A virtual trip to Madagascan island
Probus members enjoy informative talk on Miavana
Kowie Probus Club members enjoyed a virtual trip to the Madagascan island of Miavana on Tuesday July 12, at Route 72 Salon.
The speaker, Miavana Madagascar facilities manager Greg Wepener, started his presentation with a crash course in northern Madagascar dialect.
“Tonga soa!” he said, welcoming the audience.
Why should tourists visit Madagascar?
“Madagascar is unique and is referred to as ‘Noah’s Ark’ because of high levels of endemism.
“It’s home to 300 recorded bird species, 260 species of reptiles, over 110 species of lemurs and six of the world’s eight Baobab species are found in Madagascar. The natural history is unique,” Wepener said.
He said Madagascar, one of the greatest biodiversity regions on Earth, was being destroyed at an alarming rate.
Deforestation and illegal logging were some of the reasons for this.
Moreover, the island is also susceptible to natural disasters such as tropical cyclones that cause damage to infrastructure, the local economy and also leading to loss of life.
“In February 2022, Cyclone Batsirai killed at least 10 people, weeks after Cyclone Ana killed 55 and displaced 130,000 people on the island,” he said.
Wepener’s presentation captured the idyllic setting of the island and included footage of Time and Tide Africa’s green bush wildlife and blue ocean experience.
Wepener also spoke about the island’s climate, which he said was a combination of south-eastern trade winds and north-western monsoons that produce a hot rainy season from November to April, with frequently destructive cyclones, and a relatively cooler dry season from May to October.
Asked about the best time to travel to the island, Wepener said: “Miavana has two distinct seasons with different activities that are best suited to each.
“From November to mid-May, the
days are warm, with light rains – great for diving, fishing and snorkelling.
“Mid-May to October the days are cooler, with consistent winds from the south-east when one can see whales and terns, or go kiteboarding.”
He also spoke about how the company lends a helping hand to communities affected by deforestation. He said the Time and Tide Foundation worked with various NGOs such as Fanamby, which assisted communities on the mainland with education and health awareness projects.
He said Miavana’s sister company, Ibis, based on the mainland, also grew certain species of seaweed which helped generate income for local farmers and their families.
Apart from the members in attendance, the club’s meeting also had 15 guests. That was a record, club president Cyril Gebhardt said.
The meeting concluded with the raffle ticket draw, which was won by the first female member of the club, Colleen Pansegrouw, whose late husband was a member.
“I’m very proud to be a part of Probus and I think maybe I’ll be a little bit of an inspiration to other women to come and join,” she said.
The club currently boasts 64 members. Following the club’s special AGM in May, membership is now open to women as well.