Escape to be found in the Succulent Karoo, with the Tankwa Karoo National Park. In this week's article, we touch on what makes the Tankwa wild(er) than many others, and what ReWild has been working hard on (Learn Biomimicry is going live with a new educational course)!
Hello and welcome to the eleventh episode of Know Your Nature! A free ReWild Africa newsletter, exploring the National Parks of South Africa (and beyond). Know Your Nature aims to showcase off-the-beaten-track parts of Africa, and to encourage the support of our natural heritage #PreservationBeforeRestoration
Tankwa Karoo National Park 🌵
The feeling of Tankwa is one of Karoo calmness, best explained by the experience. These landscapes and starscapes will blow your tiny little mind. Vast and open, it’s a place that pulls you in as soon as you come over the mountain passes that surround it. Driving in feels as though you’ve arrived at a martian dune planet, where water is a very scarce resource. But even in a desert, an oasis can be found - and that is the Oudebasskraal Dam. Birds and wildlife arrive from miles around to share in a splash. Hundreds of pink Flamingos can be spotted there, and the areas of the dam that are covered in algae have a kelp type smell - similar to that of the ocean.
Tankwa is situated within a global biodiversity hotspot, showcasing a huge variety of succulent plants within this wild and rugged landscape. The vision of the park is to manage and maintain inclusive and honourable cooperation that promotes community participation and empowerment to balance economic and social development through the conservation of our ecological & cultural heritage. Watch on to learn more.
🐦 Fauna, Flora & Tankwa Birds Bonanza
The park falls into the Succulent Karoo Biome and comprises the lowland (tanqua Karoo) and upland (Western Mountain Karoo) succulent Karoo vegetation types. This variety brings about an ecotone (a region of transition between two biological communities), and this diversity brings habitat for many bird and animal species.
An exciting opportunity for all birders out there is the action-packed weekend with the honorary SANParks rangers. You traverse from the rocky outcrops of the spectacular Gananaga Pass to the shores of the Oudebasskraal Dam. Having an experienced guide to assist you in identifying as many birds as possible is always a pleasure, with over 178 species of birds to be found in this park. Some exciting ones to see are the Black-headed Canary, Ludwig’s Bustard and the Black-eared Sparrow-Lark. A major attraction is to view the flocks of Flamingos. Head quietly down to the dam to view them. See more information about the Tankwa Birding Bonanza here.
Whilst you are looking for birds also have a lookout for game such as Kudu, Steenbok and Springbok - they have only recently been introduced to the area and can often be found at the Oudebaaskraal Dam.
🐘 ReWild Update:
ReWild has been working with Learn Biomimicry on an exciting new program, and today we can share the news with the world. This Biomimicry Practitioners course was instrumental to the foundation of our organization! Sam (the cofounder of ReWild) completed his Biomimicry Practitioner course back in 2018, under the mentorship of Claire Janisch. Claire is a leading expert and is recognized globally for her work in biomimicry and education, and has spent the last 6 years building the foundation of this course. Until now, the Biomimicry Practitioner course has been run solely by Claire, through BiomimicrySA - but now we can scale it far and wide by running it through Learn Biomimicry!
The Biomimicry Practitioner course assisted Sam to bring the necessary ethos and understanding into ReWild Africa at its inception. Today, we have an organization looking to Nature for solutions to ecological restoration.
Details about the course:
6-month part-time course
project-based learning
Biomimicry Practitioner certificate
Professional mentoring
Starts on 1st June 2021 - book your seat here
Learn Biomimicry today is offering a discount special, for all online learning courses. Use coupon code EARTHDAY-15 when checking out for a 15% discount, which expires on the 1st of May 2021
🐋 The Challenges Learn Biomimicry is taking on
Learn Biomimicry aims to accelerate and advance the world's transition to sustainable design, using nature as a design guide. Through offering online foundational courses on biomimicry, we collaborate with the world's best biomimicry practitioners to help make this future a reality, with a network of affiliate partners.
Not everyone can afford to study a university course. Currently to study a University-led biomimicry course can range from $20,000.00 upwards. Learn Biomimicry exists to make high-quality biomimicry education accessible to as many people as possible, so we’ve taken a different path - using short courses instead. Our Foundational courses cost just $299 to begin your journey, and our Practitioner course is $2097.00.
Biomimicry can be challenging to apply (without experience). Learn Biomimicry seeks to address this by enabling members to get a strong foundational understanding in no time so that they can start with their practice immediately – learning by doing. We encourage practical experience from the start.
Biomimicry is a practice that many have never heard of. We believe that the best way to predict the future is to create it. The future we see is teeming with life, that is abundant, thriving and alive. What better way to create this future than to share the mindset and methodology of biomimicry far and wide?
A big thank you to Drive South Africa, SAN Parks and SA Tourism for making this project a reality.
If this has moved you - please consider supporting the park and/or sharing this article with a loved one.
Watch on and wild regards,
Elvi the Elephant