TM
Kids caring for the Earth
ELEPHANTS IN TROUBLE
Volume 34(4), 2013
AWARDS SA Nature Foundation Merit Award Specialist Press Association Award 1992 & 1999 SAB Environmental Journalist Merit Award 2007
TM
Previously published as Toktokkie Magazine (1979-1997) and as a loose insert, Tok-Tokkie (1974-1979), in African Wildlife.
ISSN 1995-6703 Reg. No. 05/04658/08 Official quarterly publication of the Wildlife and Environment Society of SA (incorporated association, not for gain). Registered NPO 000-716
Kids caring for the Earth SUPPORTING:
ELEPHANTS IN TROUBLE CONTENTS
Front cover: This baby elephant is still learning to use its trunk. It is trying to copy its mother eating, but the grass is landing on its head instead of in its mouth!
Features 3. 4. 6. 8. 9. 12.
Vanishing elephants All about ellies Elephant family life What‛s the problem? Saving elephants Ellies in the ecosystem
Photo Chris Galliers
Specials 10. Close encounters with elephants 15. Free State Eco-Schools news: End of a wonderful project 16. Eco-Schools report: Uplands Prep makes a difference 23. Fun elephant projects
Regulars 11. 14. 18. 20. 22.
What‛s news Just 4 Fun: Elephant colour-in Story: Elephant whisperer Puzzles Letters ‘n art
Puzzles, competitions and prizes 14. Just 4 Fun: Elephant colour-in (DVD set) 20. Animal faces (Dino Time DVD) 21. Wildlife word search (book) Prize-winners from Vol. 34(3) 22. Letters ‘n art (surprise gift)
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EnviroKids Vol. 34(4), 2013
Subscribe to EnviroKids Contact one of the partner organisations below: EWT; SAAMBR; SANCCOB; WESSA; Wilderness Foundation; or Wildlands Conservation Trust
Editor:
Roberta Griffiths P.O. Box 30145, Tokai, 7966. Tel./Fax (021) 671-8344.
Sub-Editor:
Ethleen Lastovica Tel. (021) 762-2363.
Layout & Reproduction:
C2 Digital Print Tel. (021) 531-1441 and Ink Design Tel. (021) 705-0933.
Printer:
Creda Communications
Publisher:
The Wildlife and Environment Society of SA, P.O. Box 394, Howick, 3290. Tel. (033) 330-3931. Fax (033) 330-4576.
EnviroKids Advertising:
Rowan Poole: rowan@thefuture.co.za
The views expressed in this magazine do not necessarily reflect those of the Wildlife and Environment Society of SA. Copyright on all content belongs to WESSA and the individual contributors. No part may be reproduced in any form without the written consent of the publisher. Photocopies may be made for non-profit educational purposes provided the source of the material is clearly acknowledged.
Supported by:
VANISHING ELEPHANTS
Today, wild elephants are found only in Africa and Asia. They are the largest and most intelligent of the land mammals, and play an important part in keeping wilderness areas healthy. They also attract many tourists to our country. So, why are elephants in trouble? Over the last 100 years, world elephant numbers have fallen from four million to about 500 000, and they are disappearing at an ever increasing rate. The biggest problem is poaching. They are killed for their ivory tusks that are used for medicine, carvings and jewelry by many people in the East, especially in China. Conservationists warn that soon there may be no elephants left in the wild!
A carved ivory pendant for a necklace
Read this magazine to find out more about elephants and why they are in trouble.
HAPPY HOLIDAY TO ALL OUR READERS As we reach the end of 2013 we wish you all a super summer holiday and festive season. School holidays are about playing and having fun. Baby elephants also like to play, and this one is having a game of soccer in a mud puddle at an animal rescue centre in Kenya.
Dear Readers We have made some changes to the magazine so that we can mail EnviroKids with Environment, an adult magazine produced by WESSA and several other environmental organisations in South Africa. We are all working in different ways to care for wildlife and wilderness areas. Together we can reach more children and spread the message about ‘People caring for the Earth’.
Photo iStockphoto David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust
Pendant photo Shawna 11291/Wikimedia Commons
Photo Rachel Lang
Elephants are huge with their big bodies, flapping ears and coiling trunks, and their babies are comical and very cute! Elephants have been around for 30 million years and once lived in forests, deserts, bushveld and wetlands all over the world – except in Australia and Antarctica.
EnviroKids Vol. 34(4), 2013
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ALL ABOUT Seeing an elephant in the wild is a very special experience that you will never forget. They are fascinating to watch and one of the most intelligent animals. They are also the largest and tallest animals living on land today.
ago. The lower jaw shovel-like tusks were probably used to gather food.
3 The straight-tusked elephants lived in Europe
and today‛s Asian elephants are related to them. They disappeared about 50 000 years ago when climates changed. Early humans hunted these elephants.
4 Humans also hunted Woolly mammoths for
food. They carved the tusks, used them as tools and built houses with them. The last mammoths died out about 4 000 years ago.
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EnviroKids Vol. 34(4), 2013
Only two kinds of true elephants exist today Asian elephants are most common in India. They have small ears; a strait sloping back; one finger-like tip at the end of the trunk; smooth skin with small patches of pink; and two domes on their heads. African elephants have large ears shaped like the continent of Africa; a curved dip in the back; wrinkled skin; two finger-like tips at the end of the trunk; and a fuller and more rounded head.
Photo Yathin S Krishnappa/Wikimedia Commons
• Elephants live for 55-60 years. • The cow carries her baby for 22 months before it is born. • Like thumb-sucking human babies, elephant calves may suck their trunks for comfort. • Only the male Asian elephants have tusks, while both male and female African elephants have tusks. • The elephant‛s nearest living relatives are hyraxes (dassies) and dugongs. • Elephants walk on the tips of their toes. • Elephants chew food by moving their bottom jaws backwards and forwards, instead of sideways. • Although once thought to be the same species, researchers have found that the large Bushveld elephants and smaller Forest elephants of West and Central Africa may be two separate species. • There are three varieties of Asian elephant – Sri Lankan, Indian and Sumatran elephants.
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Photo Rachel Lang
Fact Box
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2 Photo Wikimedia Commons
2 Phiomia lived in North Africa 35 million years
1
Photo Flying Puffin/Wikimedia Commons
Africa about 40 million years ago. Rather like today‛s hippos, it lived in and around lakes feeding on plants.
Photo DFoidl/Wikimedia Commons
1 This pig-sized Moeritherium lived in North
Art Heinrich Harder/Wikimedia Commons
Elephants are mammals. This means that they are warm-blooded, have teats to feed milk to their young, and skin covered by hair. In Earth‛s long history we know that there have been 26 species of true elephants and more than 160 species of elephant relatives.
African elephant.
Asian elephant.
ELEPHANT FEATURES
Elephants like to drink and bathe and will walk long distances to find water. Bulls can drink up to 100 litres of water at a time. During the dry winter months when there are no pools, elephants use their front feet to dig for water in dry riverbeds.
Photo Rachel Lang
An elephant‛s skin may be up to 4 cm
thick and is covered in small wire-like hairs that help mud to stick to the skin. Elephants keep cool by spraying themselves with water and mud, and take mud baths. The mud protects them against sunburn. When the mud dries, the elephants rub it off on trees. This gets rid of skin parasites trapped in the mud. The picture shows a newborn Asian elephant.
Elephants eat large amounts of plant food. Their trunks can reach low to get grass and roots, and up to 6 metres high to reach fruit and leaves on trees. To reach the top branches, they may lean their heads against a tree trunk and push it over. The food is only partly digested, so their dung is very fibrous and makes good compost for plants.
footprint
Elephants have five toes, and the whole foot is covered in a thick pad of muscle and cartilage – a bit like wearing padded slippers. The pads allow them to walk softly and quietly, and to pick up vibrations from the ground. The pads have lots of small lines and cracks under them, so each elephant has its own footprint pattern (see photo), just like our fingerprints. Words Rachel Lang
Elephants have a very good sense of smell. You can often see them lifting their trunks to smell the air. African elephants can carefully pick a single fruit from a marula tree with the two finger-like tips of their trunk. Elephants use their trunks as a snorkel when wading through deep water, or as a hosepipe to spray themselves to keep cool.
EnviroKids Vol. 34(4), 2013
Photo Rachel Lang
Photo Chadica/Wikimedia Commons
Photo Sophie47/Wikimedia Commons
Baby Asian ellie
Photo © Rute Martins, Leoa Photography/Wikimedia Commons
Elephant ears are like large built-in fans and contain many blood vessels. As the elephant flaps its ears, the blood is cooled before being pumped to the body to keep it cool.
Photo Chris Galliers
Photo Rachel Lang
The tusks are specially adapted teeth that grow throughout an elephant‛s life. They are used to dig for food. Bull elephants use their tusks as weapons when competing with one another for females.
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Elephant Family Life
The matriarch
leads the herd
Photo Grant Atk
Elephant family herds are made up of cows and their calves. The oldest female, ‘the matriarch’ who is usually a grandmother or great-grandmother, leads the herd. She has years of experience and knows where to find food and water. Young females stay with the herd as they grow up, but bulls become too boisterous in their teenage years and leave the herd to stay alone or in small groups.
inson
Elephant groups
.
Family ties
Photo Helena Atkinson
The bond between elephants is very strong. When a herd member is ill or in trouble, the other elephants will try to help it. If an elephant dies the herd may stay with the body for some time and appear to be mourning their loss. At the age of 50–60 years the matriarch slowly hands over her leadership to the next oldest female. As the matriarch’s teeth wear down with old age and she can’t eat properly, she moves away to stay where there are plenty of soft plants to eat. Mothers have a strong bond with their calves.
The elephant day
Alert and sniffing the air for danger.
Atkinso Helena
Photo Helena Atkinson
Touch: When elephant friends meet they curl their trunks around one another, and sniff each other’s body, face and mouth while rumbling a quiet greeting. Friends often stand head to head, and when an elephant is frightened, the others stand up close and caress it with their trunks. EnviroKids Vol. 34(4), 2013
er.
d show
a mu Having
Sight and smell: The way that elephants hold their ears and trunks shows others what mood they are in. When suspicious or threatened, they spread their ears to look bigger, and raise their trunks to smell the air. Elephants have a keen sense of smell and quickly detect the scent of human hunters or lions.
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Photo
Communicating
n
As elephants need to eat large amounts of plant food, they spend most of their day feeding on fruit, leaves, grass and bark. They usually feed in the morning, afternoon and around midnight. In between they may move to a new place, socialise with others in the herd, and groom themselves by scratching their skin on a log, rock or tree. They also need to drink clean water, bathe, and take mud baths or showers as part of their routine. When they rest they sleep for a short while, usually in the very early morning and during the heat of the day.
Photo Grant Atkins
on
Sound: Elephants can squeak, trumpet by blowing air down their noses, and make deep rumbles that we mostly can’t hear. The rumbles travel long distances through the ground and elephants can detect them through their soft padded feet. It is thought that lone bulls use deep rumbles to communicate with other elephants that are far away.
Baby elephants Photo Grant Atkinson
Females give birth to a single calf. At first their trunks hang like floppy rubber pipes from their faces, and it takes quite some time for them to learn to use it. When a baby is born, the herd gathers round, touching it and rumbling with excitement. The baby feeds on milk from two teats on the mother’s chest. A newborn calf.
Photo Grant Atkinson
Baby elephants stay close to their mothers, and until they are about one year old they can hide under her tummy. If a predator threatens the herd, the adults form a tight circle around the young ones to protect them. When tired, the babies lie down to sleep, and when the sun is hot, mothers shade their sleeping calves with their shadows so that they don’t overheat. Mothers reassure their babies by stroking them with their trunks, but naughty babies get a quick slap!
Keeping safe under mum's tummy.
Playtime
saying? What might these elephants be
Photos Grant & Helena Atkinson
Baby elephants have lots of time for play. Games include chasing, pushing and shoving, climbing on their playmates, practicing to use their trunks, or just messing around and playing the fool. Playtime.
Words Roberta Griffiths
EnviroKids Vol. 34(4), 2013
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What’s the problem?
Elephants are disappearing A beautifully carved
elephant tusk.
Photo E235/Wikim
edia Commons
Across Africa, elephants are disappearing, mainly because they are being poached at a faster rate than ever before. They are killed for their ivory tusks that are modiďŹ ed eye-teeth growing from the upper jaw. In the days before plastic, ivory was used to make carved ornaments, jewelry, piano keys and many other things. Today, ivory is most valued in Eastern countries such as China, Thailand and the Philippines.
In the 28 years from 1979 to 2007, the African elephant population dropped from 1.3 million to around 500 000. Last year about 36 000 elephants were killed in Africa and we are now losing one elephant every 15 minutes. Elephants are likely to become extinct in West Africa as that region has lost nearly all of its elephants. The small Forest elephants of tropical Central African forests are presently most threatened by poaching. Because so many elephants have been killed, Southern Africa now houses about half of Africa’s remaining elephants. It is our responsibility to the world and future children to protect them. Unfortunately, as the elephants in Central and East Africa are killed, the poachers are moving towards Southern Africa.
Wilderness areas are shrinking Another big problem for elephants is that they are losing their wilderness areas. Forest and bushveld areas are being changed as people develop the land. Wild elephants and humans do not get along very well as elephants regard croplands as free restaurants. They are also considered dangerous to people so farmers want the elephants removed from the land.
Poachers target the largest elephants Elephants are special, and a natural part of our wilderness heritage. A world without wild elephants is not a world we want to live in. We need to make sure that they survive as it is the right thing to do.
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EnviroKids Vol. 34(4), 2013
Poachers usually get their ivory by shooting the elephants and cutting out their tusks. As ivory is sold by weight, poachers target the largest and oldest adults with the biggest tusks. Large, old elephants are very important in elephant society as the younger elephants rely on them to teach and guide them, especially within a herd led by a matriarch. Without this guidance, young elephants can become problem, or rogue, animals. We need to study and reduce these long-term effects on elephant social life, so that we can manage them better.
Saving elephants Elephants Alive – working with elephants Elephants Alive is an organisation that works with Save the Elephants. It has researched and tracked elephants in the Greater Limpopo region for the last 10 years. Supported by WESSA, the group promotes an awareness of elephants and the problems they face. Elephants Alive has been putting satellite collars on elephants to see where they roam which helps us to understand why they spend more time in some places than in others. Look at the map to see where a big WESSA-sponsored elephant (called WESSA of course!) has spent most of his time in the Kruger National Park. The green area shows where he has been, and the red shows where he spends most of his time.
Elephants are darted to make them sleep. A vet can then check their health, and fit a tracking collar.
How can we help elephants? •
Don’t buy, sell or wear anything made from ivory.
•
Tell others about the plight of African elephants and how they can help.
•
Support and help to raise funds for organisations such as the WESSA Elephant Project, Elephants Alive, and Save the Elephants.
•
Support eco-tourism by visiting reserves that have wild elephants, and learn more about them.
•
Educate people by letting them know that elephants are killed to remove their tusks. If more people know this they won’t want to buy ivory products.
•
Use social media to raise awareness about the horrors of elephant poaching.
•
Support game rangers who look after elephants and fight the poachers. These passionate rangers often risk there lives for elephants.
•
Write letters to governments and politicians in countries where elephants are not protected and ivory goods are made and sold.
Measuring a tusk.
Fitting the tracker to the collar.
Art Michelle Henley
A newly collared elephant waking up.
WESSA‛s movements in the Kruger National Park.
WESSA, the elephant is going to be a ‘large tusker‛. By Chris Galliers and Arishtha Dukhi
Protecting elephants is not easy, but thankfully, many people are working to save them. Can you or your school help too? EnviroKids Vol. 34(4), 2013
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Many people don’t like zoos and wish that the caged animals were wild and free. Visiting an elephant sanctuary* is a different experience. In sanctuaries you can see elephants close up, and they are free to roam and feed as they want. The Waterberg Academy in Vaalwater (Limpopo Province) has been a WESSA Eco-School for 8 years. They like their learners to experience the magnificence of nature so that they can learn to care for the Earth. When their pre-school children were invited to visit Shambala Game Reserve, their teacher Joan Leonard prepared her class with these words: ‘Don’t be alarmed by their huge size. Remember that they may be sensitive to being close to us, and might also be startled by sudden movements or loud noises – even if The elephant group. they are our happy and excited sounds’. Indeed, Jan-Carel Els warned his fouryear-old class mates that if an elephant put its foot on someone they would look like a pancake! The family of nine elephants at Shambala Game Reserve came from Zimbabwe as they were under threat of being killed. They have been trained by using positive rewards, much like the star chart used to reward children for good behaviour and work. Each elephant has its own handler with whom it shares a close lifelong bond.
Mickey saluting.
Watching and learning about elephants.
On the day of the visit, the elephants’ approach was almost silent. All that could be heard was an occasional command being given by the handlers. The handlers and Mickey, the dominant bull, led the herd to within 100 meters of the children so that they could watch the elephants feed. Mickey was then brought to within five metres of the group. The children were in awe, of him and were wide-eyed and silent as they learned about elephants. Mickey gave the group a welcoming salute by lifting his trunk back over his forehead. He showed the children his Mickey lies down so that Thabo can get off. head-shake wave and dust flew all around. Next, two children at a time were invited to meet Mickey and to touch his skin and feed him. Micky also showed off his great memory and sense of smell by picking up the correct child’s hat from the ground and handing it to Thabo, his handler. The children will always remember this encounter with the elephants. Feeding Mickey.
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* A sanctuary is a place of safety.
Text and photos from Joan Leonard of Waterberg Academy
Edited by Cathy Dzerefos
E
W
S
What’s N HOLIDAY VIEWING Dino Time
Dinosaurs are firm favourites for children, so the animated movie, Dino Time, is sure to be popular. Ernie, a young boy, loves an adventure, whether he’s zooming around town on his rocket-powered skateboard or stealing an early peek at the new fossil exhibit at the Dinosaur Museum. While at his friend Max’s house, Ernie stumbles upon Max’s dad’s latest invention, an egg-shaped time machine. When his sister, Julia, bursts in on the boys, the time machine whisks them away to a lush jungle and into the nest of a T-Rex dinosaur named Tyra. She mistakes them for her newly hatched children who are joining her hyperactive dinosaur son, Dodger. The children only have a short time to find their way back to the present before the real eggs hatch! EnviroKids has kindly been offered one Dino Time hamper containing a branded skateboard, a helmet and a Blu-Ray DVD, and 3 regular DVDs to be won as prizes – see page 20.
Safari Sisters Safari Sisters is a collection of 3 DVDs that contain the 6 episodes of a TV series about wildlife filmmaker Kim Wolhuter and his two daughters Penny and Lindy. They have accompanied their dad on his film trips since they were babies. The series shows the life of a filmmaker and how the children learn about the African bush. To win one of 3 sets of DVDs donated by Next Video see the page 14.
HOLIDAY READING Just So Stories Many generations of children have grown hearing Rudyard Kipling’s Just So Stories which were first published in 1902. They tell you how the leopard got his spots; why cats think they own the place; why rhinos are cranky; what crocodiles like for lunch; and many other tales. This edition, illustrated by Alex Latimer was recently published by Penguin Books South Africa. Find it in all good bookstores and put it on your Christmas wish list. See pages 21 to win a copy. EnviroKids Vol. 34(4), 2013
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ELLIES IN THE ECOSYSTEM
î Habitat changers: Elephants often pull branches off trees, or push them down to eat the leaves and seedpods on the upper branches. This behaviour destroys the habitats of forest animals like monkeys, small antelope and birds, but also creates a grassland habitat for zebra, rhino and wildebeest.
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 Well-diggers: In times of drought, elephants use their tusks and trunks to dig into the sand of riverbeds to find water. The pools that they create can be vital to the survival of other animals and birds. Even the deep muddy footprints of elephants fill with water, forming small pools in which mosquitoes and other insects breed!
Elephants are the largest and heaviest land animals. They can change the environment and have an effect on other animals and humans. Scientists call them a ‘keystone species’ because their presence or absence has a big effect that is ‘the key’ to the existence of other species. Here is why they are so important in nature. Road–makers: Forest elephants push their way through dense trees, creating paths that can be used by other animals. In fact, the only way that humans can get around in some dense forests is by following elephant paths!
Elephants feed birds: Several kinds of birds benefit from elephants. Oxpeckers eat lice, ticks and other parasites on their skin and hair. The birds get an easy meal and the elephants have their harmful pests removed. Cattle egrets also like to ride on the backs of elephants, or walk next to them, snatching up and eating grasshoppers and other insects disturbed by the elephant’s feet.
female
male
louse 4mm long
Elephants as homes: Elephants are the only homes for several types of worm that live inside their gut, and for Elephant lice that live only on their skin. The lice spread to other elephants when two animals touch and rub one another. However, where elephant numbers are low, this seldom happens, so the lice may be in danger of becoming extinct!
Seed-spreaders: Elephants do not have a very efficient digestive system, so many seeds pass though them undigested and are spread to new areas ready packaged in nutritious poo compost! If elephants die out, some kinds of trees will also die out. Food providers: Elephants eat an enormous amount of food, about 100–200 kg a day and as a result, make huge amounts of poo! Elephant poo is an important fertiliser for plant growth, and is food for many small animals, particularly dung beetles. Baboons and birds also like to pick through the poo to find undigested tree seeds to eat. Words Charles Griffiths Art Gill Pearson
EnviroKids Vol. 34(4), 2013
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ELEPHANT COLOUR-IN COLOUR IN
3 Sets of Safari Sisters to be won – see page 10.
Two young elephants are having a great time playing with water. Photocopy this page and colour in the picture. Attach a completed copy of the competition entry form on page 21 and send it to EnviroKids.
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EnviroKids Vol. 34(4), 2013
Art Gill Pearson
Free State ws e n s l o o h c S o c E END OF A WONDERFUL PROJECT This is the last in our series of reports about the Free State Eco-Schools project that was funded by the National Lotteries Distribution Trust Fund. Many teachers and children learned about climate change and how to improve their environment and live more Earth-friendly lifestyles. There were many memorable opportunities and experiences and some of them are shown below. 400 learners went on 3-day Climate Change courses at Koppiesvlei Outdoor Education Centre.
Samuel Johnson learners making an Enviro-meal.
St Andrews (Welkom) learners making a bottle-bin.
Bergmanshoogte learners tackling the Soetdoring obstacle course.
2 000 learners went on 3-day environmental education camps at Soetdoring Nature Reserve and Koppiesvlei Outdoor Education Centre. 16 teachers attended the Environmental Education Association of SA conference in Grahamstown.
In 2013 all 225 registered Eco-schools received gardening equipment, seeds and seedlings to assist with their vegetable gardens.
EEASA conference participants in 2012.
Gardening equipment ready for handing out to schools in Qwa Qwa.
The first 200 Eco-schools registered received 8 recycling bins, a paperbrick press, and a can crushing press to assist their recycling projects.
Seedlings have grown well at Tjhabelang School.
Alpha Farm home-schoolers showing another use for recycling bins!
About 250 teachers attended 7 workshops presented in all 5 districts of the Free State.
Teachers from Reseamohetse making ‘Tetrapak’ wallets.
We say thanks to the National Lotteries Distribution Trust Fund that made this all possible, and congratulations to all the Free State Eco-Schools with their wonderful projects. We trust that you will continue using what you have learned and received in your Eco-Schools programmes for years to come. EnviroKids Vol. 34(4), 2013 15 Words Delana Eksteen Photos Christelle Erasmus & Iranda Kroon
Eco-Schools Repor t
Earlier this year, the Grade 4s at Uplands Prep School in White River, Mpumalanga, enjoyed learning about raw and manufactured materials in their Natural Science lessons. Their teacher, Mrs Renata Stewart, designed some interesting worksheets and a variety of activites for the class, including two environmental projects.
Clay Rhinos
The first project involved ‘clay’, and for their art lessons the children moulded beautiful rhinos from clay. As they live in the Lowveld, the children are very aware of the problem of rhino poaching, so they poured their love and hearts into making their rhinos. Some of the artworks were then auctioned at a SAVE THE RHINO fundraising dinner. Eleven were sold, and the remaining 40 clay rhinos were bought by parents. All the money raised went to the WESSA Rhino Fund in the Lowveld.
Upcycling plastic
Jayla-Jade (left) made a room divider.
e clay rhinos
was fun.
Making th The second project was to create useful items out of recycled plastic. The children learned that we need to look after our non-renewable resources such as coal, natural gas and crude oil. Instead of buying existing plastic products, the children were challenged to make things from recycled plastic. The objects had to have a use, and the children made some amazing items and learnt that ‘upcycling’ is a fantastic solution to reusing waste plastic. The final products were so successful that a special ‘enviro’ assembly was held for the children to show what they had made. There were lamps; lamp shades; toys; desk organisers; bird feeders; and many other useful objects – you can see them in the photos.
Mrs Greenbody's rap
A poem or rap was written by Mrs Stewart, alias Mrs Greenbody, and performed by the Grade 4 class at a school assembly. It was wonderful to see the many creative ways in which we can use common plastic items. Mrs Greenbody with a scarecrow in the garden.
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EnviroKids Vol. 34(4), 2013
Recycling is Fantastic Rap by Mrs Renata Stewart, Grade 4 teacher. GROUP 1:
Look around, there’s so much plastic. Let’s recycle, it’s FANTASTIC!
GROUP 2:
CRUDE OIL is where plastic starts. Gooey and black out the ground it blasts! Look around, there’s so much plastic. Let’s recycle, it’s FANTASTIC!
Hannah Guthr ie with her lamp.
GROUP 3:
Don’t forget that you can use COAL too! And NATURAL GAS…. to mention a few! Look around, there’s so much plastic. Let’s recycle, it’s FANTASTIC!
GROUP 4:
Off to the factories, these NON-RENEWABLE RESOURCES go. Add chemicals and heat and LOOK… what there is to show! Look around, there’s so much plastic. Let’s recycle, it’s FANTASTIC!
GROUP 5:
We can all do our bit to help the EARTH, RECYCLE our plastic and give it a new birth! Look around, there’s so much plastic. Let’s recycle, it’s FANTASTIC!
GROUP 6:
Let’s stop ripping this energy from the ground, There’s lots of reusable plastic to be found. Look around, there’s so much plastic. Let’s recycle, it’s FANTASTIC!
GROUP 7:
That’s what WE did, right here in Grade 4. We up-cycled plastic and made some more! Look around, there’s so much plastic. Let’s recycle, it’s FANTASTIC!
n lamp by A lovely spoo th. la P d Je
Chazlyn (front right) made a spoon mirror. blue
LAMP SHADE GROUP: LAMP SHADES can be made, to bring in light. Plastic that once laid around is now out of sight! TOY GROUP: We made some TOYS, and as you can see They help keep us out of mischief, and busy as BEES! BIRD FEEDERS: BIRD FEEDERS… are amazing to have around, Keeps nature happy when seeds fall to the ground!
made a rhino Ataico Diallo ypigg bank.
ORGANISER GROUP: Where can we put all our ‘bits and bobs’? We know…make some containers for all you’ve got! Look around, there’s so much plastic. Let’s recycle, it’s FANTASTIC! OTHERS:
All our things from plastic are made, Reused plastic can SAVE THE DAY!
For more information about Eco-Schools contact Bridget Ringdahl, Tel. 033 330 3931, bridget@wessa.co.za. Submitted by Sue Kloeck, Teacher/ Librarian, Uplands Preparatory School.
More creative projects with plastic. EnviroKids Vol. 34(4), 2013
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y: r o t S
Elephant Whisperer This is the story about a man called Lawrence Anthony. He was known as ‘the elephant whisperer’ because of his special relationship with elephants. Photo courtesy Laura Hammond Pan Macmillan
Some years ago, Lawrence bought a piece of land in Zululand, KwaZulu-Natal that had been used for hunting, and turned it into a private game reserve. He called it Thula Thula which means ‘quietly quietly’. He and his wife Françoise, oise, who came from Paris in France, built a lodge where people could stay and learn about the animals in the reserve.
Nana being friendly towards Lawrence.
Françoise with an orphaned baby elephant.
One day Lawrence was asked to save the lives of a herd of 7 elephants by bringing them into the reserve. The elephants had been badly treated by their previous owners and had become very aggressive towards people. They would have to be shot if a new home was not found. Lawrence agreed to take them, and when they arrived he put them in a strongly fenced area called a boma until they got used to their new home.
The boma was surrounded by an electric fence, but on their first night the elephants broke it down. They escaped and ran into the nearby Umfolosi Game Reserve. The Umfolosi rangers used a helicopter to find and dart them so that they fell asleep. The 7 elephants were then safely loaded onto trucks and returned to Thula Thula. Back in the boma, Nana, the leader of the herd (called the matriarch), kept charging at Lawrence every time she saw him. She would have killed him, if she could. 18
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Nana and her young family.
Photo Andrew Argent
Lawrence was very worried that the elephants would break out again. If they did, they would be shot as they were a danger to people living just outside the reserve. So Lawrence decided to stay with the elephants day and night, camping outside the boma. He kept talking to them and telling them they had no need to fear him. Nana continued to charge him, but then, one day, something changed.
The elephants tried to eat the house’s thatched roofs.
Instead of charging him Nana came to the fence, put out her trunk to smell him and allowed him to touch her. Once she had accepted him, the rest of the herd did too. Lawrence was then able to let them out of the boma to roam in the reserve. One night Lawrence and Françoise Fran oise were awakened by strange sounds. The elephants were eating the thatch off the roof of their house and the flowers in Françoise’s Fran oise’s garden. Nana came right up to Lawrence and again reached out her trunk to him.
The herd walked to the house in single file after Lawrence’s death.
After that the elephants often came to the house and seemed to know when Lawrence went away. They always gathered at the house when he returned, as if they were welcoming him back. Strangely, one day he missed his plane, and the elephants, who were on their way up to the house, suddenly turned around and walked away. When Lawrence finally arrived a day later, they were all back waiting for him!
Promise, the head ranger enjoys teaching children about wildlife.
Nana had a very special relationship with Lawrence. When her baby was born she brought it to show him. He in turn showed the elephants his grandchild when he was born, and the elephants all held out their trunks to touch and sniff the baby. Lawrence treated the elephants with great respect, and tried to understand them. But he always said they were wild animals, and had to be approached with caution.
When Lawrence died unexpectedly in March 2012 the elephants seemed to know. They gathered from all around the reserve and walked to the house in single file. They stayed there for two days, as if they had come to mourn and pay their respects. Lawrence was a man who loved animals and developed a very special understanding of them. The book ‘The Elephant Whisperer’ is his story of how he saved the elephants, and how they in turn came to trust and accept him. Today, people can visit Thula Thula and see the herd – now grown to 24 elephants. Story Sally Argent
Photos courtesy Thula Thula
Lawrence’s book is wriiten for adults and is published by Pan MacMillan.
EnviroKids Vol. 34(4), 2013
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One Dino Time hamper with a Blu-Ray DVD, and 3 standard Dino time DVDs up for grabs Note: mark on your entry whether you have a Blu-Ray or Standard disc player.
Animal Faces Photocopy this page and match a name to each photo. Write the names below the pictures and send us your answers together with a completed copy of the competition entry form on the next page.
FOR EXTRA FUN
Some animal names to choose from: BROWN BEAR HYAENA BUFFALO
CHEETAH
ELEPHANT SHREW
ELEPHANT LION
RHINOCEROS BEETLE
ZEBRA
LEOPARD
RHINOCEROS TIGER
WARTHOG
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Find the answers on p. 22.
Photo Grant Atkinson
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LEOPARD TORTOISE
• Which animals belong to the Big 5? • Which belong to the Little 5? • Which animal does not naturally occur in Africa?
Photos Wikimedia Commons
Write name here
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EnviroKids Vol. 34(4), 2013
WILDLIFE WORD SEARCH Find the animal names in the word search and colour them in. When you have found all the names there will be six unused letters left. Put them in the right order to make the name of an animal that children love to watch. What is it? Send your answer to EnviroKids together with a completed copy of the entry form below.
Two storybooks to be won.
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PRIZE-WINNERS FROM ENVIROKIDS VOL. 34(3) OCEANS AND CLIMATE CHANGE SEAHORSE COLOUR-IN: The Eco String Dolls have been won by Benjamin Snyman (5) of Polokwane; Ellie Alsen (7) of Westville, Durban; Onele Tshambula (11) of Ixopo Primary School; and Molaba Thoriso (13) of The Future Comprehensive School in Lebowakgomo. OCEAN LIFE SPOT-THE-DIFFERENCE: The T-Rex goodies were won by Antonio Rodrigues (12) of Glenwood, Durban; Kai Peters (11) of Piet Retief; and Romy Stevens (11) of Green Point, Cape Town. FIND MY NAME WORD SEARCH: Ella Douglas (8) of Franschhoek; Marc Codd (11) of Claremont, Cape Town; and Joshua Carr (11) of Piet Retief have won the Guinness World Records 2014 books. Competition Entry Form. Copy, fill it in and send to EnviroKids, P.O. Box 30145, Tokai, 7966. Tick one of the boxes:
I have a Blu-Ray DVD player
Name . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
I have a Standard DVD player
☎ (. . . .) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . code
Age . . . .
Postal Address: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Code: . . . . . . . . . . .E-mail: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Are you a WESSA member? YES
NO
What are your 4 favourite pages in this issue? Page numbers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . What would you like to read about in EnviroKids? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . NOTE: Each entry must have a completed copy of the entry form attached. Providing an e-mail address helps us to inform you of the parcel tracking number if you are a winner. Send all entries in one envelope to save stamps and paper. Competitions are open to all children of 15 years and under.
Puzzles Roberta Griffiths
EnviroKids Vol. 34(4), 2013
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ids oK 145 virox 30 n E . B kai P.O
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Remember to atta c e-mail and ph h you one rn num ame, age, address, ber to each entry.
A star means that you have won a surprise gift!
ids Dear EnviroK
pture. for a rhino ca y d a re t go d Romeo. I woke up an ier this year a rhino called ck a tr to le One day earl ic ing veh in a game-view We went out opper and ed from a ch He was dart find h the bush to g u ro th d ce we ra opper was t there the ch go e w s A . im h vets e trees. The th n ee w et b landing so that he rs with cloth ea is h ed gg plu oth over d he had a cl n a s, u r ea h could not ep him calm. his eyes to ke e n and red dy pump a poiso to rn o h is h ov him er d a hole in rs and rolled ea is h The vets drille to in hes also cut notc into it. They his feet. and checked rsal drug ve him a reve Then they ga rivileged p. I feel very p to wake him u ush and out in the b to have been rk. is kind of wo able to do th
Answers to Animal Faces puzzle: 1, 2, 4, 6 and 9 are Big 5 animals; 5, 7 and 8 are Little 5 animals; and 3 does not naturally occur in Africa.
wtram (9) From Cary O a. of Phalaborw
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EnviroKids Vol. 34(4), 2013
FUN ELEPHANT PROJECTS
MAKE AN ELEPHANT FACE OR MASK trunk
eye inner ear
ear tusks
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3 Staple the ears to the sides of a paper plate and glue on the pink inner ears. Colour in the small eye circles using the koki pen, and glue the eyes as shown.
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4 Staple the tusks onto the paper plate and attach a loop of string to the top of the plate so that you can hang it up.
Staple the trunk over the tusks and hang up your elephant face. Turn the elephant into a mask by punching holes in the centre for the black parts of the eyes and attach string or elastic to the sides of the plate to tie the mask to your head.
Photos Roberta Griffiths
You need 3 paper plates, scissors, some pink paper, string, glue, black koki pen and a stapler.
Copy the outlines of the trunk, tusks and two parts of the eye onto the back of a paper plate and cut them out. Cut two more circles for the second eye from the spare pieces of paper plate. Copy the outline shown on the pink paper to make two pink inner ears and cut them out.
Fold a paper plate in half and draw the shape of an elephant ear as shown. Cut out the ear by cutting through both sides of the plate so that you have two ears.
ELEPHANT FINGER PUPPETS
ears
Photocopy the template (left) and use it to cut out the body and ear shapes from coloured card. Glue the ears to the body and cut out a circle large enough for your finger to fit through. Draw in the eyes and toenails, and have fun playing with your elephant.
finger hole
By Wendy Paterson & Roberta Griffiths
EnviroKids Vol. 34(4), 2013
Photo Wendy Paterson
body
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Photo Grant Atkinson
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Photo Helena Atkinson
EnviroKids Vol. 34(4), 2013 Photo Helena Atkinson