GARDEN ROUTE NEWS - With the Garden Route City Nature Challenge 2020 taking place from 24 to 27 April, workshops are being organised throughout the Garden Route to enable participants to submit their contributions quickly and easily.
They could be arranged at very short notice, so interested members of the public are asked to follow the schedule on the Facebook page of Garden Route City Nature Challenge.
Information will also be on the dedicated Garden Route City Nature Challenge website.
Any group that needs some help getting started may contact Christine Ridge-Schnaufer at wessageorge@isat.co.za.
The low-down
You do not have to be a fundi to participate in the City Nature Challenge. Perhaps you have a garden, perhaps you walk your dog around the neighbourhood, so you can prepare and practise by going through both the garden and your neighbourhood systematically, taking photos of all the plants - and anything else you spot - and making a file of all the species that you find.
Then you can identify them (with help either online or from knowledgeable friends) and label the photos to have a quick reference for use during the challenge. This will enable you to upload them quickly and correctly before 3 May.
When the Challenge takes place you can retrace your steps through your garden and the neighbourhood and take photos again
Remember, for the challenge both cultivated and non-indigenous species count, and captive creatures too. Workshops have already taken place with all the first and second-year conservation students at Nelson Mandela University George Campus, while the not-quite-so-young had workshops in Mossel Bay, Steenbok Nature Reserve and Leisure Isle in Knysna.
As one of the lecturers said, for once she is pleased to see all the students on their phones in class!
Workshops schedule:
• Mondays 16, 23 and 20 March at The Merchant, Bland Street, Mossel Bay. Contact Sandra: sandrafalanga@gmail.com.
• Thursday 12 March at 16:30, Wednesday 18 March at 15:00 and Saturday 21 March at 10:00. Venue: The Botanist Cafe, Garden Route Botanical Garden, George.
Bring your smartphone and/or laptop with one or two photographs you can use to practise uploading. If you can register on iNaturalist before the training it will speed things up. For general enquiries, contact Christine at wessageorge@isat.co.za.
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