Garden a hive of activity during Science Week
This year’s Science Week at the Garden Route Botanical Garden was hailed by many as the best ever. The event took place from 30 July to 4 August and was funded by the South African Agency for Science and Technology Advancement (Saasta).
Schools visiting the garden included Study House, the Homeschoolers /Montessori, Parkdene High, Imizamo Yethu Secondary, MM Mateza Primary, Conville Primary, Rosemoor Primary, Touwsranten Secondary, Heidedal Primary, Thembalethu Primary, Thembalethu High School, St Paul’s Primary, Mzoxolo Primary, Haarlem Secondary and Kretzenshoop Primary with 786 scholars attending seventeen activities on offer in the garden.
Activities presented included:
Heidedal Primary - play about hygiene, Landmark Foundation: Ecological intelligence (Monica Vaccaro), Gouritz Biosphere Reserve (Jobs for carbon:
Andre Britz), Gouritz Biosphere Reserve (Ecobricks: Mary Carr), Food Gardens (Finn Rautenbach), Heath (Dr Bert Hoogerboord), Soil is life (Lorrinda Hakimi), Reptiles we encounter (Nick Kolberg), Chemistry the use of energy and where it comes from (Dr Louw Claasens), Living Maths (Dr Steve Sherman), Botanical gardens & what they mean to society (Matthew Seager), Kruie (Neil Carelse), 360 Videos and Photos - How it is made (Werner Eckron) and Ecosytem balance (Karen Claxton). Saasta representative Bafedile Kgwadi (right) with local education icon Charles Carelse and Priscilla Burgoyne, the curator of the Southern Cape Herbarium.
Activities at other collaborating venues for scholars:
iNaturalist - an introduction by Dr Tony Rebelo (in collaboration with Sanbi and Nelson Mandela University at NMU Computer lab, sessions for kids); Inckubeko Youth Centre (Klikkerland performance) where 170 kids were targeted; Mzoxolo Primary (Klikkerland performance), where
1 500 kids were targeted; and Heidedal Primary (Klikkerland performance), where 1 600 kids were targeted.
Adult education included:
iNaturalist - an introduction by Dr Tony Rebelo (in collaboration with Sanbi and Nelson Mandela University at NMU Computer lab); Starry, starry night at the Garden Route Botanical Garden Telescope pad presented by Lucas Ferreira; a teacher training workshop presented by Steve Sherman from Living Maths at the Garden Route Botanical Garden Discover Centre; and a medicinal and useful plants display at the George Library.
It was good to see faces light up with excitement during the various activities.
Although the Discovery Centre is not equipped or staffed properly, the garden made a huge success of Science Week 2018.