For a number of decades, environmental learning has taken place as part of formal education in South Africa and many countries around the world.
However, the introduction of environment as a focus for all teaching and learning processes within the Revised National Curriculum Statement (RNCS) has been a much-desired change in education. The RNCS clearly states “social justice, a healthy environment, human rights and inclusivity” as one of its main underlying principles.
This principle positions environ-mental learning within a human rights focus. This focus is relevant to South African National Parks’ (SANParks) current endeavour to undo negative perceptions on conservation created by past unjust conservation laws and associated activities and measures.
While access to national parks was open only to a minority of learners, more has been done during our 10 years of democracy to promote access for all learners. SANParks’ People and Conservation’s environmental education and interpretation pro-grammes also aim at engaging learners in activities that enable them to develop critical perspectives on conservation. Through such programmes, both educators and learners find opportunities to explore new perspectives, which focus on developing partnerships between SANParks and adjacent communities. Where in the past communities were viewed as enemies of conservation, they are now increasingly becoming joint custodians of South Africa’s natural and cultural heritage.
Learners visiting national parks as part of their curriculum will not only benefit from exploring nature and viewing the wildlife, they will also explore the close links between nature and culture.
We have some of the most amazing cultural heritage sites, which are rich in ancient history and heritage objects. It has become increasingly clear and well accepted today that one cannot completely separate nature from culture; the two are closely linked and intertwined.
When we look at a phenomenon – say an indigenous forest or a drought – we can only understand that phenomenon through our cultural lenses (frameworks for viewing and explaining things), whether these are scientific, artistic, religious or other lenses. Hence, we cannot understand “nature'” outside of culture. (Even science is a creation of culture!)
Secondly, we need to remember that humankind has left its mark everywhere, from Alaska to outer space. The Baviaanskloof wilderness area, for example, has invasive plants, the seeds of which had been carried into it by river tributaries. The rock faces of its rugged mountains may contain 1 000-year-old San rock art paintings. From ancient times people have interacted with their physical surroundings and visa versa; these interactions make up the nature-culture complex we call “environment”. Is it not almost impossible to say whether a particular drought has been caused by “natural” weather patterns or deforestation, when even “natural” weather patterns are probably influenced by atmospheric changes influenced by human activities around the globe? And is human activity not a “natural” activity anyway? Are we not both natural and cultural beings?
This brings us to our third reason for treating natural and cultural heritage as inseparable: scientific evidence shows that living creatures of all kinds, through the activities of life, modify the conditions of life, over time, and have been doing so for billions of years.
The impact of living creatures on the environment may therefore be regarded as natural.
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco) has also recognised the intertwined nature of “natural” and “cultural” heritage.
For more information:
SANParks
PO Box 787
Pretoria
0001
Tel: 012 426 5205/6