Demand for shark education is resulting in a very busy Shark Centre!
MARINE & COASTAL EDUCATORS’ WORKSHOP
The education team, Verona Smith and Michael Carnegie, started the new year on the 11 January 2009 by attending the MARINE & COASTAL EDUCATORS’ WORKSHOP in Mossel Bay. This was an opportunity to network with other conservation educators and to learn from them. This was tremendously inspiring and Verona and Michael returned filled with enthusiasm and new ideas for the year. To put the experience in Michael’s own words: “What an awesome experience!”
REQUEST FOR PRESENTATIONS
Many people, groups, societies and schools, and even the Western Province University, and UCT have approached us in order to visit the Centre for a formal presentation; and some have requested that we go out to give formal presentations.
The BLUE FLAG EDUCATION AWARENESS PROGRAMME
This programme kicked off to a good start on Monday, the 9th March at MUIZENBURG BEACH with ideal weather, no wind! What a luck! This good weather carried on to Tuesday at STRANDFONTEIN BEACH, Wednesday at MNANDI BEACH and THURSDAY at CLIFTON BEACH. The following week, Monday 16 March, the programme was run at CAMPS BAY BEACH and ended on Tuesday at BIKINI BEACH. This exciting programme, sponsored by the City of Cape Town, took the following format:
WHAT IS A BLUE FLAG BEACH? – by the City of Cape Town
SHARK CONSERVATION – by Save Our Seas Shark Centre
MARINE & COASTAL POLLUTION – by WESSA
KISS WASTE GOODBYE – A play by the Jungle Theatre
BEACH & WATER SAFETY – Western Province Life Savers
Great fun was had by all the learners, a total of 720. Spending time on the beach was a wonderful way to learn!
SCHOOL HOLIDAY PROGRAMME
We ended the school holiday with the last exciting SCHOOL HOLIDAY PROGRAMME on the 20th January. All these classes were very well attended. This programme gave Moms the opportunity to leave their children with us for a fun-filled morning, learning about sharks, and their importance. They had enormous fun with Michael on the rocks learning about all the wonderful sea creatures that adapt so conveniently to their sometimes very harsh conditions. Volunteer, Roger, assisted with this programme. We ran 6 in total through the December/January summer holiday . We will be running a similar programme over the Easter Holidays.
YES WHITE SHARK EDUCATION PROGRAMME
The City of Cape Town who sponsors the YES WHITE SHARK EDUCATION PROGRAMME, mainly for underprivileged schools, got off to a good start on the 26th February with 60 learners from the Pelican Primary School. A further 60 Grade 6 learners from Battswood Primary School visited on the 5 March and 60 Fractreton Primary school visited yesterday, the 26 March.
EXHIBIT AT FISH HOEK LIBRARY
The FISH HOEK LIBRARY invited us to put up an Educational Stand/Exhibit for LIBRARY ENVIRONMENTAL WEEK. The display was eye catching and has already brought people to the centre. This display was up for three weeks and was taken off today, Friday 27 March. Mathew, our front of house educator, manned the display for a few hours a day, with the assistance of Verona. He was available to answer questions from enquiring minds and handed out shark hats to children
LOCAL SCHOOLS & UNIVERSITIES
Schools such as the local St James Primary School, Grade 2 learners; the St George’s Grammar School, Grade 11 & 12, and 20 pre-school Montessori children visited us for the education programme and much fun was had by all.
Twenty post graduate science students from UWC, who are busy with their Teachers’ Diplomas, visited the centre for a presentation on the conservation of sharks on the 24 February. They enjoyed the visit tremendously and the Dean of Education, Keith Langenhoven, had the following to say: “Dear Verona: Please convey our thanks to your group who so ably and excitingly hosted our students last Tuesday. It was a truly awareness experience and talked about by this group of prospective teachers.”
TOUR OPERATORS
A group of 20 TOUR OPERATORS visited the centre on Saturday the 21 February for a presentation on the conservation of sharks. We are working on getting tour operators to make the centre a “must tourist attraction” for their clients by bringing them here.
CAPE LIVELY LADIES GROUP VISIT
Verona gave a presentation on sharks to a retired group of ladies on Wednesday, 25 March. After the presentation, which the ladies found absolutely fascinating, they viewed the award winning documentary, Sharks in Deep Trouble. Many of the ladies were overwhelmed by the film which has resulted in several ladies requesting presentations to various organizations and societies.
WE ARE SCHEDULED TO GIVE TALKS/PRESENTATIONS TO SEVERAL ORGANIZATIONS – PLEASE CHECK DATES FOR UPCOMING EVENTS.