Volunteers Perspective....part 3
I arrived at Golden Gate last Wednesday August 1 and could not have wished for a warmer welcome than what I received. My immediate supervisor took my hand when I extended it to shake and pulled me towards him with a big hug! He then took me through to meet a few colleagues in other departments that also work in our office. I then went back to my new little home to unpack etc. At around 6pm there was a knock at the door and I was wondering who on earth it could be. It turned out to be the Park Manager and his wife (who is my senior manager) the Regional Coordinator for the P&C Department. They came to welcome me and brought a gift of rusks. This is a SA speciality that is deeply rooted in the history of this country and in particular this region. The closest sort of biscuit that I can compare them to are biscotti, but in actual fact, rusks really have an identity all of their own. Anyway, I love them and was easily converted way back. I was very touched that they came to see me even though they said that it was not the “official welcome” which was to be in the office the next day!
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| Vols getting a tree talk by GVI's own Peter Bradford |
My new home is gorgeous. It reminds me of something along the lines of a holiday house. From the front door you go straight into the kitchen, the bedroom / lounge/ study is to the left and the bathroom is to the right. There is nothing at all flash about it, but it is clean, secure and cosy. I can have a hot shower and the stove, fridge, and very importantly the heating works. I look out across open fields to the Drakensberg Mountain Range that encircles me and feel like I’m am forever embraced. I can’t even begin to tell you how beautiful it is here. The sunsets are streaked with pink and mauve as the flaming orange sun goes down. No matter where you are to see the animals and plants in silhouette against a humungously large flaming orange sun as it brings another day to its end is completely spellbinding.
So now I have arrived, champing at the bit with all systems GO. I have a clear focus on what I am doing and where I am going (or at least I think I do). With the ultimate inspiration of Mother Nature to hold my hand and guide me. I hope that I will be able to make a worthwhile contribution to the P&C Department and the learners that will come through and experience this glorious and precious environment.
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| Another epic lion sighting! |
After my “official welcome” it was time to go out and observe a program that was being delivered to a school. The schools that come in generally stay for a couple of days at a time and the education facility here is impressive.
I joined the group as they were about to go up Brandwag Cliff. This is one of the mountains in the range with an elevation of 2036m. They were going up, and so did I. Unbelievably breathtaking, what a sight from the top to behold! Never ending plains of gold nestled between mountains of red and golden sandstone, honestly, exquisite.
The afternoon was canoeing. I know, I know, but someone’s gotta do it!!!!
In the evening at 7pm was the camp fire. The idea of this is to see what the kids have drawn from their experience in the park and place their own interpretation on their observations. The Education Officers had given them the topic of threats to GG and they were to split up in groups and could present in whatever way they chose something that would address these threats, how they occur, their impact and management. It could be a song, a play a poem whatever and the topics were Fire, Flood, Soil Erosion and Alien plants.
Well let me tell you never in all my days did I think I would witness what I did that night. In all honesty, it was all I could do to hold myself together. With absolutely no control or warning, my eyes welled with tears in the power, strength, conviction and sensitivity of their youthful voices combined.
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| Nothing beats an African sunset |
The evening kicked off with the group being asked just to sing something together. After a few moments the girls in front of me started to raise their voices and the rest joined in. I can’t even begin to describe how deeply moving this was. The injection of energy in their bodies as they were charged with the music, and the way they moved and danced it was as if they were on a higher plain. Oh and again their voices. In one presentation the song started as though they were in a sort of telepathy with each other and then ever so gradually, in even less than a whisper it started to be heard and ever so slowly as they harmonised it got a little louder, then the soloist started with the others still harmonising behind her, my goodness it was ethereal. Then as she lowered her voice one of the others stepped forward and started wrapping, and it was all about soil erosion.
On Saturday afternoon I went to support our team in a soccer match.
This is as much as what this whole experience is about for me. I didn’t want to travel to a place and just get a snap shot, I wanted to be more involved in the community and for now at least my little community is GG and my colleagues.
A soccer field, which after crossing a stream to reach, is shielded in the protection of an ancient sandstone rock cliff. That is if you look in one direction. If you turn and face the other way, the whole scene becomes an English Romantic painting of weeping willows, and a cottage beyond set against a spectacular mountain backdrop. Somewhere in amongst this though a very serious game of soccer was being played and I’m very pleased to say we had a more than convincing win, Golden Gate 2 – Head Office 0!
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| From Left: Kevin Moore (SANParks), Tybalt (SANParks), Caitlin (GVI Vol), Romayne (GVI Vol), Sarah (SANParks) |
This is pretty indicative of how I feel all round, I’m on a winner, an experience of a lifetime where I am wholly intoxicated by this enchanting and mystifying land and her beautiful, beautiful people.
Bye for now,
Sea Cow.
xxxxoooo
Romayne Malcolm
GVI Intern
People & Conservation
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