College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences 2011 Highlights ...

World Food Day and
COP 17 awareness
A first for South Africa: Pretoria boy wins first prize in ICA Map
Competition in France
Unisa staff and Mandletu FET School
learners at the celebrations
Robert with his parents (left side), (right side) Prof Elri Liebenberg, school Principal and
Department of Geography staff
On 8 July 2011, Robert Breebaart, an 11-year old school boy
from Wierdapark Primary School in Centurion, Pretoria, made
history when he was awarded a First Prize in Paris, France, for
his entry in the ICAs 2011 Petchenik World Map Competition
for Children.
Robert Breebaart’s winning poster
displayed in France
Geography at Unisa. Until 2000 this Department was headed
by Prof Elri Liebenberg who is the national coordinator of
the Competition. The current Chair of Department, Melanie
Nicolau, is an ardent map enthusiast and encourages map-use
in all the department’s courses.
Guests attended the World Food Day celebrations
The Department of Agriculture and Animal Health celebrated “World Food Day” on Friday, 30 September 2011 two weeks earlier,
although the World Food Day is annually celebrated on 16 October date due to school activities with Mandlethu school community
located in Kwa-Mhlanga, Mpumalanga province.
The department has been involved in a capacity building project as part of their community engagement activities since 2010. The
World Food Day helps raise people’s awareness of problems in global food supply and distribution. This year, the theme was “Food
prices: from crises to stability”. The aim of this celebration was to share with the community issues related to food security as well as
to create an increased awareness of the impact of climate change.
Dr Kayoka, Chair of Department, invited Prof Mokotong as the ambassador of COP 17 to address the community about the
impact of climate change and different interventions on how to deal with such issues, namely carbon mitigation. To this effect, the
Department of Agriculture and Animal Health has already established a vegetable garden and one of the main future initiatives is to
plant fruit and indigenous trees together with the community.
There is much that can be done in the community, said Prof Mokotong. She expanded on challenges posed by climate change
on nature and the living environment today, she appealed to the community to contribute to the solution of environmental
degradation and also to learn how to adapt positively to the adverse impact of altered climatic conditions that we cannot change.
The successful event was well attended by more than three hundred and fifty members of Unisa and Kwa-Mhlanga communities
and included important dignitaries from Kwa-Mhlanga. From Unisa’s side, there was support from the Unisa foundation,
Community Engagement Directorate and staff members from the College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences.
This year the Petchenik Map Competition for Children took
place from 3 - 8 July 2011, during the 25th Cartographic
Conference of the ICA (International Cartographic Association)
in Paris, France. Held biannually, this competition was instigated
by the ICA in 1992 in memory of Dr Barbara Bartz Petchenik,
an eminent US cartographer who died in 1992 whilst she was
an ICA Vice-President. During her lifetime, Dr Petchenik made
an enormous contribution to cartography and was a tireless
advocate for the increased use and understanding of maps and
spatial data by all people.
The Petchenik Competition is open to children from ICA
member nations and requires a child to submit a map-like
drawing of A3-size depicting a specific theme. This year’s
theme was “Living in a Global World”. The aims of the
competition are to promote children’s creative representation
of the world, to enhance their cartographic awareness,
and to make them more conscious of their environment.
Participating member countries appoint a National Coordinator
who collects the entries out of three age groups,
namely children under 9 years; 9-12 years, and 12-15 years.
The thousands of entries, which are received are judged by
an international panel, which awards a 1st, 2nd and 3rd prize
in each age group.
Since 2008, participation in the Petchenik Competition has
been organised and co-ordinated by the Department of
Since January 2008, Unisa has been doing its utmost to
encourage children under the age of 15 years, and from all
population groups and cultural backgrounds, to participate
in the competition. Schools were visited throughout the
country to liaise with teachers and children and to explain
the competition theme. National prizes such as laptops, MP3
players, mini-globes, atlas and books on the environment were
also made available, and groups of children were invited on a
regular basis to visit the department where they were given
the time and opportunity to draw a map. During these visits,
all equipment (paper, paint, crayons, etc.) were provided. Each
child was also interviewed by the Chair of Department, Melanie
Nicolau, who filled in a basic questionnaire on the child’s map
literacy skills and his/her understanding of the global world he/
she lives in.
For the 2011 competition, Department of Geography
organised two regional competitions, one in the Northwest
Province and one in Gauteng. The competition in the
Northwest Province was co-ordinated by the Greater
Rustenburg Community Foundation (GRCF), and entries were
received from a number of schools in the rural areas. The
maps received for the Northwest Province were exhibited at
the Waterfall Mall in Rustenburg, and were judged by the local
communities, including a local artist from Ledig. The regional
competition in Gauteng was judged by Geographers in the
Department of Geography, and were exhibited. Entries were
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