Field Trip 01: Coastal Dunes
Facilitators: Dr Adriaan Grobler & Prof Richard Cowling Dr Adriaan Grobler is a postdoctoral fellow based in the African Centre for Coastal Palaeoscience at Nelson Mandela University. His interests include the biogeography, ecology and evolution of the flora of the Greater Cape Floristic Region, with coastal dune landscapes being the focus of his research over the past two years. Prof. Richard Cowling is a globally renowned vegetation ecologist and conservation scientist. During his 35-year career as a professional botanist, he and his colleagues have conducted ground-breaking research in community ecology, plant diversity and evolution, conservation science and palaeoecology. Date: 07 September 2022, 12:00 Cost
- South African Citizens and Residents (with ID) R100 per adult
Price includes entrance to the Park. Identity document to be provided. Lunch pack to be provided by Club Mykonos for registered delegates.
Max Capacity: 60
Description: Coastal dunes are present everywhere except Antarctica, but are particularly well-developed in Mediterranean-Climate Ecosystems (MCEs), including the Cape Floristic Region (CFR). In MCEs, coastal dunes comprise small, fragmented and dynamic features with nutritionally imbalanced, excessively drained and sandy soils. These characteristics, along with summer drought and salt-laden winds, pose many challenges for plant colonisation and persistence. MCE dune floras are therefore likely to be distinctive with a high proportion of endemic habitat specialists. Globally, these habitats are severely threatened by alien plants, infrastructure development, tourism demands and rising sea levels due to climate change. During our field trip, we will visit the dunes of the West Coast National Park near Langebaan — a near-pristine example of a Holocene coastal dune landscape in the CFR. Attendees will have the opportunity to acquaint themselves with several plant species endemic to dunes along this stretch of coastline, as well as the various habitats associated with coastal dune landscapes (e.g. rocky coasts, sandy beaches, hummock dunes, mobile sand plumes, stabilised dunes and coastal wetlands) in the CFR. While out in the field, we will discuss the ecology and evolution of the flora associated with these landscapes, as well as challenges for conservation of coastal dunes. We encourage delegates from other MCEs to join, as we hope to highlight similarities and differences in the evolution and ecology of MCE coastal dunes, and to glean from each other ways in which to tackle conservation issues in these ecosystems in the face of anthropogenic global change.
Other requirements: Attendees must please bring enough water for the afternoon as well as sunblock, a hat and comfortable walking shoes.
Preliminary Itinerary:
13:00 Depart from Club Mykonos to West Coast National Park; registration at SANParks reception
13:30 Drive to Sixteen Mile Beach, short walks at various stops to investigate flora and discuss ecology of coastal dune habitats.
14:30 Drive to Tsaarbank picnic spot, short walk to investigate flora and discuss ecology of rocky coastal habitats.
15:30 Drive to Kraalbaai for short walk around lagoon and discussion of estuarine (salt marsh) habitats.
16:30 Drive to mobile dune plume near park exit (on R27 road), short walk to investigate flora and discuss ecology of this habitat.
17:00 Leave park and return to Club Mykonos.
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- SADC Nationals (with passport) R150 per adult
- Standard Conservation Fee R220 per adult (international visitors)
Field Trip 02: !Khwa ttu San Heritage Centre
Coordinated by Bianca Tango Date: 07 September 2022, 13:00 Cost: R480 inclusive of San Guided experience and Heritage centre. Lunch pack to be provided by Club Mykonos for registered delegates. Transfer to and from Mykonos excluded. Max capacity: 130 For bookings contact Bianca on bookings@khwattu.org Description: Visit !Khwa ttu an award-winning San Heritage Centre, the only Heritage Centre in the world dedicated to the San. The story of the San is your story too. It is the story of humankind.- First People – food from our forefathers
Walk with us into the past. Let us introduce you to the story of human origins in South Africa. Use the tools, hear the knowledge and try the food that made life possible.
Once upon a time in (Travel back in time to life in) a village overlooking the ocean …
- Encounters – when cultures collide
When others started to arrive here 2,000 years ago life as our ancestors had known it for centuries, changed irrevocably.
This tour tells a tale you may think you know. But if you join it, you may find your perspective changed in surprising ways… and certainly your thirst will be quenched with refreshing homemade cordial.
- Way of the San – spirit, hunting and gathering
Once we understood not only how to live, but how to live well in the world. Join this tour and discover that so many of the things we consider essential today, are just extra weight. Actually, the more you know, the less you need.
Spend intimate time in our unique and award winning museum. Discover how to see, hear and sense in ways you have forgotten… but will not forget.
- Tracking – reading the signs
Join this tour and realise that to catch your supper you need to know so much more than simply how to shoot a bow and arrow. You need to know how to read the tracks in the sand, beside the water hole, in the wind ….
But it’s not all work – this tour also includes a new world ride on !Khwa ttu’s famous green tractor and view game (eland zebra, springbok...
Preliminary Itinerary: 13h00 Depart from Club Mykonos. Drive on an open vehicle past herds of eland, zebra and springbok. Continue by foot through unspoilt fynbos to a replica village for a compelling insight into the traditional lifestyle and ancient survival skills of the San.- Walk with San guides through the fynbos gardens. The tour includes a memorable home brew indigenous tea ceremony and learning about unique healing qualities of indigenous plants. Story telling in one or more of the click-punctuated San languages, is an unforgettable part of the tour.
- The guided tour in the new thee building Heritage Centre is a must see! The exhibition and guided experience engage body and senses as much as the mind. They demonstrate the skills and knowledge of the San, telling a fascinating story of the origins of modern man on the Southern African coastline.
- A browse through our craft shop calls for unique San handcrafted gifts found nowhere else.
- 17:00 Depart for Club Mykonos
Field Trip 03: Botanical Society of South Africa and CREW (Custodians of Rare and Endangered Wildflowers) Langebaan Flowers
Date: 07 September 2022 Rate: R50.00/ppA self driving tour to see spring flowers, including some local endemics, which highlight the resilience and diversity still to be found in urban nature.
Tour leaders: Rupert Koopman (BotSoc Conservation Manager) and Ismail Ebrahim (CREW CFR Project Manager)
[/av_textblock] [av_horizontal_gallery ids='1085,1084,1082,1081,1080,1079,1078,1077' height='25' size='large' links='active' lightbox_text='' link_dest='' gap='large' active='enlarge' initial='' control_layout='av-control-default' id='' av_uid='av-l2rdfrse'][/av_horizontal_gallery] [av_video src='https://medecos2022.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/20200813_125946.mp4' mobile_image='' attachment='' attachment_size='' format='16-9' width='16' height='9' conditional_play='' av_uid='av-l2rdglx8'] [av_button label='Click here to sign up' link='manually,https://forms.gle/nao1dfkkM4T6jEhh8' link_target='_blank' size='small' position='center' label_display='' icon_select='yes' icon='ue830' font='entypo-fontello' color='red' custom_bg='#444444' custom_font='#ffffff' av_uid='av-l4e864t4' admin_preview_bg=''] [/av_four_fifth] [av_one_full first min_height='' vertical_alignment='' space='' custom_margin='' margin='0px' link='' linktarget='' link_hover='' padding='0px' border='' border_color='' radius='0px' background='bg_color' background_color='' background_gradient_color1='' background_gradient_color2='' background_gradient_direction='vertical' src='' background_position='top left' background_repeat='no-repeat' animation='' mobile_breaking='' mobile_display='' av_uid='av-j71wn'][/av_one_full] [av_one_fifth first min_height='' vertical_alignment='' space='' custom_margin='' margin='0px' link='' linktarget='' link_hover='' padding='0px' border='' border_color='' radius='0px' background='bg_color' background_color='' background_gradient_color1='' background_gradient_color2='' background_gradient_direction='vertical' src='' background_position='top left' background_repeat='no-repeat' animation='' mobile_breaking='' mobile_display='' av_uid='av-frgtz'] [av_image src='https://medecos2022.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/BLSA_GM_profile-300x300.jpg' attachment='1360' attachment_size='medium' align='center' styling='' hover='' link='' target='' caption='' font_size='' appearance='' overlay_opacity='0.4' overlay_color='#000000' overlay_text_color='#ffffff' copyright='' animation='no-animation' av_uid='av-l2rddb40' admin_preview_bg=''][/av_image] [/av_one_fifth] [av_four_fifth min_height='' vertical_alignment='' space='' custom_margin='' margin='0px' link='' linktarget='' link_hover='' padding='0px' border='' border_color='' radius='0px' background='bg_color' background_color='' background_gradient_color1='' background_gradient_color2='' background_gradient_direction='vertical' src='' background_position='top left' background_repeat='no-repeat' animation='' mobile_breaking='' mobile_display='' av_uid='av-vcof'] [av_textblock size='' font_color='' color='' av-medium-font-size='' av-small-font-size='' av-mini-font-size='' av_uid='av-l2rddmeo' admin_preview_bg='']Field Trip 04: Berg River Estuary
Google Maps: https://goo.gl/maps/rQFwbojX4842c1Ms8 Facilitator: Dr Giselle Murison Date: 07 September 2022. 13:30 Rate: R220.00/pp Capacity: 20 max Boat Trip duration: 1.45 hours Enjoy the beautiful Berg River estuary aboard the Cracklin’ Rosie, a small passenger vessel operating from Bokkomlaan in Velddrif that provides a unique perspective of one of South Africa’s most important estuaries for conservation, particularly with respect to its fish and bird species. A recently proclaimed Ramsar site, the Berg supports diverse and abundant bird life: about 127 species of waterbird have been recorded since 1975, some of which are globally or regionally threatened, such as the Cape cormorant Phalacrocorax capensis, or Caspian tern Hydroprogne caspia, respectively. The estuary is one of the largest in the country, covering a total area of c. 61km2. The estuary and floodplain extend around 45km inland incorporating a wide variety of threatened estuarine ecosystem types, including large areas of habitats like salt marsh and intertidal mudflat. The extensive floodplain surrounding the middle and upper reaches makes it unique in the Western Cape. BirdLife South Africa has been working at the Berg River estuary since 2015 and has several projects underway. The tour will provide an introduction to the estuary and the conservation work being undertaken, while also affording the opportunity to enjoy the Berg’s incredible bird life and other natural assets.Dr Giselle Murison (Estuaries Conservation Project Manager, BirdLife South Africa):
As the Project Manager for BirdLife South Africa’s Estuaries Conservation Project, Giselle is responsible for facilitating improved protection and management of priority estuaries within Key Biodiversity Areas (KBAs) in the Western Cape, in partnership with government organisations, other NPOs and local stakeholders. This includes relevant policy input and support, and the initiation, implementation and support of conservation initiatives to benefit estuarine ecosystem health, including habitat management and rehabilitation projects, such as alien clearing, salt marsh restoration and fynbos management, environmental awareness and education, and scientific research and monitoring in key estuarine KBAs.
Credit to © Andrew Bance for the photographs below [/av_textblock] [av_button label='Click here to sign up' link='manually,https://forms.gle/hJWZnoUKLuDLE8zx7' link_target='_blank' size='small' position='center' label_display='' icon_select='yes' icon='ue830' font='entypo-fontello' color='red' custom_bg='#444444' custom_font='#ffffff' av_uid='av-l4e864t4' admin_preview_bg=''] [av_horizontal_gallery ids='1361,1362,1363' height='25' size='large' links='active' lightbox_text='' link_dest='' gap='large' active='enlarge' initial='' control_layout='av-control-default' id='' av_uid='av-l2rdfrse'][/av_horizontal_gallery] [/av_four_fifth][av_one_full first min_height='' vertical_alignment='' space='' custom_margin='' margin='0px' link='' linktarget='' link_hover='' padding='0px' border='' border_color='' radius='0px' background='bg_color' background_color='' background_gradient_color1='' background_gradient_color2='' background_gradient_direction='vertical' src='' background_position='top left' background_repeat='no-repeat' animation='' mobile_breaking='' mobile_display='' av_uid='av-j71wn'][/av_one_full] [av_one_fifth first min_height='' vertical_alignment='' space='' custom_margin='' margin='0px' link='' linktarget='' link_hover='' padding='0px' border='' border_color='' radius='0px' background='bg_color' background_color='' background_gradient_color1='' background_gradient_color2='' background_gradient_direction='vertical' src='' background_position='top left' background_repeat='no-repeat' animation='' mobile_breaking='' mobile_display='' av_uid='av-frgtz'] [av_image src='https://medecos2022.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/20210528_Le_Farge-W_3-300x225.jpg' attachment='1377' attachment_size='medium' align='center' styling='' hover='' link='' target='' caption='' font_size='' appearance='' overlay_opacity='0.4' overlay_color='#000000' overlay_text_color='#ffffff' copyright='' animation='no-animation' av_uid='av-l2rddb40' admin_preview_bg=''][/av_image] [/av_one_fifth] [av_four_fifth min_height='' vertical_alignment='' space='' custom_margin='' margin='0px' link='' linktarget='' link_hover='' padding='0px' border='' border_color='' radius='0px' background='bg_color' background_color='' background_gradient_color1='' background_gradient_color2='' background_gradient_direction='vertical' src='' background_position='top left' background_repeat='no-repeat' animation='' mobile_breaking='' mobile_display='' av_uid='av-vcof'] [av_textblock size='' font_color='' color='' av-medium-font-size='' av-small-font-size='' av-mini-font-size='' av_uid='av-l2rddmeo' admin_preview_bg='']Field Trip 05: Balancing development and biodiversity needs in the Langebaan / Saldanha Bay area
Facilitator: CapeNature and the Department of Environmental Affairs and Development Planning Date: 07 September 2022, 13:15 Tour Leader: Ismat Adams – Land-Use Scientist - CapeNature Tour Hosts: Natalie Hayward - Landscape Unit Manager – CapeNature Marius Wheeler – Landscape Conservation Intelligence Manager – CapeNature Ismat Adams – Land-Use Scientist - CapeNatureJohn Wilson – Department of Environmental Affairs and Development Planning: Biodiversity and Coastal Management
Logistics:
- Self-driving tour – we encourage carpooling
- Max capacity – 10 cars (parking will be restricted at each viewpoint)
- Cost: Participants are requested to carpool and travel at their own cost. We will travel in convoy through the Saldanha Bay Strategic Offset Core Corridor.
- Attendees must please bring enough water for the afternoon as well as sunblock, a hat and comfortable walking shoes.
Preliminary itinerary:
13:15-13:30 – Distribute information pack and maps and depart club Mykonos
14:00-14:30 – Viewpoint 1 - Core-corridor area. Drive to a strategic viewpoint of the core-corridor area and introduce the SSOS and its overall aim. Approximate discussion time of 30 min.
14:45-15:15 – Viewpoint 2 - Offset-required area and no-offset required area. Drive to viewpoint 2 and discuss implementation options, mechanisms to secure land for conservation and streamline development.
15:30-16:00 – Viewpoint 3 – Case study. Drive to a site in the process of development application and discuss practical implications of implementation, for both the developer and decision makers.
Description: Saldanha Bay and surrounds, known for its unique biodiversity, threatened ecosystems and strategic location for human settlement, tourism and recreation and industrial development, presents an interesting case for conservation action planning. Conservation planning and sustainable development aspirations for the area required a fresh approach to finding balance between conservation and development over the long term. With due consideration for long-term development aspiration, the Saldanha Strategic Offset Strategy (SSOS) seeks to unlock development potential in the Saldanha Bay area while ensuring climate change resilience and maintenance of biodiversity in perpetuity. The conservation action approach is strategic in that it aims to meet offset requirements at the level of delineated development area rather than piecemeal for individual projects. The strategy sets out calculated, predefined offset-required areas, offset-receiving areas, and a core non-developable ecological corridor area. Achieving balance and conservation success is dependent upon decisions informed by science-based evidence and buy-in from decision makers, stakeholders, rightsholders and the public. The field trip will showcase areas necessary to ensure climate change resilience and balance biodiversity and development needs. The field trip will touch on mechanisms to streamline development applications, secure biodiversity and fund conservation. The SSOS lends itself to evaluation of design and planning, management and governance leading to successful conservation outcomes. As such, the field trip will also highlight the complexity of securing biodiversity in a multi stakeholder, multi land tenure and rightsholder environment. Credit to © NA Hayward for the photograph [/av_textblock] [av_button label='Click here to sign up' link='manually,https://forms.gle/C8UKK1Fwf4af7Vda9' link_target='_blank' size='small' position='center' label_display='' icon_select='yes' icon='ue830' font='entypo-fontello' color='red' custom_bg='#444444' custom_font='#ffffff' av_uid='av-l4e864t4' admin_preview_bg=''] [/av_four_fifth] [av_one_full first min_height='' vertical_alignment='' space='' custom_margin='' margin='0px' link='' linktarget='' link_hover='' padding='0px' border='' border_color='' radius='0px' background='bg_color' background_color='' background_gradient_color1='' background_gradient_color2='' background_gradient_direction='vertical' src='' background_position='top left' background_repeat='no-repeat' animation='' mobile_breaking='' mobile_display='' av_uid='av-6k3k0'] [av_hr class='invisible' height='50' shadow='no-shadow' position='center' custom_border='av-border-thin' custom_width='50px' custom_border_color='' custom_margin_top='30px' custom_margin_bottom='30px' icon_select='yes' custom_icon_color='' icon='ue808' font='entypo-fontello' av_uid='av-k56tskku' admin_preview_bg=''] [/av_one_full] [av_one_fifth first min_height='' vertical_alignment='' space='' custom_margin='' margin='0px' link='' linktarget='' link_hover='' padding='0px' border='' border_color='' radius='0px' background='bg_color' background_color='' background_gradient_color1='' background_gradient_color2='' background_gradient_direction='vertical' src='' background_position='top left' background_repeat='no-repeat' animation='' mobile_breaking='' mobile_display='' av_uid='av-frgtz'] [av_image src='https://medecos2022.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Screenshot-2022-08-25-at-14.03.41-300x210.png' attachment='1396' attachment_size='medium' align='center' styling='' hover='' link='' target='' caption='' font_size='' appearance='' overlay_opacity='0.4' overlay_color='#000000' overlay_text_color='#ffffff' copyright='' animation='no-animation' av_uid='av-l2rddb40' admin_preview_bg=''][/av_image] [/av_one_fifth] [av_four_fifth min_height='' vertical_alignment='' space='' custom_margin='' margin='0px' link='' linktarget='' link_hover='' padding='0px' border='' border_color='' radius='0px' background='bg_color' background_color='' background_gradient_color1='' background_gradient_color2='' background_gradient_direction='vertical' src='' background_position='top left' background_repeat='no-repeat' animation='' mobile_breaking='' mobile_display='' av_uid='av-vcof'] [av_textblock size='' font_color='' color='' av-medium-font-size='' av-small-font-size='' av-mini-font-size='' av_uid='av-l2rddmeo' admin_preview_bg='']