encouraged
2 August 2007
Statement by the office of Marthinus van Schalkwyk, Minister of
Environmental Affairs and Tourism, at the official opening of the Environmental
Education Centre in the Polokwane Game Reserve, 2 August 2007
"For a long period of time in South Africa, conservation kept people
separated from our environment. We saw fences and armed patrols as the key to
protecting our natural heritage. That has all changed, and this environmental
education centre and our Kids in Parks programme embody that change. We know
now that people and communities are critical partners in the success of
conservation - especially in our parks. What better way to ensure
sustainability of our environment and our parks than by introducing and
demonstrating their environmental value directly to South Africa's young
citizens," said Minister van Schalkwyk.
After identifying the need in the Limpopo Province for conservation and
environmental education, the Rotary Club and Municipality of Polokwane
partnered in establishing an Environmental Education Centre in the Polokwane
Game Reserve. Annually more than 12 000 children from mainly disadvantaged
schools in the Limpopo Province visit the Polokwane Game Reserve. However,
until now there were no facilities for them to be given formal training on
conservation and environmental issues. The old South African Broadcasting
Corporation (SABC) transmitting building in the Polokwane Game Reserve has been
converted and equipped into an environmental centre to the value of R2,5
million.
The Minister added that "this initiative builds on our successes of our Kids
in Parks programme. Kids in Parks is one of the flagship environmental
education programmes that enables South African National Parks (SANParks) to
reach the children of South Africa." The primary objective of the programme is
to ensure the long-term sustainability of South Africa's National Heritage
(natural and cultural), while also enhancing access for learners from
disadvantaged backgrounds to our Parks.
The Programme provides learners and teachers with the opportunity to expand
their learning environment in a National Park, which, for many of our
disadvantaged learners entails a first-time point of access to some of our most
prized national assets. The Kids in Parks programme further incorporates a
three-day field trip for fifty learners and three of their teachers from a
particular school to one of our National Parks where participants sleep over to
experience the park.
"Ultimately, through the Kids in Parks Programme we are making our
remarkable cultural and biodiversity assets more accessible to the leaders of
tomorrow. Over the past three years approximately 8 000 learners and 330
teachers were introduced to fourteen of our National Parks. These are: Golden
Gate, West Coast, Table Mountain, Kgalagadi, Knysna, Agulhas, Wilderness,
Namaqua, Tsitsikamma, Marakele, Camdeboo, Augrabies, Addo and Kruger National
Parks. All the partners in this programme are fully committed to extend this
programme so that learners and teachers living in close proximity to our seven
other National Parks (Mapungubwe, Karoo, Mountain Zebra, Mokala, Richtersveld,
Bontebok and Tankwa) can also participate in the programme," the Minister
said.
Enquiries to:
Riaan Aucamp
Minister's Spokesperson
Cell: 083 778 9923
E-mail: raucamp@deat.gov.za
Issued by: Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism
2 August 2007
Source: Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism (http://www.deat.gov.za)
