October has been a rather busy month at the Environmental Education Centre, even though it is exam time. A number of touring groups from other provinces visited us, many of whom also came to our Discovery Centres to learn more about sharks and other underwater wonders. To all the country’s matriculants stuck in their books, we wish you the best of luck for your exams! We know you can do it.
Young Biologist Course
The Young Biologist Course, sponsored by De Beers, was a great success, with 54 students taking part. The highlight was the two-day camp at Soetwater toward the end of the programme, as students spent time exploring rock pools, hiking in the mountains and learning about fynbos.
One parent of a budding biologist had the following to say: “[My daughter] thoroughly enjoyed the camp and found the learning experience very interesting, stimulating and exciting. She raved about the education officers’ superb communication and the interaction amongst the group, who became very close in a short period of time. She is looking forward to volunteering in December. May your programme flourish and excite many more future scientists!”
Another young biologist said, “I want to thank you and the staff for an amazing course. I really enjoyed it and learnt a lot ... Please forward my thanks to De Beers for sponsoring the course. I also want to thank ... the lecturers that presented the course to us.”
We are looking forward to these enthusiastic youngsters joining the Aquarium’s team of volunteers and sharing their knowledge with the public! Thank you to everyone who has already volunteered.
Climate Change Workshop
The Environmental Education Centre, together with the City of Cape Town’s Youth Environmental School, ran workshops concentrating on climate change with five Khayelitsha-based schools. Workshops took place over a two-month period and were completed on 8 October.
Various aspects of climate change were looked at during this time, such as weather patterns and why certain areas experience different temperatures. Teacher Khonzani Lembeni discussed the impact of rising sea levels, showing students what would happen to areas such as Mnandi Beach and Wolfgat Nature Reserve should the sea level rise.
Workshops wrapped up with an interactive presentation by Khonzani in the Lower Discovery Centre at the Aquarium, after which students were given an opportunity to explore the exhibits.
Marine Week: 11 to 15 October
National Marine Week is about creating awareness of South Africa’s marine and coastal environments and the ways in which our oceans benefit the nation. This year’s theme was Oceans of Life.
South Africa’s oceans are rich in marine life, and support many different marine ecosystems, regulate our climate and provide us with food. Humans place increased pressure on these marine resources and the ecosystems they support, however, particularly through overfishing.
During this important week in the Aquarium’s calendar, we invited five schools, sponsored by the City of Cape Town, to learn more about our amazing marine heritage and sea inhabitants.
The programme started with hands-on activities in the Discovery Centre, where learners were introduced to our amazing marine invertebrates, learning about how these creatures have adapted to living in harsh conditions and their importance to us as humans, particularly as part of the food chain.
After their session, students walked through the Aquarium, looking at marine invertebrates and other sea creatures with what we hope was a new-found sense of responsibility and wonder.
Educational sleepover: 16 October
Thirty-three children from Harmony Primary visited us 16 October for their “edutaining” sleepover. As always, it was a fun experience for all, full of quizzes and fabric bag painting.
More to come!
Our end of year extravaganza for school groups will be happening again at the end of term. Be sure to watch this space for more information!
