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

More documents

Recommendations

Info

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. 2
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. 3
Page 1: Marine and Coastal Educators’ Net
Page 5 and 6: This was interspersed with hands on
Page 7: Planning for the 12 th National Con

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

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?