WRRA Public Lecture Series

Since late 2015, the WRRA has been hosting a series of talks of interest to members and residents (and visitors as well).  Our intent is to invite local speakers on local topics, but sometimes our local speakers engage us with faraway topics, such as Antarctica Travels and the Shackleton Expedition or Captaining the World’s Largest Vessel or Conservation in a War Zone.  Our speakers enlighten and entertain us. They also provide a relaxing occasion to meet and greet each other. Take a look below at our past Talks and let us hear your suggestions on future speakers and topics, including yourself. 

 

Communicating with Wildlife and all species 

Wynter Worsthorne, international interspecies communicator 

23 May 2023 

 

Heritage: What is it? Why does it matter? How can we preserve it? 

Natie de Swardt, Vice-chair, George Heritage Trust 

12 April 2023 

 

Tracking and Protecting Wild Bees 

Jenny Cullinan, Ujubee 

27 July 2022 

 

The Nelson Mandela University Conversation: A Sustainable Futures Campus 

Dr Kaluke Mawila, Principal, NMU/George plus 13 senior staff 

13 July 2022 

 

Digital Eye in the Sky: Improving our environment and agriculture through drone applications 

Sean Hill and David Rodgers, Earthdrones 

Jaunita Barnard and Rudi Barnard, George Airport Air Traffic Controllers 

16 March 2022 

 

What Plans? What Development? And Wilderness? 

Lauren Waring, Director, Planning and Development, George Municipality 

8 December 2021 

 

The Future of River Catchments on our Southern Cape Coast 

Pam Booth, Knysna Manager Environment 

10 November 2021 

 

Wilderness History 

Hugo Leggatt 

31 March 2021 

 

Crime Scene to Conviction: How forensic anthropologists get the deceased to reveal their secrets. 

Belinda Speed, Forensic Anthropologist 

11 March 2020 

 

History Lessons for Our Future: How Stone Age cave dwellers could teach us a thing or two! 

Dr Peter Nilssen, Archaeologist 

22 January 2020 

 

Three Visions of Wilderness and Surrounds 

Chloe Guerbois, Re-wilding the Wilderness, 

Andre Hacquebord, Fire-scaping your property 

Melissa Dalton, Precious Tree Project 

13 November 2019 

 

Sharks and Shark Conservation along our Coast 

Enrico Gennari, Director of Research at Oceans Research, Mossel Bay 

16 October 2019 

 

Rock Art of the Southern Cape: Treasures of our Distant Past 

Hugo Leggatt 

28 August 2019 

 

The Touw River Estuary 

Jonathan Britton, SANParks 

10 July 2019 

 

Holistic Farming on the Garden Route 

Peter Leppan, Hoekwil Farmer 

27 February 2019 

 

Fossil trackways of the Cape South Coast 

Charles Helm, Amateur Experienced Trackway Specialist 

3 October 2018 

 

Ghost Fishing 

Mark Dixon, Marine Biologist/Garden Route Trails 

22 August 2018 

 

Life and Death of Stars 

Case Rijsdijk, Astronomer/Physicist 

20 June 2018 

 

Antarctica Travels and Shackleton Expedition 

Joan Louwrens, Medical Doctor on Board 

23 May 2018 

 

Will FOOD become as Scarce as WATER? 

Kobus Pienaar, Farming for the Future, Woolworths 

27 March 2018 

 

An Introduction to Snakes of the Garden Route 

Dale Holder, Environmental Conservationist, All-around Snake Guy 

28 November 2017 

 

Meet some favourite feathered friends: The Birds of Wilderness 

Peter Ginn, Author, Photographer 

24 October 2017 

 

Charismatic marine megafauna of the Garden Route: the whos who of our watery mammals 

Gwen Penry, Marine Mammal Biologist 

30 August 2017 

 

Fire Facts 

Rob Erasmus, Enviro Wildfire Services, 

12 July 2017 

 

Geology of Wilderness, the Garden Route and the Karoo 

Paul Rixom, Geologist 

26 April 2017 

 

The Future of our Plantation Forests 

Irvine Kanyemba, General Manager, MTO/George (for the southern Cape) 

22 February 2017 

 

Captaining the World’s Largest Vessel 

Stuart McAlister, Captain of the Maersk McKinney-Moller 

5 October 2016 

 

Conservation in a War Zone 

David Bradfield, Wildlife Conservation Society 

30 June 2016 

 

Leopards: From Our Backyard to Tsitsikamma 

Jeannine McManus, Landmark Foundation 

25 May 2016 

 

Wilderness History: When Wilderness Was Truly Wild 

Hugo Leggatt 

16 March 2016 

 

Introduction to Natures Genius and the Practice of Biomimicry 

Sue Swain, BioWise 

3 February 2016 

 

Wilderness Section of the Garden Route National Park: Not just a pretty beach 

Jonathan Britton, SANParks Section Ranger 

10 November 2015