Discovering the Okkie Jooste Campsite

Discovering the Okkie Jooste Campsite

It was on a very cold and rainy day when we embarked on a journey to the Okkie Jooste Campsite located at Stellenbosch. After we had settled into our different rooms we went for a biodiversity talk. this talk was very informative because the speaker elaborated on the management and the biodiversity of the  Jonkershoek Valley. He shared some very interesting facts about South Africa's biodiversity. Although the camp was educational we also played some team building games. One of the games required the groups to drink 20 liters of water. Initially the games seemed easy but when it was my turn, i felt like i was drinking the whole valley of water, sadly my group loosed the challenge.

Day 2 we went on a hiking which was very tiring but informative at the same time. My group had to prepare lunch for everyone, but i did not like the part whereby i had to chop the onions. the camp was really fun but we had to shower with cold water. now that made me miss home"res" very badly.

Day 3 we went to see the vegetation and we saw a snake. Everyone was so terrified but the snake was just lying there as if it was dead. We were told that the snake was harmful.later during that day we prepared supper and after that we got ready for the presentation and talent show. We went on a night walk. It was very refreshing and calming to gaze at the stars and listen to the different sounds made by species such as frogs and birds. The presentations were very epic, the groups were very creative.
The talent show was on top of the range,  i didn't know that my fellow  classmates could sing and dance, wow.

In conclusion, the camp was very exciting and educational, it also allowed me to get to know my fellow students better.

my rejuvinating field to the c point

My Rejuvenating field to The Cape Point Nature Reserve

My excitement and anxiety was stimulated by the beauty of nature I saw while embarking on a journey to c point. The sea view, the green trees and shrubs were the most eye catching elements on this journey. The cool breeze that came from the sea was mind relaxing and rejuvenating. We made our first stop at the nature reserve where we had to identify the different kind of flora, fauna that occurred in both the cape flat and Cape point nature reserve. We took a walk trying to observe the fauna and it was so intriguing to see all different kinds of plants. We went on to the house which was some kind of museum where I was captivated by the fact that Charles Darwin once visited the c point nature reserve.

 We made our next stop at the beach where we had to climb a cliff to observe the waves. This was fun however it was breath and energy consuming. It was my first time to see such beautiful waves which were light bluish greenish color. We also learnt about the prison on the devil island and how Papillon managed to escaped from prison through the observations he made. His observations explained that every seventh wave would carry an object out of the sea. He tested his hypothesis by through coconut sacks. He repeated this experiment until he was certain about his hypothesis. He asked assistance from this fellow prisoner. They managed to escaped but his assistance died in sinking sand. Papillon lived to tell the story. Although his idea worked I could not observe his hypothesis because in nature generation of sea waves may change due to climate change.

We then went to the light house. The light house is the highest peak which serves as a navigational aid for boats sailing in the sea. It was a challenge to get to the top of the lighthouse but it was a good exercise too. There was also a Funicular which is a small train that takes you from the lower part of the reserve to the top of the light house. I would have really loved to take a ride on it. While we were walking to the top of the lighthouse I saw signs which stated that there were baboons and I was hoping to see one although I am a bit afraid of them. The post also sent out the warning that we were not allowed to feed the baboons because they have changed their diet and they only take food from human beings. It was really interesting to see that baboons acclimatise so easily in their environment. When we got to the top of the light house I saw the signs that indicated the different countries and their distances from the lighthouse. Rio Dejenerio was the closest to the lighthouse and Beijing was the furthest country from the lighthouse. While we were proceeding from the lighthouse to the bottom I saw a caterpillar for the very first time and I was so excited. I also made observations on how energy is transferred from one organism to another. The caterpillar fed on the plant, the birds fed on the caterpillar and the spiders fed on the small flies.

In conclusion, my experience at the Cape point nature reserve was phenomenal. It was also educational, fun and mind relaxing.

My adventure on the Cape Flats Nature Reserve

My adventure on the Cape Flats Nature Reserve

My experience on the Cape Flats Nature Reserve was a great educational, exciting and extremely energy consuming. This adventure was not only beneficial academically but it also enhanced communication skills. This adventure required good communication skills in order to complete the given tasks. The difficulties I experienced in my group were the lack of communication among the team members.  We had difficulties on agreeing on the same answer. Hence we wasted a lot of time. This adventure also required one to be physically fit because there was a lot of running from one point to another. The part I enjoyed the most was when we had to look for relationships (symbiosis) between plants. The task I found very difficult was the one where we had to spot different types of bird species and the sound made by each. The whole group found it difficult to complete that task hence we just made up numbers. The outcomes of the game reserve as a whole was that we were able to distinguish between different plants and how they interact. We also learned  about the essence of working collaboratively as this is required from a scientist.