Environmental Passion Reinforced at Soetwater Environmental Education Centre (SEEC)

[Liesel James]

MARINE PRIMARY ECO CLUB CAMP AT SOETWATER ENVIRONMENTAL  EDUCATION CENTRE

 

Nothing could stop the enthusiasm of the children from the Marine Primary Environmental club of Ocean View. They started the July holidays with a fun and very informative and educational camp at Soetwater Environmental Education Centre ( SEEC).

Not even when the tropical storm hit our coast line on Tuesday and they spent most of the time indoors. Founder and facilitator Lappies Labuschagne held the children’s attention at all times with local and global information. He explained the importance of looking after our local plant kingdom, animals and community. He explained the story of waste and how it affects our water source. But most significantly is the ancient heritage of our ancestors right here in our Sacred Valley.

Our plant kingdom in Cape Town is the smallest of the 6 plant kingdoms in the world and has the most species than any other one. Lappies awakened that spirit inside all of us to protect our plants and animals including the tortoise, cape otter to mention a few, also fynbos as it could not withstand more fire.

 

When the indigenous people understand and know the heritage of our sacred valley, they will connect with their land again. Lets not forget that there are members of Ocean View who lived in Simonstown, Glen Cairn, Capri and Noordhoek before 1968.

 

If we want to avoid a desert coastline, filled with dust and no life we must educate everyone on the consequences and everyone of us to do our bit. When there is a fire every year all the seeds burn and plants cannot rebirth themselves. Fires are important for fynbos but only once every 20 years.

 

The camp also included many exciting items, a snake and bird show, and more but the rest I am keeping quiet about as it is worth the surprise.

 

Creating Change, the Marine Primary Environmental Club, Marine Primary and the parents of Ocean View and Masiphumulele thank KEAG, Deutche Bank and SEEC for this great sponsorship to our children. It has imprinted some realities, which need to be addressed by everyone living in our valley, and we are committed to our community to educate, preserve and make Youth Ambassadors for the South Peninsula starting with our club. We invite all organizations, schools, institutions and members of the community to talk about this amongst you and get the message out in everyway possible.  

 

The children earned this camp for greatest attendance for their commitment and hard work every Friday afternoon where they clear rubble building soil making beds, securing property, partake in activities such as cooking and utilizing renewable cooking techniques, group work, environmental activism which all forms part of the Creating Change Youth Skills program at Marine Primary, Ocean View.

Creating Change also offers a Role Model Program in collaboration with Roots & Shoots and Jane Goodall Institute on Mondays to grade 4 learners.

On Wednesday afternoons Creating Change offers a Conscious Cooking Course to grade 7 learners.

Once more funding and volunteers committed we will run out a sewing and literacy program.

Please contact Liesel 071.198 7875

Reported by Liesel James, Creating Change  and photographs by Liesel James and Mortimer Petersen 28 June 28, 2012