The Iimbovane Outreach Project team was present at the Western Cape Education Department (WCED) Overberg Science Expo held at the Harold Porter Botanical Gardens in Betty’s Bay on Friday the 3rd of August 2012.
Schools from the Overberg district were invited to attend this exposition where various organizations delivered presentations on career opportunities within their working field. Organizations like Leopard and Predator Conservation Project, Iziko Museum and Cape Nature were some of the organisations that encouraged learners to follow a career in biodiversity conservation, focusing on the importance of these fields.
The project also presented the learners with a small challenge where learners had to use a microscope to see how many different types of ant species they could identify in a given sample. Learners were quick to recognize how ants differ in body size and colour, and then used these features to separate the species.The Iimbovane team shared fascinating facts about ants with the learners and gave the learners information about possible careers in the field of biodiversity science and conservation. Learners were amazed at the fact that ants play an extremely important role in our ecosystems, especially where Fynbos and our daily living is concerned. Girl learners were especially excited to hear that the majority of individuals in an ant nest are females!
Several of the schools who attended the science expo participate in the Iimbovane Outreach Project. Schools included Emil Weder SS, Riviersonderend SS, Umyezo Wama Apile and Swellendam SS. It was great seeing some familiar faces amongst the learners and educators.
