KLEINMOND FYNBOS EXPO

Earlier this year, our branch donated R5000 to Whale Coast Conservation (WCC) towards the Kleinmond Fynbos Expo. The aim of the project was to provide environmental education about Fynbos to 200 local school children. Here is the report on the exhibition, sent to our Branch by the WCC.

On 19 August, Whale Coast presented an Expo on Fynbos to the Grade 6 and 7 learners from Kleinmond Primêr and to the Siyabolela Pre-Primary School.

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Anina Lee demonstrated the four main groups of fynbos plants.
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John Cowan illustrated the amazing plant diversity in fynbos by comparing different parts of Africa. He explained to the learners how the evolutionary pressure of harsh climate, poor soils and fire cause speciation and high biodiversity.
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Kleinmond Primêr learners were intrigued by the fact that a protea head is a whole bunch of flowers and that a pincushion pin changes from male pollen presenter to female stigma during its life.
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They then learned how to use dissecting microscopes to look at how Erica leaves are specially adapted to hot dry summers.
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Pat Miller explained how fynbos is both adapted to fire and reliant on fire to return nutrients to the soil. She demonstrated serotiny in Protea repens. Pat impressed on learners not to start fires in the fynbos, not even to see the helicopter.
Shirley Mgoboza talked about the threats to fynbos through alien plants and human transformation of the landscape through urban sprawl, agriculture and mining.
Shirley Mgoboza talked about the threats to fynbos through alien plants and human transformation of the landscape through urban sprawl, agriculture and mining.

 

The Expo was kindly sponsored by the Kogelberg Branch of the Botanical Society of South Africa. We, and the children, wish to thank them for the opportunity to bring this Expo to Kleinmond.