Report by Jane le Roux
It was a weekend jam-packed with exams, preparations, presentations, learning and sharing, friendships made, and friendships cemented all in true Bushveld Mosaic style.
Friday evening – As is “standard procedure”, the weekend started with the Archaeology test and then it was preparation time for the Practical the next day. The Grasslands Team were shocked to discover that one of the threats to Grasslands, fire, had occurred on the site they had chosen for their practical since their last visit, and they had to formulate Plan B hastily. Thank you to the Coordinators and Honorary Officers who made an effort to really listen to our presentations and gave us honest feedback to work on overnight!
Jacek had a job keeping the braai fires going until we had all run through our speeches and returned to camp, ready to put in a few more lamp-lit hours in preparation for the big day!
Saturday morning – Crunch time! The opening and introduction were lovely, with the Pretoria Zoo students treating us to a beautiful prayer in song. The Bushveld Mosaic students were torn between running through speeches in their heads and worrying about last-minute preparations but couldn’t help but appreciate the music. Then it was off to the Grasslands and Rocky Slopes to set up for the arrival of the Pretoria Zoo students. Both Bushveld Mosaic group members reported that their groups gelled extremely well despite various challenges, and in the end, they enjoyed the whole experience. The Zoo students were amazing and kept the Bushveld Mosaic students on their toes with their questions and comments during the presentations, and their spontaneity was refreshing. As Shakespeare said, “All’s Well That Ends Well”, and we were all happy with our efforts.
The final event was an extremely original, musical and well-thought-out presentation by the Pretoria Zoo students, focusing on the issue of recycling in a wonderfully positive manner. I had many gooseflesh moments during their presentation of their individual pledges, and I really believe that they will carry them out. I have not singled out any specific person but Parks Leshaba, we are all in awe of what you are achieving with these young people.
Saturday afternoon – A delicious lunch was provided by Bushveld Mosaic and partners, and I heard many comments about the delicious boerewors & chicken, the side dishes and even the vegetarians amongst us loved the spinach and the warm bean salad. In an unusual twist, the Bushveld Mosaic students were given the afternoon off, which many enjoyed resting in the camp or going on a game drive.
Out traditional evening braai was a success, and the socialising around the fire brought many a laugh to all as well as attempts to solve all the worlds’ ecological issues and more!
Sunday morning – Lecture time again, and what a treat. Ian Wagstaff actually started educating us on Saturday evening when he pointed out constellations such as the Southern Cross and its Pointers Beta Centauri and Alpha Centauri and explained the two techniques one can use to determine the South Celestial Pole as well as pointing out and discussing the planet Venus which is known as both the evening star and the morning star and why this is so. For once, Astronomy made some sense to a lot of us.
Next up, Ian Wagstaff presented his lecture on Climate. Besides the background on climate and the long-term average seasonal weather of our geological region, Ian focused on aspects that will be important for us as potential Field Guides and Honorary Officers. These aspects included understanding dew point, air temperatures, which clouds are more likely to produce rain, and what influences them. Daily weather patterns are crucial to Field Guides and Honorary Officers as the resultant weather affects your day-to-day planning, location of campsites, the safety of your clients, and being able to talk about subjects like climate change to our clients.
Once again, thank you to all that played a role in the success of the weekend.