Dear Diary...

Enjoy these excerpts from Faith Kgaugelo Ramalepe's diary in which she reports on the SAEON Ndlovu Node's annual science camp for Grade 11 learners:

SUNDAY

My beloved Diary,

Today has been a very exhausting day, but I am happy. We departed from Golwe Picnic Site and headed for Tshulu Camp. The road was bumpy and I even thought that we would get stuck along the way, but thankfully that didn't happen. Except for one thing that almost scared me - when we came across a very sandy area where we had to get off and walk. Fortunately this was not a long distance before we could get into the Quantum again and resume our journey.

We arrived at Tshulu Camp at around 14:00. The house rules were explained to us and we were given some guidelines on how to use the resources there wisely and responsibly. We also did a recap on scientific methods before Dr Dave Thompson introduced us to Ecosystem Services.

We were then free to wander around from 17:30 to 18:30, after which we played games such as Scrabble and Career Expedition before going to bed.

Kgaugelo and her friends learn more about soil and why it is important Playing with mud to find out more about soil texture

MONDAY

Dear Diary,

Today is Monday and I really like it here. I am the one who woke up first and took a morning shower, followed by my friends. I had coffee and rusks to get some energy for the day. We then arrived at some tea session where I learned to identify relevant questions, specifically meaningful questions or questions which benefit people and will help protect the environment.

We then ate breakfast before going out for fieldwork. We explored soil with Tracey. We had lots of fun playing with soil, but most of all I was fascinated to learn how earth is most valuable. It was something I was supposed to know for some time and take heed of, but that doesn't matter because now I know it and I now also know how to help deal with the erosion of the soil.

One of the most important things I forgot to mention was the classification of organisms using the word "dichotomous", where you use the diagnostic features to describe organisms.

TUESDAY

Dear Diary,

I had a very wonderful morning. We've been wandering around spotting birds and identifying their names by using a bird identification guide. We were taught how to use binoculars to identify birds by means of their diagnostic features. Sharon and Patrick are our mentors for today. They help us a lot. First of all Sharon showed us how to use the binoculars. Then we were given a few rules, such as not to make a noise since it could scare the birds away.

Oh, and I shouldn't forget about the site. We are at Tshulu Camp (of course) on the river bank. It is sandy, obviously. We were told that the river bank had beautiful bushes and grasses but that these had been washed away by the previous season's flood. But it still doesn't change the fact that Tshulu Camp is a beautiful place. It is interesting and most enjoyable to wander about. At the river bank you could see the river flowing, listen to the peaceful calls of the beautiful and unique birds and, most of all, enjoy the freshness of the breeze. This is a beautiful camp with a marvellous view, even if it had been damaged by a flood.

My beautiful Diary,

I've just returned from the field trip. My friends and I had so much fun playing with mud and mixing soil with water to create a coherent ball and a sausage cylinder to determine the infiltration rate, the leaf litter percentage and the sol texture, structure, moisture and the disintegration of the different types of soil.

I've really enjoyed myself - it is cool being a young scientist.

Tracey is a very nice person, like all the other SAEON staff. The only difference is that she's always laughing. I don't care whether it's because she might be shy of whether she's just friendly; I like her so ...

She helps us collect data using her tools and her property. I was amazed at first when she always laughed and smiled, but later I realised that humanity and kindness have their own way to reflect on people of different languages, race and all. So that is why we really enjoyed ourselves to the fullest. Soil is both important and fun.

Sharon shows Kgaugelo how to use binoculars to identify birds The team display their beautifully decorated worm farm containers

WEDNESDAY

Dear Diary,

Today was hectic and I am exhausted. We were asked to design a poster reflecting our research and we had to feed all our data into a computer. This is called a computer workshop. We did all that and it was perfect - our graphs, tables and pie charts together with our other data.

We then went on a Nature Walk with Dave and Tracey, during which we saw and heard several birds, which we identified. It was great fun. These are some of the birds we identified:

• Dark-capped bulbul
• Kingfisher, with a dark blue feathered back, white belly, a long tail and an orange beak. It was the first time in my life I had seen a kingfisher. I initially thought kingfishers ate fish only, but I was told that they also eat worms, insects and fruit. We were also taught some interesting behaviours of kingfishers.
• Sunbird: While it feeds on aloe nectar, it pollinates the plant.
• Black-headed oriole: this is a violent bird - when it hears another bird calling it goes looking for a fight.

After the walk we joined Tracey for a session on soil. Tracey is a new soil scientist at SAEON. She taught us about soil and its importance. She also gave us some materials to make our own farmhouse "worm farm". This was a fun and exciting exercise. We had paint in our buckets and we could go crazy decorating our "worm farm". We dug in the soil and some learners even touched worms. It was just lovely, fantastic and wonderful.

That's how my day has been.

THURSDAY

Dear Diary,

Today is Thursday. I would firstly like to thank God for this wonderful experience.

We will be having rusks and coffee in five minutes' time, followed by a Nature Walk. Today my mentors will be Rob, Thabo and Tracey. Here we go ...

Later in the day:

While we were negotiating some rocky terrain, we noticed a termite mount. We learnt things, not just things but important things about termites. I was amazed to think that such tiny insects could build such a structure, which is huge compared to their size. We were told that the ants contained a lot of protein for the health of the aardvark. Ant colonies consist of slaves and soldiers that feed and protect their queen while she lays eggs to ensure the survival of the colony. [Interesting huh?!]

We came across a baobab. The bark of the tree contains carotene which serves as a medicine for various diseases. The fruit is eaten by humans and can be used to make yoghurt and juice. Then we came across a tree that was wounded, which causes the gum to ooze out as a fluid, which clots to make a solid substance.

Thereafter we saw a small plant called Mother-in-law's tongue. The plant is used for various purposes:

• As a medicine for toothache
• It can be woven into a long, thick robe which can hold an object the size of a human body without tearing
• It can be used to tie bundles of wood together

After that we went birding. The first bird we came across was a sunbird. We also saw a Black-headed oriole and a kingfisher passed swiftly by. It has been a great day.

We were also asked to collect a sample of something that we thought valuable, and afterwards each of us had to explain why we considered it valuable. I was very nervous about sharing my thoughts. But guess what! Tomorrow we are doing something much more complicated than just a one-minute presentation - we will be presenting our research projects!

"Oh Lord have mercy!" I'm so freaked out I don't know what to do. I feel like running for my life. I really can't do this! I've never liked presenting and I won't ever get to like it. It is just too difficult for me. I mean; when you stand there in front of everyone you just freeze, run out of words and you really look stupid. But the moment you sit down you think oh! I forgot to say this and that and oh! that was so bad ... I should rather have done it this or that way. [Self-esteem problem!]

Kgaugelo captures data for her poster   Encouraged by SAEON's Joe Sibiya, Kgaugelo overcame her nervousness and gave a presentation to the group on the final day of the camp

FRIDAY

Dear Diary,

Good morning ... well, not good, just morning.

I don't know what to do. I can't believe it's Friday and I have to separate from my friends, although they always tended to get me into trouble!

But that's not the biggest issue here - the presentation is! I don't know how I'm going to survive. But I keep telling myself that the learners have become my friends, so I need not be nervous in front of them. Instead, I should be having fun! I'm going out there to conquer my fear of presentation!

And this is where Kgaugelo's diary ends. You may well ask what happened next? Well, look at the pictures and see for yourself.

Two months later (after spending several hours fine-tuning her presentation), Kgaugelo’s self-esteem had blossomed to such an extent that she confidently addressed a packed audience in Pretoria during SAEON’s annual Education Symposium. Here she is at the symposium with her mentor, Joe Sibiya, Education Officer at the SAEON Ndlovu Node.