Episode 39 Season 6: 16 August 2015
Highlights: a look back at a special season of 50/50
The sad moment at the end of the season where we have to say farewell has arrived. But before we bid all of our viewers a fond farewell, we would like to take a moment to look back at some of the highlights and special moments we have shared over the season with you, one last time. Until next season, we would like to thank you so much for watching. See you again soon!
Plastic packaging: responsible consumption
In the age where the transport from one end of the planet to another in a matter of hours is now possible, we can now eat packaged food that is trucked and flown in from all over the globe. This food has to be carried, held in packaging to keep it not only fresh but safe from contamination as it is transported, offloaded and put on shelves. The end result is that waste from our food consumption is now part of daily living for the planet’s current inhabitants as well all future generations. The environmental impact of this extensive packaging and transportation is massive, creating far-reaching damage like the Pacific garbage patch, a soup of plastic floating in the Atlantic Ocean that is estimated to be larger than Texas. Many consumers are becoming more and more concerned with how their food is packaged and transported, using their spend power to ensure that only environmentally responsible products are supported where ever possible. Woolworths teams up with a number of recycling initiatives, attempting to ensure that the produce on their shelves has the lightest environmental footprint possible, taking responsibility for the way that food is delivered to South African people.
Urban critters: Hippo
Over the season of UC we have met a number of people who share their habitat with a wide variety of weird and wonderful critters. We have met families with zebra in their garden, mongooses in their back yard, and cranes picking worms out of their veggie patches. But THIS week, we meet a family that share their lawns with Hippo!! Now that is a critter that would certainly cause a commotion in the average garden. But for the folk that live near the iSimangaliso Wetland National Park, it seems that it is business as usual…
Rock Pools: A whole new world
Beneath the surface of South Africa’s clear blue oceans, lies a sparkling new world, just waiting to be explored. All that is required is a mask, a snorkel and a sense of adventure. We dive beneath the waves one last time to bring you an under-water paradise that is as easy to access as a dip in the pool.
KNP baboons: champions or villains
The Kruger National Park: a place where survival of the fittest is the law by which all animals must live. Herbivores must contend with all manner of skulking predators, and finding food is a constant challenge. Baboons have survived in the wild for thousands of years, developing strategies to stay clear of predators’ claws, while using ingenious methods to find food. They are smart, powerful and extremely interesting as a species. Their ability to adapt has unfortunately been the facilitator for a number of human/baboon conflicts over the years. Baboons have learned that humans and their settlements are an easy source of food, and in some cases they have become rather aggressive in their pursuit of it. People are to blame for this learned behavior, as the baboons were either fed, or found food lying around. In the Kruger, the baboons are a problem in the rest camps where the raid camp sites and picnic areas frequently. Bonne heads up to Skukuza in search of the full story, and to discuss the solutions that the Park’s ecologists and management will hopefully be able to implement.
Veld Focus: Final hand over prize
This is the moment we have all been waiting for! Samir and Bertus hand over the keys to that brand new 4×4 that everyone has been hoping to drive away in. Join us for the finale of Veld Focus for the season as we reveal the winner and the runner up for the season.
