On a warm autumn evening about 60 members and friends came to elect the new Exco for 2009 - 2010.
Thank you to the outgoing Committee for the work they have done this past year.
Congratulations to the following who were elected;

David Muller            -  Chairman
Sharon McCallum    -  Vice Chairman
Julie Dunkerly         -  Secretary
Gerrard Wigram      -  Treasurer
Lucia Rodrigues      -  Exco Member
Joyce Brandt           -  Exco Member
Peter Kruger            -  Exco Member
Bowen Boshier       -   Exco Member.

With the formalities out of the way David related a story to all about fear. He asked all to try and over come their fears of coming forward and participating in the work that the Trust requires to achieve its aim. We need every single helping hand, whatever you can do.
Contact any Exco member or Task Team leader to see how you can help.

George Ellis and Carol Bloch signing the                    David Muller welcoming John and Sandra Fowkes.
attendance register with a helping Joyce Brandt.

David telling us the story of fear.                                       Cassy Sheasby outlining some of the issues
                                                                                      and areas where Zandvlei Trust members can be
                                                                                      of help and assistance to the Nature Reserve.

Mike introduced his talk around the centenary of Darwin's theory. He shared archive documents and photographs of Charles Darwin and explained his famous Beagle sailing ship journey around the world. On the trip he stayed in Cape Town for 3 weeks, before heading across to South America. Mike illustrated some of the notes Darwin made, and how he started thinking about and putting down his writings on evolution.

Some of the appreciative audience.

Then we went on a journey from very early evolutionary times to present, with the most amazing photographs of creatures living in the seas, land based waterbodies, terrestrial and the flying creatures. From amoeba to giant dinasoars, whales and elephants and everything inbetween.
Just for fun he included some computer generated photos for us to identify.

Mike has studied the coelacanths off the east coast of Africa and its islands for many years. He has been on a number of trips in submersible craft to record information in the dark depths where these secretive, "living fossil" fish survive.

Some sobering thoughts on how quickly             The conservation of species diversity needs to be
some species are disappearing.                         be addressed by all of us with some ideas below.
                                                                       Changing our attitudes and behaviour is a good start.

Everyone can do something, As Mike says          David thanking Mike for the wonderful talk show.
Think glocal - first locally, then globally.

Thank you to Pick 'n Pay, and the Capricorn branch for the donation of a R500 food voucher for the occasion. The platters were tucked into and enjoyed.