SAEON Education Outreach expands to include marine and coastal environment

One of the highlights of the Marine & Coastal Educators Network Conference was the collaboration initiated with the Natal Sharks Board (Picture © National Geographic) Delegates to the Marine & Coastal Educators Network's annual conference (Picture © MCEN)

SAEON featured strongly at the Marine & Coastal Educators Network (MCEN) annual conference held in January at Glenmore EcoCentre at the KwaZulu-Natal South Coast.

Sibongile Mokoena, SAEON's Education Outreach Coordinator, presented an overview of SAEON, with special focus on the Elwandle and Marine Offshore nodes and the role of these nodes in MCEN and marine and coastal education. A SAEON delegate chaired the 'Scientist Speak' proceedings at the Oceanographic Research Institute (ORI), and the 2004-2006 SAEON Overview was distributed to all the delegates.

For Sibongile, one of the highlights of the Conference was the collaboration initiated with the Natal Sharks Board, which led to the undertaking that the SAEON Ndlovu Node would facilitate the Sharks Board outreach to Phalaborwa during Bioscience Month in August.

Improving the quality of marine and coastal environment education

The presentations provided a platform for the delegates to share experiences and to discuss issues of common concern in order to improve the quality of marine and coastal environmental education.

The 35 delegates were mostly teachers or education officers in aquariums, museums, education centres, research organisations (SAEON, SAIAB, Natal Sharks Board, Capfish) and local government.

Eco-tourism network

The area around Glenmore has a well-organised eco-tourism network. Excursions were organised to a banana plantation, coffee farm, space centre, crocodile farm and the uShaka Marine World. Other adventures like snorkeling and kayaking added fun and adventure to the programme.

"My wish is that the education officers of the SAEON Elwandle and Marine Offshore nodes will play an active role in the MCEN and promote effective networking," says Sibongile.

Issues discussed at the Marine & Coastal Educators Network conference included the following:

• Are museums, aquariums and education centres accessible to disadvantaged schools and communities?
• Can/should the long-term benefit of programmes offered be assessed?
• Do teachers regard these education programmes as important educational support or a free day away from the classroom?
• Are teachers sufficiently informed, prepared and confident to present certain themes in the New Curriculum Statement, and what role should the marine and coastal educators play?