Hands-on learning at Rhodes biology internship programme

Abstract

Skills development I twas Canadian naturalist, David Suzuki, who said: “We can’t blame children for occupying themselves with Facebook rather than playing in the mud. Our society doesn’t put a priority on connecting with nature. In fact, too often we tell them it’s dirty and dangerous. ” This is a fair point – particularly in this age of ever advancing technology, were the majority of youth have a stronger emotional attachment to their mobile phone than to any garden, river, ecosystem or coastline. It is the youth, however, who are fundamental to the preservation of our natural resources, and who will make or break the environmental policies and programmes currently being developed in South Africa. The youth are the lynchpin of environmental stewardship, and without them South Africa’s terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems face an uncertain future. How then do we motivate young learners to become environmental stewards?

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