Marine and Coastal Educators' Network (MCEN) Annual ... - Sancor

Marine and Coastal Educators’ Network (MCEN)
Annual Report
Period under Review –April 2010 to March 2011
Summary of Group Objectives:
� Identifies future opportunities for marine education in South Africa,
� Facilitates collaboration between educators,
� Assists marine educators in their activities,
� Helps to bridge the gap between marine scientists, resource managers and the public at large.
� Expand MCEN to inland provinces
MCEN
MCEN has undergone several changes through the year.
One Andre Schutte elected to step down as chair person in August 2010 as Glenmore Enviro centre in KZN
was closing its’ doors and there was uncertainty in whether he would still be involved in MCEN the following
year. I, Bianca Engel, was asked to fill the role of chair person for the remainder of the year.
“The Glenmore Eco Centre is closing down at the end of the year. I spent the past 13 wonderful
years of my life doing what I enjoy most, teaching in the outdoors. Now it is time to move on, no
regrets
It is with a thankful heart and many joyful memories that I would like to thank each and everyone at
MCEN. I learnt so much from you and met so many like minded people that I now call my friends.
Words fall terribly short to try and say how much the MCEN family meant to me and how much I
appreciate all of you.
Until we meet again “
Johan Pieterse (Glenmore Eco Centre and KZN MCEN Chair person) who also stepped down from his
position.
The task then fell upon me and Erna Groener ( N Cape MCEN chairperson) to ensure that the 2011 MCEN
conference ran smoothly.
Primary Activities undertaken during year under review:
National Level
The 11th Annual MCEN Conference took place from 9- 14 January 2011 in the Northern Cape Province at
various venues. 60 delegates booked to attend the conference however only 46 attended. Reasons for this
included difficulty in arranging transport to Springbok and being land locked due to flooding of Orange River.
Delegates were asked to pay R 1 300 for MCEN members and R1 500 for non members which covered food
and transport between Springbok, Port Nolloth and Kleinzee. Alexkor and De Beers Mines sponsored
accommodation in Port Nolloth and Kleinzee respectively. De Beers also sponsored an amount of R15 000
towards meals. Sponsorship was also received from the Department of Environment and Nature
Conservation towards conference back bags and water bottles which came in very handy in transporting our
daily requirements each day. All this and more helped to reduce the cost for each delegate.
The theme of the National Conference was “Hilltop to Oceans” – Sustain to Gain and this focused on three
areas :
� Culture and Heritage
� Biodiversity
� Human Impacts
Culture and Heritage
The Richtersveld, where the conference started, is the hub of the Nama people in the Northern
Cape. The Orange River flows pat the Richtersveld. It was appropriate to start here to connect
river with marine and to look at the culture of the first people who lived in the Northern Cape.
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The first stop was at Cornellskop where the “Wondergat” is situated. The “Wondergat” is a deep
and mysterious sinkhole where, according to the locals, people disappear or return to the surface
suddenly aged, with wide open terrified eyes and grey hair.
The Nama culture was introduced to the participants through :
� A Nama interview – to learn about certain practices and to hear the dialect of the Nama
language;
� The Nama dance – which had some modern dances intertwined to make the Nama dance
more acceptable to the youth after which participants were taught how to do the dance;
� A Nama song was also taught to the participants;
� A visit to the petroglyphs were paid, which is San rock engravings. The San people
chipped these engravings on the black dolomite rocks and that the majority date back at
least 2 000 years. Each participant got the opportunity to paint his/her own Nama
painting on stone with partly traditional paint.
The final activity for the day was the “pot brood” competition, where each group mixed and kneed
their own dough. “Pot-brood” forms, up to today, an important part of the Nama culture.
Biodiversity
The Richtersveld is a Succulent Karoo Biodiversity Hotspot which is an ecosystem with an
astounding 4849 succulent plants, 40% of which are found nowhere else in the word. Attention
was given to the quiver tree during the visit to Cornellskop.
A presentation of the lichen hill, which is visible from the road 5 km outside Alexander Bay, was
given in Alexander Bay.
The Lichen Hill in Alexander Bay is an example of the unique plant adaptations to the arid climate
of the Richtersveld. This orange coloured lichen hill is the only one of its kind in the country. The
Eco-School in Alexander Bay adopted this most sensitive site and is in the process of putting plans
in place to protect this site.
The Orange River Mouth was designated on 28 th June 1991as a RAMSAR site. The estuary
provides a suitable habitat for as many as 20 000 to 26 000 individual birds. Of the 57 wetland
species recorded, 14 are listed as either rare or endangered in one or both of the South African and
Namibian Red Data Books. In 1995 the site was placed on the Montreux Record of the Ramsar
Convention following the collapse of the salt marsh component of the system, which was the result
of a combination of impacts, both at and upstream of the wetland. Rehabilitating efforts are
currently in progress. This information, amongst others, was included in a hand-out and a short
informal presentation at the Orange River Mouth.
Delegates were also able to appreciate the impact flooding has on these areas as this presentations
occurred a few days before the flood water reached these areas and 3 days later as we were shown
the same area we had visited previously.
A most amazing DVD with a presentation, on the unique biodiversity along the coastline of
Namaqualand, was conducted by Annelise Le Roux from Cape Nature. Some of these fauna and
flora are only found in Namaqualand.
The Kleinzee Cape Fur Seal colony, which we visited on Wednesday, 12 th January 2011, hosts
almost 450 000 animals which makes it the largest on-land colony in South Africa. This colony is
protected by the adjacent mining area.
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In addition to looking at the unique biodiversity of this area we also were able to see firsthand the
impact human activities have had on this region. The Namaqua coast line is known for the diamond
mining by mainly Alexkor in Alexander Bay and De Beers Mines in Kleinzee.
Part of the conference programme was 2 mine tours at Alexkor and De Beers Mines respectively.
The reason for the mine tours was to observe the impacts that mining has on the natural
environment and the successes of the rehabilitation programmes that are implemented by both
mines.
The conference always gives an opportunity to share information and ideas. This conference was no
exception and the following most informative presentations/lessons were given by delegates from
other provinces, (Table 1):
Table 1: Presentations
Presentation/Activity Presenter Organization
Plastics John Kieser Plastics Federation of SA
Cape Town
Who dirtied the water Portia Lephaila Sea World @ Ushaka
Marine - Durban
Rocky shores Rolf Collins Ocean Vision- Cape Town
Introduction to biomimicry using
aquarium animals
Xavier Zylstra Ocean Vision- Cape Town
Teaching inland learners about Justice Bilankulu National Zoological
marine life
Gardens -Pretoria
Hands-on activity Sustainable Nicci Hoal Centre for Conservation
Angling
Education – Cape Town
3 R’s through the medium of birds Weston Barwise SANCCOB
To shell or not to shell Bianca Engel Two Oceans Aquarium
After the short 4x4 drive to the mouth and the informal presentation canoeing was done in the
Orange River Mouth. This was quite an experience for many first timers.
On the 12 th January 2011 at Kleinzee participants were divided into two groups and while the one
group experienced a Northern Cape dune surfing the other group played a marine quiz which is an
effective and fun way of transferring information and is suitable for both adults and learners.
The Gala Evening was the highlight of the conference and marked the official closure of the 11 th
National MCEN Conference. The special guests, who attended, were:
� Ms. Miriam Phaliso, Member of Parliament, who delivered the keynote address;
� Delegation of De Beers Mines;
� District Director and Deputy Director from Department of Education in Namaqualand.
A short programme, consisted of a word from the National Chairperson, a keynote address and
the handing over of certificates to the conference participants, was part of the evening’s event.
All of the delegates including myself came away from the conference with a clearer
understanding of the environment in this province, and the challenges facing Marine and coastal
educators in this area one including the distances that are travelled on a daily basis.
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Membership
We currently have approximately 60 members in MCEN; this includes individuals as well as organizations
Steering Committee Meetings
A telephone conference Steering Committee Meeting was held on 28 August 2009 to reduce travelling costs.
This worked well and several important matters were under review.
A Second National telephone conference Steering Committee Meeting is to be held on the 16 th February as
we did not have a quorum to continue with the meeting at the 2011 conference in the Northern Cape.
Regional Level
During the period under review, the following activities took place:
Western Cape
The Western Cape MCEN had its midyear conference on the 12 th - 13 th August at Soetwater Enviro camp.
The conference was held over two days and delegates had the option of sleeping over instead of commuting
in every day.
The Theme of the conference followed on from the IUCN year of Biodiversity the previous year and focused
on Marine Biodiversity in South Africa. Approximately 64 delegates attended overall.
Of significance was the attendance of a number of Life Sciences educators from high schools, primary
schools and teachers from the Educare sector. The tertiary education institutions were there too, from the
University of the Western Cape (UWC) and Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT).
Iziko Museums sent a large delegation, DAFF (Dept of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries) was there, and it
was with excitement that we were joined by representatives from SA Heritage Association, WESSA and
DENC.
The theme of the event, Biodiversity, was addressed by our speakers in their presentations and more
significantly that in our coastal waters. Dr. Lara Atkinson our key note speaker introduced the topic of Marine
Biodiversity in South Africa by describing the 3 levels of Biodiversity namely, Genetic, Species and Ecosystem.
South African waters deliver some 12914 species of marine fauna in the internationally recognised
unit of measurement - number of species per square kilometre, while European figures stand at 1160 and
New Zealand 3630.
Bianca welcomed the new members and the organisation they represent and highlighted the forthcoming
environmental events;
� The Penguin Festival - 2 October 2010
� National Coastal Cleanup - 18 September 2010
� SASSI’s re launch – end of August 2010
� National Marine Month – October 2010
Other speakers included:
� Dr. Daniel Thomas combined Continental Drift together with the evolution of the Penguins over time
in his presentation on Penguins through time.
� Weston Barwise (SANCCOB) added to this subject in his talk on Penguins.
� Sarah Tilley from KEAG (Kommetjie Environmental Awareness Group) spoke on the Shark Spotters
programme underwritten by the City of Cape Town. The history of the Great White, the inception of
the shark spotter programme and their stats to date made for riveting “consumption”.
� The International Coastal Cleanup Conference 2010, reviewed by John Kieser (one of MCEN’s
founder members) was enlightening. We were encouraged to support National Clean up week 2010
(13 – 18 September) together with support of other organisations and volunteers already committed
to this event.
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This was interspersed with hands on activities including Beach Domino as well as a number of marine
activities from Weston Barwise (Pappa Smurf) and Nicci Hoal.
A number of the organisations within MCEN in this region planned activities around International Coastal
Cleanup, Penguin Awareness week and Marine Week.
I stepped down as W Cape MCEN Chair person and Lindy Warren ( West Coast Fossil Park) was elected as
the new chair person.
KwaZulu-Natal
KZN held their annual midyear regional meeting on the 28 th July 2010. It was held at Sea World Education
Centre. Attendance to this meeting wasn’t great, but despite that, we had a very productive and meaningful
morning.
Presentations: - INFLUENCE BY HUMAN ACTIVITY ON SUBTROPICAL REEFS.
By Camilla Floros
- “CLIMATE CHANGE”… Do we really understand it?!
By Judy Mann
After a delicious lunch we enjoyed a guided tour through the aquarium and the newly added activity room.
We finally ended our gathering with a nerve-racking visit to “Dangerous Creatures” exhibition, which was
also recently added to the uShaka experience.
Lyn Britz was elected as KZN MCEN chair person.
Eastern Cape
1. Marine Week (11 - 16/10/2010)
We had 12 organisations joining us with their displays ranging from beach safety to penguin rehabilitation.
The University set up a rock pool display with live animals which proved to be a great hit with the learners.
Schools were bussed in from all over the PE Metropole, including surroundings areas such as Addo.
2. MCEN Conference
We held our Regional MCEN Conference on Wednesday 17/11/2010 at the Samrec Centre.
It was, once again, well attended with 5 guest speakers:
� Michelle du Toit (Bayworld) spoke on penguin identification.
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� Jenny Bennie (Bayworld) spoke on shipwrecks, especially the one found in the Coega Harbour, The
Duke of Pembroke.
� Jared Harding (Samrec) showed us his photographs taken during his year spent on Marion Island.
� Gareth Cook (Tanker Pacific) gave a fascinating first hand presentation on piracy in the Gulf of
Aden.
� The day was completed with a wonderful demonstration given by W/O S. Nagy and his sniffer dog
from Port Elizabeth's K9 unit. The dog has been trained to detect perlemoen, rhino horn, ivory and
crayfish.
3. Kenton Display
Ted Knott set up a display in the new lifesavers hut at Kenton on pollution and recycling which proved to be
very popular amongst the visitors to the area during the summer holiday.
Southern Cape
The Southern Cape held their mini conference on Friday, 23 July at the Bartholomeu Dias Museum in
Mossel Bay. The conference was attended by approximately 29 participants from WESSA, DAFF,
conservancies, CapeNature, George and Dias Museum, Eden District Municipality, Nature’s Valley Trust
including independents example volunteers and hikers.
The Programme included presentations on coastal vegetation, sharks, coastal birds, Early man – Pinnacle
Point research and leopards by the Landmark Foundation
The talks were interspersed with activities on sustainable fishing by Arno Munro (DAFF) and biodiversity –
story-telling; sayings and uses of plants and animals by WESSA.
A second southern Cape mini-conference and Ecoschools meeting was held on the 24th July at Dias
Museum, Mossel Bay. Twelve people attended, including 5 teachers.
The programme was similar to the previous one but just included more hands on activities.
International Coastal Cleanup
WESSA co-ordinated coastal cleanups with a number of schools however a couple of schools have
withdrawn because of the teacher strike action or because of other arrangements.
Northern Cape
As the Northern Cape was the host for the conference in 2011 they had several MCEN meetings in various
parts of the N Cape mainly in Alexander Bay, Kleinzee, Port Nolloth and Hondeklip Bay to visit the sites and
plan the conference..
Other Activities included
� a Workshop with Marine Educators on the 23 – 24 th April,
� Coastal schools workshop including a talk by Annelize Le Roux ( Ecologist)on West Coast
Vegetation and Biodiversity on the 7 th -8 th May
� PCC meeting. – Feedback with regards to MCEN activities
� 1 October: - Start of Marine Month Celebrations in Hondeklip Baai.
General:
Plans for March 2010 to April 2011:
It is envisaged that MCEN will grow stronger through regular contact between members. Contact is
maintained through the National Conference, Regional Conferences, Workshops and Meetings. The
telephone and e-mail serves as a very valuable means of keeping in touch with members to offer support
and encouragement for the work that they do.
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Planning for the 12 th National Conference date and venue (province) to be decided on either KZN or
Gauteng.
Each of the five regions will hold a two day meeting/workshop/Mini Conference between April 2011 and
March 2012.
We have reestablished ties with the National Zoological Gardens in Pretoria and they are keen to be part of
MCEN and perhaps host a conference in the future.
This is great as we want to establish more MCEN regions by adding our inland Provinces and also expand
our membership base.
Budget:
Expenditure 2010/2011:
Western Cape Mini Conference – catering R 2 000.00
Southern Cape Mini Conference – catering R 1 015.00
KZN Mini Conference R 973.18
Eastern Cape Mini Conference – catering R 2000. 00
Total: R 5 988.18
Midyear we were informed that SANCCOR had budget constraints and were unable to assist with the above
costs. The various regional committees had to be rather creative in reducing their costs, this included
receiving sponsorship from various organisations and charging delegates a conference registration fee to
cover costs.
Request for 2011/2012:
Travel expenses for Chair: R 5000.00
Air flights
Car Hire
Meeting expenses:
Western Cape R 2 000.00
KwaZulu-Natal R 2 000.00
Eastern Cape R 2 000.00
Southern Cape R 2 000.00
Northern Cape R 2 000.00
National Conference R 5 000.00
Total R20 000.00
I would like to thank the Regional Representatives for their unfailing support and loyalty towards MCEN -
thank you! Thank you to Carmen Visser from SANCOR for her support.
MCEN is growing from strength to strength and hope to send our membership over the 100 mark during this
year.
Report prepared by Bianca Engel
Chairman: National Steering Committee
February 2011
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