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British Foreign Secretary David Lammy and South African Minister of Justice and Prison Services Ronald Lamola also attended the meeting, underlining what Phillipson described as a “really important” bilateral relationship.