Zandvlei Estuary Nature Reserve
The Environmental Education Centre (EEC) – 2004
1. December – Zerilda on a hike at the Silvermine Nature Reserve. As an end of the year outing Cherry and Erika took the children on a day hike around the Silvermine Reserve. Starting at the top of the mountain and down to the Sunbird Centre through the forest section.
2. October – National Marine Week 18 –22 October.
DEAT (Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism) approached us to have a litter clean-up day in the upper catchement (Westlake River) with people from the surrounding community. Erika reports "I gave them a presentation and explained how litter effects the Catchment and the rivers flowing into Zandvlei".
Reddam Primary School came for a visit and were impressed with the programme offered. The teachers said they would inform other schools of the programme.
The New World Foundation will be visiting the EECentre for an adult education programme.
Portia Primary School visit. Wow look what we saw on 15/10/2004!!!
A Cheetah came to visit the Zandvlei Nature Reserve from the S.A.National Bird of Prey Centre in the Free State. Dune a male, is from a captive breeding programme and is being trained for educational purposes to raise awareness about the few remaining wild Cheetahs.
The lucky birthday boy got to stroke Dune, the 7 month old Cheetah. Trevor
and Glodel Oertel brought him to the Reserve (on a day off). So the
children were very surprised, when they got here and had an added bonus.
The children from Portia Primary School, Lotus River learning all
about Cheetahs and what makes them so special.
The children listening to the loud purring sound a Cheetah makes when it is
relaxed.
To contact the Oertels.
photograph by Charles Oertel
Feeling how rough a Cheetahs tounge is, also his fur is soft
as he is still very young.
photograph by Charles Oertel
More students learnig about Cheetahs.
photograph by Charles Oertel
Dune going for a walk in the Reserve afterwards.
The attendance figures are down on last year, due
maiinly to the lack of a full time Education Officer. Erika has to manage the
Nature Reserve and and EEC this year. Total attendance, end of September
– 1977.
3. Penguin Festival (Simonstown) 22 – 26 September 2004.
This year was the first time that the City of Cape Town Nature Conservation Division took part in the Festival. Zandvlei staff were responsible for this exhibition. A Wetland was displayed with several posters complementing the display, informing the visitors of the rare and endangered species found at the City's Nature Reserves.
photograph by Erika Foot
Kareemah and Erika building the frame
work Visitors to the stand
during the Festival.
and screens for the display stand.
4. June – At
the YES workshops, 330 children had study classes
by the Zandvlei EEC staff. 1586 children have been to the EEC so far
this year.
Since opening, 6792 students have benefitted from this Centre, mainly
due to the dedicated staff and volunteer educators.
photograph by Erika Foot
This happy group of Zerilda pupils visited Helderberg Nature Reserve, over night in June.
5. May – Erika ran a recycling litter workshop.
photograph by Ally Ashwell
She did a paper making course for these
students using discarded paper. At the end of the lesson they had hand made
paper, to make cards and write letters.
photograph by Ally Ashwell
The boys sorting the bags of litter into
different groups of material, they had to draw a graph indicating the most
common items found in the vlei.
photograph by Ally Ashwell
These girls made some useful toys. Scrap
cloth was used to make dolls clothes. The dolls were made from plastic bottles.
6. March attendance figures up on last year.
Erika reports that the number of children
visiting the Centre is up on last years figure.
7. February – World Wetlands Day Celebration.
On Monday 02/02/2004, the begining of the
week long celebration of World Wetlands Day, the MetrolRail EduTrain arrived with the
first batch of school children. They came to visit the Zandvlei Nature Reserve and
the Environmental Education Centre to learn about Wetlands and Estuaries.
The co-oridators and the children all enjoyed the outing and expeience.
The
adults comments were; " we didnt know there was a Nature Reserve
here".
Kareemah and Leeann (student from Rondevlei Nature Reserve) with the
children
from Uitsig Primary School (Belhar) on 03/02/2004.
See what happened at the Centre in 2003.
See what happened in in the first year, 2002.
