Umbogavango
Background
The Umbogavango Nature Reserve and Environmental Education Centre is located within an industrial complex situated in Umbogintwini about 25km south of Durban. It was founded in 1989 and has, for 20 years, provided educational courses for grade 7 pupils from a group of senior primary schools in the southern suburban and semi-rural areas of the eThekwini Municipality. The 36 hectare nature reserve within which the Education Centre main building stands, provides a wonderful “outdoor classroom” for the learners, accommodating as it does: -
- two large freshwater holding dams;
- over 200 species of birdlife;
- five birdhides overlooking the dams;
- six scenic walking trails;
- more than 100 indigenous tree types;
- significant “wetland” areas;
- indigenous coastal bush, and
- a variety of small mammals.
The thatched roof Education Centre houses a substantial store of teaching material built up over the years, and which supports the National Curriculum Statement that guides the schools. The Centre hosts approximately 3,500 learners on a daily basis over the last few academic year, who are taxied into the Centre each day from their respective schools in groups of approximately 30 per day for four days per week.
In addition to the above community school learners who visit the Centre, Umbogavango has facilitated an outreach programme to 11 Model “C” schools in the southern areas of eThekwini. This programme benefited on average, a further 6,500 Grade 7 learners annually in the areas of Umbogintwini, Isipingo, Amanzimtoti and Warner Beach.
Umbogavango therefore has interacted with over 10,000 learners per annum over the last few years in the Envionmental Education field - a significant figure by any standards.
The Education Centre is administered by the Wildlife and Environment Society of S.A. in the KZN Region, largely through its Upper South Coast branch who have raised funds and supported the Centre in its work from inception. This funding has now become a critical issue for Umbogavango, hence an application for a Grant-in-Aid from the eThekwini Municipality by the WESSA:KZN Region has been prepared and submitted in mid 2009.
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| View over the dam |
Umbogavango Otter |
CONTACT DETAILS:
Call - 031 467 8507 or
Chris Skinner - 082 572 5308