Expose at Cape Winelands Biosphere Reserve
On the 17th of April 2024, Audrey Azoulay the UNESCO Director General, was hosted at the Cape Winelands Biosphere Reserve (CWBR) head office in Franschhoek for an afternoon showcase of the current CWBR activities and projects, as part of her official visit to South Africa.
The event included a presentation of the impact of various efforts undertaken by the CWBR team which was then followed by a hands-on exploration of the educational activities available through the CWBR Mobile Educational Unit STEAM-Y*, and meeting five members of the Jonkershoek and Khayamandi communities, Stellenbosch, who have trained as Citizen Scientists through Cape Winelands Biosphere Reserve opportunities. The highlight of the event, the citizen scientists explained the various tests they do as part of data collection at selected monitoring sites along the Berg and Eerste rivers.
The CWBR team, two CWBR Board Directors, and the citizen scientists were honoured to share time with Ms Azoulay. In addition, representatives from UNESCO Paris, UNESCO Regional Office South Africa, South African Commission for UNESCO, Department of Forestry Fisheries and the Environment, Department of Environmental Affairs and Development Planning, and various officials attended the event.
The visit emphasized the important role of biosphere reserves in fostering access to education and training, support for vulnerable communities, young women, and girls, and strengthening strategic partnerships in biodiversity conservation and strategic water source areas.
These form part of the three functions of the UNESCO Man and Biosphere Reserve programme including: Conservation of Biodiversity and Cultural Diversity, Economic Development that is socio-culturally and environmentally sustainable, and Logistic Support underpinning development through research, monitoring, education, and training.