SAEON-Kids-in-Parks collaboration exposes learners to environmental monitoring

Learners gather under a large camel thorn tree at Mokala National Park to meet the SAEON team. View larger version Marco Pauw, Field Technician at SAEON's Arid Lands Node, explains the vegetation monitoring activity to learners attending the SANParks Kids-in-Parks camp. View larger version Learners enter data collected during their vegetation monitoring activity. View larger version

The objective of the South African National Parks (SANParks) Kids-in-Parks camps is to expose children who would otherwise not get such an opportunity, to national parks - teaching them about the important role of these parks in nature conservation and showing them how to enjoy nature in a responsible way.

SAEON’s Arid Lands Node staff had the opportunity to get involved with this year’s camps held at Mokala National Park from 12 February to 14 March. Grade 5 to 7 learners from schools from underprivileged communities in the Kimberley area attended a series of ten three-day camps, involving lessons and activities on conservation and cultural heritage.

Lessons under the camel thorn tree

On the second day of these camps, learners met under a large camel thorn tree where they were introduced to the SAEON team and learnt more about environmental monitoring and observation. Learners were given a vegetation monitoring activity to perform, designed specifically for their age group and pitched at a level that they would understand, but challenging enough to demand their attention.

With some help from the SAEON team and assistants (SANParks staff/interns and educators from the participating schools), learners conducted their own vegetation survey along a line-transect where they had to identify, count and measure thorn trees encountered in their plots. They also had to estimate the percentage of bare soil and rockiness in each plot.

After the learners had captured the data on a data sheet, the SAEON team discussed the differences between the data collected by each group for the different sites. The learners were made aware of the relevance and importance of collecting such environmental data over time.

Bend a tree while it is still young

The vegetation monitoring activity proved to be a success during each of the camps, despite being interrupted by a visit from buffalo on a couple of occasions. This was the learners’ first exposure to environmental monitoring and hopefully it sparked an interest in some of them which will lead to a career in environmental sciences - as the saying goes: bend a tree while it is still young!

The SAEON team thoroughly enjoyed working with the learners. Their energy and enthusiasm were contagious, and their conversations and banter (and sometimes their questions) were entertaining to say the least. Each school group had their own set of strengths and weaknesses, and the low level of understanding of basic mathematics and science at some of the schools was worrying.

Of particular interest was the participation of schools for children with disabilities. One group of hearing-impaired learners and one group of learners with special needs attended the camps. Both groups showed little difficulty completing the monitoring activity, probably due to the higher level of collaboration observed between learners in these schools, which the SAEON team found very inspiring.

It emphasised the importance of collaboration - a key activity, and strength, of the SAEON network.