Education in Port Elizabeth
The team at Raggy Charters are dedicated to educating the public about the marine environment and the need to conserve it! It is especially important to target our youth so that they can learn about the beautiful bay that they live in and hopefully encourage them to play a vital role in the future by conserving it. Every year Lloyd Edwards, the owner of Raggy Charters, and his staff, will visit various schools, universities, organisations and clubs to show them the spectacular wildlife that we have in Algoa Bay, by showing them photographs taken during our marine eco-cruises.
Raggy Charters targets the underprivileged children by visiting different schools in the Port Elizabeth area and showing them the wildlife in the bay, educating them about the problems some of these animals are encountering and asking them what can they do to help. A huge part of this education programme is getting these kids to come out and see the bay for themselves. We run a competition at each school asking the class to draw a marine animal, and we select the best drawings from the group and invite that child to join us on a cruise for free! Show a child a wild animal; a penguin, dolphin, whale etc. and they will remember it forever. Our hope is that these kids grow up remembering about these animals and the problems they face, and then do something to help!
We are also part of Marine Week every year, at SANNCOB, where hundreds of school children visit the centre and learn about the different aspects of the marine environment. This initiative allows for disadvantaged schools to get involved as we fund the transportation to SANNCOB, which is in the beautiful Cape Recife Nature Reserve. So they also get to go to the beach, which many may have never done before, and learn about the different eco-systems of the ocean.
We ask everyone that listens to our talks to think about what they can do in their life to make a difference to the world. A lot of children do not realise the impact that litter can have on the environment so it is vital to get through to them at a young age 'Don't Litter!' They can spread this awareness at home, to friends and to other members of their family, and if everyone starts making little changes to help, we may start to see a difference :)
On 16th June 2019 we held our 2nd Celebrating the Arrival Of The Whales Festival and included participation of youth from various schools in Port Elizabeth. As part of the education program we went to various schools and taught about plastic polution and the effect it is having on the ocean and marine life. The scholars made posters, did clean-ups and built floats from the plastic waste collected and paraded proudly along Marine Drive to our Festival venue. After the event the children disassembled the floats and the plastic was sent for recycling. The whole process enjoyed very much by the children.
Click on the picture below to read more about the Arrival of the Whales Festival 2019.
The 2020 and 2021 Education Progam and Welcoming the Whales Festivals were sadly disrupted by the Covid-19 Pandemic. We did however manage to get to Cape St Francis in between levels of Covid-19 regulations on the 14th June 2021. Jake Keeton and Purity Khosa had a wonerful morning with the children of Sea Vista Primary School educating them on the Whales and the Whale Migration. Purity has a wonderful way of chatting to the children and all enjoyed the morning. Big thank you to Anita Lennox of Cape St Francis Resort and Hantie of St Francis Tourism for organising, hosting and accommodating Jake and Purity for this event. 2022 Promises to be a wonderful year with all we are working towards for the children while business is quiet.
14 November 2021 ZSports AQUELLé Kuhle Series 2021/2022 Kids events
Jake had a great morning chatting to the aQuellé Kuhle Series children at the race prize giving about the importance of Marine Conservation. We are proud to be part of such a great event and donated vouchers to lucky winners who will enjoy a cruise with our team and learn first hand about the marine life in Algoa Bay. We look forward to assisting with more such events soon!
Click here for more pics from this fit and funfilled event
19 November 2021 a wonderful collaboration with Bophelo Impilo development centre
Click here to read more about this fun event
on earth day 22 april 2022 we joined up with the giving them wings foundation
A group of Grade 10 learners from Mfesane High School in Gqeberha enjoyed an educational tour out into the bay.
Click here to see and read more about the day's activity
As 2022 progresses and the Covid-19 Pandemic becomes less of a concern, we managed to venture further and had a Pre-Whale Festival Educational day with children in Kenton-On-Sea. Purity being the instigator and joining up with Nomawthu from the Kariega Foundation, and with the assistance of Jennie Bowen all came together. Thanks also go to Tom and Chris of Kenton Round Table.
A note from Purity: "Thank you so much Jenny and Noma for organising the first marine conservation lecture on the 11th of May 2022. Myself and our NMU interns Lilitha and Nosihle, taught the children about the marine animals that we see on our tours with beautiful photos taken by Jake and Lloyd. The focus was on whales and their migration routes, and possible marine careers the children may consider. After the lecture, the children designed posters from what they learnt. 15 winning posters were selected and the prize wineers enjoyed an educational boat cruise in the Kariega river mouth arranged by NRF/SAEON, and other educational activities at the beach on the 8th of June 2022."
So Purity our guide, celebrated her World Oceans Day, 8th June 2022, and the Welcoming the Whales Festival in Kenton on Sea, learning about and exploring the Kariega river mouth with local school children from the Kariega Foundation, Children from Carriage Rock College, field guide interns from Sibuya Game Reserve and Scientists from SAEON-NRF (South African Environmental Observation Network).
We all learne about phytoplankton and it's importance and identified microorganisms on microscopes. We explored rock pools and identified species that live there including fish, star fish, crabs, octopuses. On the boat, the children learnt a lot about the boats and all that goes with it. How an estuary functions and it's importance to us and the marine animals.
All thanks everyone who made this day possible.
