Sep 10, 2021 | Archives
This week, WESSA welcomed Dr Andrew Baxter as the new Chief Executive Officer. Andrew starts his journey at WESSA in September 2021 with the key priority of leading the organisation through an important strategic review and implementation process as it seeks to reaffirm its role as one of the country’s leading conservation and environmental organisations.
Andrew is known for his strategic and innovative approach to leadership and has experience both in the corporate and non-profit sectors. He is the former head of business development at WWF-South Africa and more recently was the care-taker CEO of the Cape Town Cycle Tour Trust. Andrew has consulted to a wide range of organisations on strategy development, business development and leadership development. He hails from Cape Town and has a well-developed professional understanding of the environmental and conservation sectors in South Africa – across both public and private spheres. Andrew holds a PhD in palaeoecology from UCT and has special interests in landscape ecology, biodiversity conservation and climate change. He is a director on the boards of the Eastern Cape Parks and Tourism Agency, African Habitat Conservancy and is a founding Trustee of the Cape Leopard Trust.
Asked what environmental challenges facing South Africa he believes are critical to address, his list included: Climate change; habitat destruction/biodiversity loss; advocacy – especially around poor environmental governance (both corporate and government); hydric stress and water scarcity – with implications for agriculture and food security; pollution in all its forms and the implications for human wellbeing; the transition from carbon-intensive to renewable sources of energy; protecting our oceans and; addressing issues of (over) consumption and waste.
Andrew is mindful that the tremendous legacy of WESSA, coupled with the commitments from many loyal supporters and stakeholders, will provide strong rallying points to take the organisation forward as it seeks to address critically important environmental issues that confront the well-being of South Africans and the nation’s biodiversity and protected areas on a daily basis.
Andrew believes that Integrity, empathy, and communication are the most important attributes of successful leaders today. He is extremely humbled to be entrusted with the leadership of WESSA, an organisation with a long and proud history rooted in conservation, environmental education and public participation. In a rapidly changing world, he will be leading a diverse, innovative and extremely passionate team of champions. We are looking forward to beginning this new phase of WESSA’s work under Andrew’s leadership.
For more information contact:
Sarah Alcock
WESSA Marketing and Communications Manager
Tel 033 3303931 / 076 213 9873
Email: sarah@wessa.co.za
www.wessa.org.za
May 16, 2021 | Archives
Nominations are invited for the 2021 WESSA Annual Awards. The goals of the WESSA Awards are as follows:
1. To give appropriate, high level recognition to people, groups or institutions for advancing the cause of environmental conservation and/or education in South Africa in an exceptional and sustained manner.
2. To provide an opportunity for WESSA to increase public awareness of local or national achievements in environmental conservation and/or education.
In general, the main criterion for all the WESSA Awards is as follows:
“Any individual, corporate/organisation, community group, educational group, conservation or environmental group who have done outstanding and sustained work for the benefit of environmental conservation and/or education in South Africa.”
Note:
1. The above contribution can be made at a local level, but it should be deemed to be of national significance or be able to be replicated at a national level.
2. In exceptional cases, the WESSA Awards Committee may consider submissions where the activity has not been on a sustained basis.
3. WESSA staff are not eligible for the awards.
Who can make nominations?
Anyone can nominate a candidate for these awards. Nominations are directed to the WESSA Awards Committee at awards@wessa.co.za. www.wessa.org.za 2
Nominations time schedule:
By 30th June 2021, written nominations, signed by the proposer, must be sent to the Awards Committee at awards@wessa.co.za. The Awards Committee will make decisions about the award nominees.
By 15th August 2021 the successful nominee/s will be notified that they are to receive an award. They are requested not to make the award public until they receive the award at the WESSA National AGM.
The awards will be presented to the successful recipients at WESSA’s AGM to be held online on the 11th September 2021
Please note that the Awards Committee’s final decision will be based entirely on the contents of the submission. They will not, as a rule, undertake further research into the achievements of the nominees or the veracity of the claims made. Nominations must therefore be both substantial and substantiated.
Announcement of the awards:
The first public announcement of the awards will be made by the CEO at the WESSA AGM on the 11th September 2021. No public announcement may be made prior to this date.
Procedure for WESSA Awards nominations:
Nominations must be in writing and should include:
1. Full name of person nominated (nominee).
2. Full name and signature of person proposing the nominee (proposer).
3. Present address and contact telephone number and e-mail address of the nominee.
4. Full motivation for the nomination in which the candidate’s exceptional and (where appropriate) sustained contribution(s) to environmental conservation and/or education are described, with a specific focus on outcomes and achievements.
5. An abbreviated Curriculum Vitae of the nominee.
A list of the past recipients of WESSA Awards is available on our website www.wessa.org.za . Only in exceptional cases may previous award recipients be nominated again.
What awards can be made
WESSA AWARD FOR INDIVIDUALS
This is WESSA’s premier award to an individual. The person nominated must be considered to have made an outstanding contribution to environmental conservation and/or education in South Africa over a sustained period of time and at a national level. “Outstanding contribution” in this context is understood to be a contribution over and above what would normally be expected from their work.
WESSA AWARD FOR YOUTH
Youth are increasingly taking on environmental issues and making them their life’s work. In the Youth Award category WESSA would like to acknowledge a young person, under the age of 35 years, who has committed themself to environmental conservation and/or education. This individual should be making an “outstanding contribution” that is having positive outcomes at a national level. www.wessa.org.za 3
WESSA AWARD FOR CORPORATES
This award is made to corporations or institutions for outstanding contributions to environmental conservation and/or education in South Africa over a sustained period of time and at a national level.
WESSA AWARD FOR GROUPS
This award is made to any group of volunteers (e.g. community, educational, environmental) who have done outstanding work for the benefit of environmental conservation and/or education over a sustained period of time. Such contribution could be in their local area but should be of a national significance or be able to be replicated nationally.
WESSA AWARD FOR TEACHER OF THE YEAR
This is a new WESSA award and celebrates the unique contribution of teachers to the Schools and Youth Unit and honours their commitment to improving the quality of environmental education in the South African school curriculum and enriching the lives of their students.
The intention is that a single award be made in each category each year. However, there is no restriction on the Awards Committee to limit awards made in one year. Furthermore, should no suitable candidate/s be nominated, the Awards Committee reserves the right to make no awards or call for more nominations.
Any questions or clarification about the WESSA Awards should be addressed to Sarah Alcock sarah@wessa.co.za
Date: 14th May 2021
May 7, 2021 | Archives
After successfully recruiting a full complement of 104 second year Beach Stewards, WESSA’s Tourism Blue Flag Project enjoyed a number of firsts with them over April:
We enjoyed a problem-free first round of accredited tourism guiding training, over the second half of April. The training facilitators have reported all the groups of stewards to have been receptive and attentive.
Staff of the National Department of Tourism Project undertook their first round of site inspections at our KZN and Cape Town Year 2 hosts. This was followed up with our first Project Advisory Committee (PAC) meeting on 15 th April, at the Two Oceans Aquarium in Cape Town. The meeting was fairly well attended by contact and virtual host representatives. The general consensus was that the new stewards were settling comfortably into their new workplaces with few teething troubles. Some opportunities for hosts collaborations on events were initiated.
About a quarter of our stewards work permanently at beaches, being hosted at municipal beach offices. The majority are gaining work experience at tourism partner hosts; but fulfil their beach steward role over the school holiday periods. These stewards undertook their first beach session over the April school holidays. Below are a selection of photos of the stewards undertaking beach visitor surveys and leading beach activities for local visitors and tourists.
Feb 19, 2021 | Archives
At our graduation ceremony held in Simonstown on Friday, 16 previously unemployed Western Cape
youth graduated from the Tourism Blue Flag Project. Funded by the National Department of Tourism
(NDT), and implemented by WESSA, the TBF Project is a youth skills-training programme. Mr Jonga
Kuhlane of the NDT spoke of how the project aimed to create 200 learnership opportunities over two
years in the tourism sector for unemployed, disadvantaged youth. The placement of these youth, called
Beach stewards, with host institutions also aimed to support municipalities managing the Blue Flag
status beaches and marinas. The project also supported private tourism companies working to build
back better from the severe impact of Covid-19 lockdown restrictions.
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Representing WESSA at the event, Sustainable Tourism General Manager, Mr Vince Shacks, indicated
that of the 23 youth who entered the Programme in March 2020, 16 were graduating after a year of
being placed with local hosts to gain marketable skills and work experience. These include beach
environmental monitoring, visitor surveying, arranging activities and events for beach goers,
administration, guiding, reception, social media updating, enviro-education and visitor services. Of
these stewards, 75% were young women and 2% were disabled youth, all who are being given an
opportunity to enter the tourism economy. Our host organisations included: the Overstrand Local
Municipality, Whale Coast Tourism, Old Harbour Museum, Kleinmond Tourism, Harbour Island Marina,
Shark Spotters, Seaforth Penguin Monitors, Gravity Adventures, African Eagle Day Tours, City of Cape
Town, Shark Warrior Adventures, Edith Stephens Wetland Park, SANCOBB, and the Two Oceans Aquarium.
The graduating Beach Stewards received their certificates of competency for their year-long accredited
tourism guiding training. WESSA TBF Project Manager, Morgan Griffiths shared his concern of how the
tourism industry had significantly contracted due to Covid-19 impacts; however he was encouraged at
how these stewards graduating today have earned for themselves a place in the blue economy, helping
to develop a more sustainable future for themselves and for their local communities. A key element of
their training, which continued virtually over lockdowns, was how to start their own small businesses to
create innovate tourism products. Of the youth who exited the programme over the course of the year,
a number left to start their own small businesses or took up full-time employment. Beach Steward Carol-
Ann Jantjies congratulated her fellow stewards on persevering over the long lockdown periods, and to
take encourage and action from all they had learnt about tourism, networking and creating their own
small businesses.
WESSA is proud to implement this highly impactful youth development programme, and together with
our stakeholders, the NDT, municipalities, and private host institutions, will induct a new group of 104
Tourism Blue Flag Beach Stewards in early March 2021.
For more information please contact:
TBF Project Manager, Morgan Griffiths: Email: morgan.griffiths@wessa.co.za : 072 417 5793
WESSA Group HR, Marketing and Communications Manager: sarah@wessa.co.za : 076 213 9873
www.wessa.org.za
Nov 28, 2020 | Archives
WESSA (The Wildlife and Environment Society of South Africa), the National Operator for Blue Flag officially launched the 2020/21 Blue Flag Season in Durban, Kwa-Zulu Natal.
The ceremony for this prestigious environmental award was held at Ushaka Marine World on the 27 November 2020. In recognition for excellence in safety, amenities, cleanliness and environmental standards, 58 Blue Flags will be proudly flown at 48 beaches, 6 marinas and by 4 sustainable tourism boats around South Africa over the forthcoming 2020/21 South African Blue Flag season. The season officially opens on the 1st December 2020.
The Blue Flag programme also allows for new sites to participate in the Pilot programme in an effort to get themselves up to full Blue Flag status in future. Nineteen Pilot sites received recognition for their efforts in working towards the minimum requirements for Blue Flag Status.
This year, Blue Flag South Africa is celebrating its 20th Anniversary. In 2001, South Africa was the first country outside of Europe to join the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE) on the Blue Flag programme. Since then, many countries outside of Europe have followed South Africa’s example and joined Blue Flag, giving the programme its international recognition. Today the Blue Flag programme is active at 4671 sites in 47 countries.
Attending the launch, eThekwini Mayor Mxolisi Kaunda stated the commitment of eThekwini to improving and increasing the number of Blue Flag beaches along the coastline in order to encourage and attract both domestic and international tourism to all their beaches, over and above the Blue Flag sites. The Mayor went on to say that eThekwini, with over 100km of coastline with tourist attractions and the busiest port in the continent, brings economic benefit to the people of eThekwini and the entire continent.
The keynote speaker at the event was the MEC for Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs, Mr Ravi Pillay. The MEC referred to the COVID-19 pandemic and how it has devastated communities and disrupted the economy, however was proud and positive that even with the estimated 10 to 26 % decrease in holiday makers, the Province still achieved more than the traditional base of 600 000 visitors during the 2020 season. He went on to say “the Province is quietly confident about attracting some 750 000 domestic visitors who come to KwaZulu-Natal to experience it all – the natural backdrops, diverse cultures, the taste of our unique range of cuisine, the myriad of attractions and – of course – our glorious Blue Flag and many other stunning beaches, for which KwaZulu-Natal is so widely renowned.’’
Grotto Beach in the Overstrand Municipality and Humewood Beach in Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality received a special award on the day to recognize the achievement of 20 consecutive years of Blue Flag awards for these two popular South African beaches.
WESSA is committed to continue working together with local municipalities and tourism operators to grow the Blue Flag programme in South Africa. The programme provides an excellent international standard for municipalities and tour operators to strive toward. Sites flying the Blue Flag are showing their commitment to conserving our fragile marine and coastal environment, raising environmental awareness and increasing sound environmental practices.
For more information please contact:
WESSA Group HR, Marketing and Communications Manager
sarah@wessa.co.za : 076 213 9873
www.wessa.org.za
Nov 20, 2020 | Archives
Orion Engineered Carbons S.A. (NYSE: OEC), a worldwide supplier of specialty and high-performance carbon black, today announced that it has funded The Orion Eco Schools Project in South Africa. This program provides opportunities for teachers to grow and improve their teaching and learning methods through hands-on and experiential practices in teaching climate change-related content in the classroom. "Our commitment to sustainability and being a good citizen in the communities we serve is a core value of Orion. Funding this project is a perfect opportunity to support educators in South Africa tasked with improving school curricula related to environmental learning, enabling students to achieve their full potential and a sustainable future," said Corning Painter, Chief Executive Officer of Orion Engineered Carbons.
The Orion Eco Schools Project is part of the Wildlife and Environment Society of South Africa (WESSA) International School Programmes. WESSA is a South African environmental organization which aims to initiate and support high-impact environmental and conservation projects to promote participation in caring for the Earth. For over 90 years the organization has proactively engaged with the challenges and opportunities presented by South Africa’s unique natural heritage, and the social and economic systems that depend on it. The Orion Eco-Schools Project helps teachers to develop critical thinking methods and problem-solving skills in students with a goal to improve the quality of life in their communities.
In commenting on the funding, Donavan Fullard, WESSA School Programme General Manager, said, “The WESSA International School Programme team extends a heartfelt thank you to Orion Engineered Carbons for making the Eco-Schools Programme so successful. We thank you for making the sound choice of investing in teacher empowerment and education for sustainable development. Orion funding is impacting whole school development in ten schools. Orion Engineered Carbons is truly appreciated by WESSA.”
For more information please contact:
Donavan Fullard
GM: WESSA Schools Programme
Phone: 076 790 4989
Donavan.fullard@wessa.co.za
Orion Engineered Carbons S.A.
Investor Relations
Wendy Wilson, +1 281-974-0155
Investor-Relations@orioncarbons.com
