KNYSNA NEWS - "There wasn't anything that was not interesting," and "We found out how important the estuary is and why we have to conserve what we have," were typical comments from the 50 grade 10 -12 learners of Knysna Secondary School and Knysna High School who participated in Marine Week activities during October.

The Marine Week activities were organised by Joclyn Fearon, senior environmental officer at Knysna Municipality, with the help of the Knysna Basin Project and SANParks. Fearon said that learners' comments indicated that the organisers had achieved their aim of raising awareness of the environmental importance of the Knysna Estuary and the richness of its animal and plant life.

"We learnt that we have to take care of our estuary because it's one of the rarest in the world," and "I learnt of all the different creatures in the sea," were more of the learners' feedback. The teachers who accompanied the young people, Arlene Groom of Knysna High School and Cornelius Petersen of Knysna Secondary School, were equally enthusiastic and told Fearon how the activities had reinforced the discussions and lessons presented at school.

The three groups of learners from the schools first visited the Knysna Basin Project's laboratory and then were taken to Bollard Bay on Leisure Isle. During their laboratory visit they were given a short lecture by the project director, Professor Brian Allanson, about the key physical and environmental features of the estuary. Project volunteers Maureen Lake and Frances and Peter Smith then showed them specimen of many of the creatures that live along and in estuary. Highlights for the learners included "looking at the organisms under a microscope and being able to touch a bloodworm", the seahorses, sea anemones and colourful sea hares.

At Bollard Bay, the groups spent time exploring three biomes – the sand, rock and eelgrass zones - where they learnt how to find and identify the creatures they had seen in the laboratory in their natural habitats with the help of the volunteers and SANParks rangers led by Shamley Titus. They were able to see barnacles feeding – "I have learnt that barnacles have legs," reported one eager pupil, while another reported he had learnt, "True limpets have gills and false ones have lungs." On the sand they were told that every hole has a creature in it, usually a worm or bivalve, which led one learner to say "I learnt we must walk carefully to protect the creatures in the sea."

The enthusiastic reaction of all the young people and their teachers and their strong desire to find out more were very rewarding for the organisers and volunteer helpers who were delighted that 50 young people had become ambassadors for the estuary and its creatures, spreading the information among families and friends. Joclyn Fearon and the Knysna Basin Project hope to organise follow-up 'shore-search' activities for the learners who have taken part in this year's Marine Week. Fearon is already planning next year's Marine Week, building on the successes of this year's.


Knysna Basin Project volunteer, Frances Smith (left) with learners eagerly waiting for their turn to look at the small marine estuary creatures under the microscope.

'We bring you the latest Knysna | Garden Route news'