Field Reports June 26 - 29, 1999

	London Bridge Is (Not) Falling Down
	Symbols of the End of Apartheid
	Hello from Pretoria
	We're Traveling With Cows
	Plant life in the valley
	Can You Imagine a Drunk Elephant?
	A Poem

London Bridge Is (Not) Falling Down
     Thelma. Younger (Leckie Elementary School)

     Sanibana!! Leckie Lions
     Greetings from South Africa. Having a great time. London was absolutely breathtaking. Didn't see Buckingham Palace but saw many other sites. Guess what! London Bridge didn't fall down - but the bridge opened. So much history in London. The flight from London to Pretoria was great.
     Pretoria is a nice place to visit. The scenery is wonderful from the mountains. While sightseeing, we stopped at mountain tops to view the landscape. Presently, I am writing from an area called Belfast, east of Pretoria. The scenery from the mountains is breathtaking. It's an experience you would have to see for yourself. Stop!! Wait!! Guess what's come? It's a herd of cattle running past. We stopped to drink water from a spring not touched by man or chemicals. We stopped in Lydenburg for lunch. What did I eat? Just a bacon cheeseburger.
     Mr. Oliver has taken some great footage of this country. You'll be able to see it on CUB T.V. at Leckie. I'll keep you updated. Hamba Kahle! (Go well)


Symbols of the End of Apartheid
     Sunday, June 27, 1999
     Kerensa B. Elzy  (Malcolm X Elementary School)

     This was a day that all of the D.C. Initiative Teachers as well as South African Educators had the chance to explore the Waterkloof area . This area had three levels in my mind. The first level was the travel through Waterkloof's housing development. It is the wealthiest area in Pretoria where mostly diplomats and business people live. It was once a place where only white lived , but now black business people also reside here. To me, this symbolized the end of apartheid - or the beginning of the end. Because during the apartheid era , blacks and whites, by law could not reside near each other.
     The second level of our exploration at Waterkloof was the natural beauty of the area. We investigated plant species that appeared to be cactus, but, in fact, are not even a close relative of the cactus at all. They are in the Euphorbia ceae - plants that conserve water, but also use thorns to keep animals from eating the nutrients. We also saw natural springs. Because Pretoria is at a lower altitude, we encountered these springs. A city like Johannesburg could not have such springs because of its higher altitude. We also passed by plants that were not indigenous to South Africa. For instance, the watal is an "invader" plant from Australia. This "invader" plant is very aggressive. It replaces indigenous vegetation by taking it over so that nothing else can grow in its place. The plant has no agricultural value.
     The third level of our travel through Waterkloof in Pretoria was to the Voertrekker Monument. This monument is a symbol of apartheid to South Africans. Inside of the monument is a limestone timeline of lifelike figures, beginning in 1835 when the Boers left Capetown and ending with the Battle of Blood River on December 16, 1838. The Boers won the Battle of Blood River against the Zulus. At this time, began what was for the next 150 years, a mind set of the Afrikaaners that produced a vow "to never be put under anyone's 'thumb' again."
     Between the journey through the houses, the nature and the history , I must say, I was overwhelmed by the monument's story, but mostly from the marketing of the monument. On the way out, there were postcards depicting the blooding battle and the killing for sale.

Hello from Pretoria  
     June 29, 1999
     Hendri Williams  (Leckie Elementary School)

     Hello from Pretoria, South Africa!!
     We arrived here safely on Saturday, June 26th around 9:30 a.m. So far, the accommodation has been very nice. The "bed and breakfast" almost reminds me of home.
     Today is Monday, and we are in transit to the Southern African Wildlife College (SAWC) to study plant identification and ecology. By the way, we just saw a herd of cattle meander by while we were standing by the side of the road. South Africa is truly a spectacular country. It resembles the States in more ways than one. Take care and see you soon. Please respond to the message at your earliest convenience.

We're Traveling With Cows
     June 29, 1999
     Donna Davis (Patterson Elementary School)

     Hi All!  Today, we traveled from Pretoria to the South African Wildlife College. The scenery  along the way has been breathtaking at time. The trip is about 6 hours. We are travelling in a 10-person van. Lydenburg has been a highpoint of the day. We literally traveled with the cows (Kids are going to love these wild, wild west pictures of the team.)

Plant life in the valley
     June 29, 1999
     Anthony R. Stanley (Patterson Elementary School)

     Hi, Boys and Girls. Today we started the day with a presentation on the identification of plant life at the South African Wildlife College. We learned to identify plants by location and soil type We learned how animals affect plants. Just as people prefer certain foods, animals prefer to eat certain plants. When the preferred plants are depleted, the animals have to eat less nutritious plants.
     We also learned from our South African counterparts that many plants are used for medicinal purposes. We learned that plant life in valleys is more nitritious than plants on hilltops because the nutrients are washed downhill. We actually went out and learned to identify several species by the way they looked and the way they were shaped. It was very interesting. It makes a big difference when you see it, touch it.

Can You Imagine a Drunk Elephant?
    June 29, 1999
     Emma Horton (Malcolm X Elementary School)

     Today, I started about 6:00 a.m. The group was told that we can see animals outside the gates (fence) of the SAWC. I awoke at 6:00 to see the animals. Guess what!! I looked out the bathroom window and it was pitch black. I could not see anything. So, I went back to bed. I took a walk around the compound after breakfast. I have seen so many different trees. One of my African counterparts from this area is sharing local information about the vegetation known to this region. There are many fruit trees. One tree that stands out is the Marula tree. The fruit from this tree is sweet. The elephants eats this fruit. If the elephant eats too much, he can become drunk. Can you imagine a "drunk elephants"? Well, what happens is that the fruit ferments in his belly. Later today, we will walk through the lowveld. I am learning so much! I will share again soon.

A Poem
      June 29, 1999
       Phillip Oliver (Leckie Elementary School)

Last modified: Tuesday, February 22, 2005