Thursday 12 May 2016

Using Photo - Elicitation To Understand How We Relate To Trees.





Photo - Elicitation 

By Bonolo Mokwele Meso 



Introduction: 

"We like to tell stories about city trees.The stories shape our thinking, but more materially they shape our management of the trees. The meanings we find in these stories influence the choices we make when we plant trees in the city , they alter the ways that we trim and control the trees, and, finally they inform our decisions to fell them" ( Dean 2015:162). 

From the aforementioned, this blog will conduct a Photo elicitation with three different people on the four narratives on trees provided by Dean (2015:173). Those narratives are namely the narrative of service, the narrative of power, the narrative of heritage and the counter narrative.

According to Tinkler (2013) a photo elicitation can also be called a photo interview. The difference between interviews using images and text, and interviews using words alone lies in the ways we respond to these two forms of symbolic representation . This has a physical basis : the parts of the brain that process visual information are evolutionary older than the parts that process verbal information. Furthermore images evoke deeper elements of human consciousness than words do, photo elicitation's are not merely verbal interviews but are interviews that elicit more information and emotion.( Harper 2002 : 13) Tinkler(2013:173-174) also mentions that photo materials are a tool for research on a social and historical level and that is deliberately used in interviews to "prompt discussion, reflection and recollection". Tinkler opines that photos entourage people to talk more openly in interviews, which also creates an environment of comfort when interviews are conducted.  


I will first give my own personal account on the four  narratives previously mentioned, then I will conduct a photo interview with my grandmother,father and friend.

 Personal Narrative On Trees 

It is no wonder that trees have captured the human imagination since the beginning of time. Their strength, deeply rooted in the Earth, is an inspiration. Their trunk and branches are a wonder of nature because they stand sturdy and impenetrable most of the time, yet they can flex and sway with the wind when needed.
The whisper of a breeze in their leaves or the sight of ants marching in a straight line up or down their trunks remind us of the magic of nature that trees embody. They live for hundreds or even thousands of years, and so we revere them as keepers of past secrets and sentinels of the future.
Watching their cycles of growth, shedding of leaves, and re-flowering in the spring, people have long perceived trees as powerful symbols of life, death, and renewal. Since the beginning of time, humans have had a sense that trees are sentient beings just like us, that they can feel pain, that they bleed when they are hurt. Trees even look like us. People have a trunk; trees have arms. And so we innately feel a deep connection to them.
Many people say they can feel a tree’s vibrational  energy when placing their hand upon its bark. With their deep roots, trees carry significant grounding energy. We naturally feel peace and serenity when walking in the shade of trees or on a forest trail.

1. The narrative of service. 

According to Dean (2015:162) trees are constantly: "selflessly providing services to the human residents of the modern city. the most valued environmental benefit provided in the nineteenth century was shade".We plant trees primarily for their beauty and to provide shade but they do create many other benefits.
Trees  sooth and relax us and help us connect to nature and our surroundings. The color green - is a calming, cool color that helps your eyes quickly recover from strain. 


Photo By  Me


 When I was a little girl , I used to look up to my brother in always possible , to an extent I even wanted to be him because he could swiftly climb up the trees in our garden and he would pretend to be George of the jungle or Tarzan. So as a result I would abandon all my girly toys in pursuit of leaning how to climb the trees in our garden  and ultimately being like my brother. This tree in front of our house not only provided lots of shade for us during the summer , but it was also home for many birds in our community especially the piet my vrou bird which our street is named after.  
One day my brother and I decided to erect a tree house on this very tree , we had received the inspiration from the movie "the little rascals" , so every day after school we would assemble troops just like in the movie and we would attempt to build this tree house, lets just say the tree house was an epic fail , our dream tree house turned out to be nothing but a shame so we aborted the mission.  
  

2. The Narrative of Power 

According to Dean (2015: 163) Landscape historians have observed , long lines of identical trees , alike in age and in type , speak of the human control of nature, and of a grace born of power. Georges- Eugene Hausssmann tamed Paris with a geometry of wide modern avenues lined with chestnut trees.The effect was to pacify a city with beauty. Just like in Paris a lot of these trees which are in lines are seen in South African  cities and metros usually in public places and on streets. Dean (2015 : 164) opines that identical trees are planted in this particular way in order to bring about the illusion of harmony. Landscape historians explored the beauty of these tree ranks of trees , and showed how these trees spoke of wealth and power in the human built environment. 

Photo By Me 


When my lecturer Mr Rory Duplessis gave his own personal account on the narrative of power with regards to trees, I immediately thought about the long trees that I pass by everyday when I go to school in Irene Centurion. Everyday when I pass by this avenue I think of wealth and how wealthy the people living in this area must be. I always feel like  I am part of some Hollywood movie when i drive past this road.The one movie that always comes to mind is the movie The Bodyguard which stars Whitney Houston and Kevin Costner. In the movie there is a scene where Whitney Houston is found jogging around her big yard with a lot of tall trees. The camera man zooms in profoundly at these trees (which are in a line ) as if to say to the viewer look at how wealthy people live.    

3. Narrative of Heritage 

According to Dean (2015: 164). Paul Arid's influential definition of the heritage tree, adopted by the Ontario Heritage Tree Program, makes a nod to aborigional uses of trees, but he emphasises the beauty of an individual specimen and its associations with human history : these characteristics includes size, shape, form ,beauty , age, colour , rarity , genetic construction , or other distinctive features. It can also be a community landmark. The tree can furthermore be be associated with a historic person , place , event, or period. the heritage narrative can take the form of a tree being associated with local folklore, myths legends or traditions. (Aird 2005) 



Every time I see these leaves on the ground from the trees outside my house / yard, I know winter is upon us , my birthday is coming and I am going to start writing my winter exams. These leaves symbolise a period of shorter days and longer cold nights. I actually despise these two trees outside our house, because  my mom would force me to clean up the leaves on the ground at the age of 8 or so, even though I did not like the chore and I  completely hated it. I had no choice because I was just a member of parliament my Mom was the head of state.

4. The Counter Narrative 
Dean (2015 : 166) brings in the counter argument to the aforementioned narratives,  he says that the above narratives subordinate trees to human needs, we need to move beyond the anthropocentric narratives and consider the unruly, ungovernable, ill-mannered trees in the urban landscape. 
Dean states that trees that cause trouble , are  ornamental trees that make a mess , they are those street trees that refuse to stay in line , or grow too big , too fast, or in the wrong way and service trees that emit allergenic pollen. 

Photo by Me 

Meet my backyards rebel "mother nature" , This is a tree I thoroughly enjoyed playing on , or sleeping under during a hots summers day. This tree used to be the landmark of my backyard it used to be so big and green my brother and I even named it "mother nature". This tree started becoming unruly when it started to seriously interfere with our sewerage system as you can see in the image. The roots of the tree were growing to such an extent that our swere pipes would get blocked , at some point we would not be able to flush the toilet because the pipes had burst  or we had some form of plumbing tsunami because of the tree. So my dad decided to cut this tree and is still trying to get rid of whats left of mother nature to date .  

I then interviewed my grandmother , father and friend. I showed them my images and gave them my own personal narratives that Dean provides and they were more than happy to help me . 

  Interview with my grandmother : Mrs Dora Evelyn Makoti 

1.The narrative of service 

"I grew up in an area known as  Mapetla in the Township known as Soweto. Because we lived in the township there were not a lot trees planted by the previous apartheid government, I don't know if they thought because we are black we did not need or deserve trees in our townships, but anyway the apartheid system was set up to destroy the black man "they" did not regard us as human beings anyway. So it was up to the residents of Soweto to plant their own trees and  create their own gardens. One particular tree I fondly remember  as a young girl, is the big peach tree in my neighbors garden Ntate Kop. This tree was really big and provided us his neighbors with  good shade during the hot summers. This tree not only provided us with shade but it also provided us with peaches which my mom and Mrs Kop canned and sold , sometimes they would make  jam , which we all thoroughly enjoyed around Christmas times with freshly baked scones."  
  




2. The narrative of power 

" I enjoy visiting nature reserves and i especially enjoy going to the nursery and picking out stuff for my garden. I am a big fan of flowers and i would say I am an architect of beauty myself , I have  arranged my  roses in such a way that when you drive by my house you think of class and success. I work very hard at keeping my garden classy as I am a classy woman myself. I have aligned all my roses according to colour. the one thing I would say also complements my garden is the big tree in front of the house it surrounds my roses . I would say , my garden is my little utopia of beauty." 


My Classy Grandmother 



3. The narrative of heritage 

" When I think of the notion of heritage and a tree , the first thing that comes to mind is the Willow tree" Because i do believe at some point the Willow tree was our national tree , I stand to be corrected though, but anyway when i think of Heritage and a tree I think of the tree that has very slender branches and hangs like an old lady's breasts not mine though" (she laughs).  



Photo by tcpemaculture.com


4. The counter narrative 

" Okay I don't know what to say regarding the counter narrative but what i will say though is that not a lot of people like the thorn tree , most people consider it to be an unfriendly tree because it has thorns that can pick you and potentially really hurt you. I would think that is why you will hardly ever find a thorn tree in Soweto, in fact I don't recall ever seeing it. I was only exposed to thorn trees when i went to the rural areas to visit my grandmother in the Free State."  



Photo by Pinterest.com



Interview with my father Mr Tebedi Moffat Meso 


1. The narrative of service 

" Well , I grew up in Bochum a village in the Limpopo province now formally known as Senwabarwana. My family was slightly poor when I growing up and I say slightly because my father was a cattle herder , he had a lot cattle, cows and donkeys , so i would say in that sense we were wealthy. in terms of the narrative of service, we had plenty of fruit trees at home we had an orange tree , a mango tree and a whole lot of murula trees and avacado trees.  These trees provided us with fruits of which my mother sold to make a living to at least feed her five kids . My Mother would also brew alcohol form the murula fuit for special occasions like weddings , funerals (not that is a special occasion) and parties in general."      


Murala Tree in Bouchm 




2. The narrative of power 

" In all honesty, its hard for me to think of trees and power in that  context because when i think of where i come from in particular , I think of poverty and slavery. But what I will say is that when I first came to Pretoria in the early 9o's I marveled at the purple city and its beauty , all i could think of was that song by Prince "purple rain" ( he sings the tune). That for me was power. It made me realise that the "white people" who colonised us the black people in South Africa, really enjoyed the wealth of our country and the beautiful cities , which they kept for themselves." 




3. The narrative of heritage 


" Ahh , I remeber when I was a young boy , the older people would tell us stories, it was normally the grannies who would  tell us lovely stories around the fire. and one story I  remember is the story about the Boab tree,  who was a very silly old tree, he was personified as an old man who stole or rather swallowed children who roam the forest at night. So I remember this on day looking for this one sheep, because i was Sheppard you see , we as boys had to lead the animals into the fields after school for grazing. So I remember I lost this one sheep , it was getting late and I remember fearing  for my life because of the Boab tree(man) who was going to swallow me. I was not afraid of the hiding I was going to receive when I got home because I had lost a sheep ,no I was afraid of the Boab tree that was going to bring my life to an end".     







4. The counter narrative 

"My counter narrative will also be the thorn tree, in the village Bouchm there is plenty of thorn trees, many people do not understand the purpose of these trees but they really are not all that bad, these tress actually protect birds and serve as homes to other insects and reptiles. People do not like these trees because they find them un-pleasurable."







Interview with my friend Miss Amu Mabena 



1. The narrative of service 

" Well friend, I really love trees and I personally hate how people cut them down especially now recently on Lynwood road just outside the main gate of the University of Pretoria they have cut down the Jacaranda trees , I don't understand why, because those trees provided so much beauty to our university or rather our city". 


2. The narrative of power 

" I actually don't know how to answer this one. I remember when I first came to Tuks , and I had my first class in the Law Building, I walked by the graduate center to the Law building, I remember how overwhelmed I felt when i walked passed those booming jacaranda trees. I felt like I was stepping into Havard University or something ".


Photo By Me : By The Law Building 

   




3.The narrative of heritage 


 " I grew up in Pretoria so my point of reference will always be the jacaranda tree , this to me symbolises my Pretorian  heritage , when i was a little girl I always used to refer to these trees as magic trees from the tv show Barney and friends."   





 Sources consulted 


Aird, P . (2005) Forestry Chronicle, 81(4) : 593 


Dean, J . 2015. The unruly trees;stories from the archives, in Urban forests,trees, and greenspace: a political ecology perspective, edited by LA Sandberg, A Bardekijan & S Butt. New York : Routledge: 162-175



Harper, D. 2002. Talking about pictures: a case for photo elicitation. Visual Studies Vol 17,No 1. New York :Routledge : 14 -22 


Tinkler, P.2013. Using photographs in social and historical research. London : SAGE. 










Tuesday 10 May 2016

My little getaway weekend

 

Stewardship Of The Environment 



By Bonolo Mokwele Meso 


The Road to Kune Moya Nature Reserve 

During  the past worker's day long weekend I had the pleasure of visiting ''home'' , my fathers homeland in the Limpopo province. We were invited to a wedding in Blouberg,we also had the befitting experience of staying at the Kune Moya Blouberg Nature Reserve. Before heading to the North I knew there were a couple of things that were prerequisites for my trip,like my camera and note pad for one. Even though I was heading to  a wedding I personally had a clear agenda from the onset ,I was not really going to be part of the wedding festivities.


So I missed some parts of Mr and Mrs Meso's wedding ceremony because I was getting in touch with mother nature, while the pair tied the knot.Well, at least the bride and groom did not mind, after having to explain to them I  had a big research project for school. This was just the perfect opportunity for me to do research for my  stewardship of the environment assignment,killing two birds with one stone you see.  









 So early in the Morning on Saturday the 30th of April  before the festivities of the day took place, I organised my self a game drive/ nature tour for the better half of the day ,where i gathered much needed information from the wise tour guides.  


Blouberg Nature Reserve is 9348Ha (93,5 km2) of prime wildlife habitat, which harbours the biggest South African breeding colony of Cape Vultures. Fifteen other bird species that are on the IUCN ( International Union for Conservation of Nature) Red List of Threatened Species are also found on the reserve. The reserve is said to be one of only six provincial nature reserves that is home to a breeding program for Sable Antelope,the reserve also hosts a successful Cape Buffalo breeding program, and is home to lots of other iconic species such as zebra, giraffe, hyaena (both brown and spotted), and so on.










Because of the varying topography, a wide variety of mammal, avian, reptile, amphibian and invertebrate species are present at the reserve.


The most recent game count (2015) revealed a total of 2212 head of game at the reserve, including 20 different mammal species. However, during such game count some more stealthy animals are easily overlooked. Animals found on the reserve include 
buffalo, giraffe, eland, sable, waterbuck, gemsbok, red hartebeest, zebra, kudu, bushbuck, impala, mountain reedbuck, klipspringer, steenbok, duiker, warthog and bushpig. Predators recorded are leopard, cheetah, caracal, brown and spotted hyena and numerous small mammals like civet, red spotted genet, African Wildcat and some mongoose species. The total tally of observed mammal species stands at 34. 


The Blouberg Nature Reserve is said to be one of only six provincial nature reserves that is home to a breeding program for Sable Antelope. Sable Antelope is considered to be rare in South Africa and this species survives mainly in and around protected areas with low population densities of people and cattle. 


The Blouberg Nature Reserve also hosts a successful Cape Buffalo breeding program. The game census of 2012 revealed a healthy population with numbers in excess of 200 disease free individuals. 


The Blouberg Nature Reserve is characterised by a highly heterogeneous landscape, ranging from mountainous terrain with high topographical relief in the south to lower lying plains in the north, whilst also incorporating four vegetation units. As a result, the Blouberg Nature Reserve is well-known for its avifaunal diversity and hosts a wide range of woodland and grassland species, as well as a wide range of waterfowl and other wetland/riparian/floodplain associated species. 

There are currently 
246 verified avian species occurring at the reserve, of which 16 occur on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, namely Bateleur (Vulnerable), Black Stork (Near-threatened), Blue Crane (Vulnerable), Cape Vulture (Vulnerable), Hooded Vulture (Vulnerable), Kori Bustard (Vulnerable), Lanner Falcon (Near-threatened), Lappet-faced Vulture (Vulnerable), Lesser Kestrel (Vulnerable), Martial Eagle (Vulnerable), Peregrine Falcon (Near-threatened), Red-billed Oxpecker (Near-threatened), Saddle-billed Stork (Endangered), Secretarybird (Near-threatened), Tawny Eagle (Vulnerable) and White-backed Vulture (Vulnerable). The level of endemism reflected within the current verified avian species inventory is four endemic and four near-endemic species. The importance of the BNR as a foraging and breeding range for IUCN listed threatened species also extends beyond resident species, with the reserve hosting one paleartic breeding migrant, namely Lesser Kestrel (Vulnerable), and offering habitat that could host another, namely Pallid Harrier (Near-threatened).

Two verified IUCN listed species, namely Martial (Vulnerable) and Tawny (Vulnerable) Eagle, not only have IUCN significance, but are apex predators in their respective ecosystems and would therefore fulfil an ecologically significant role. Similarly, Blouberg Nature Reserve also hosts four verified IUCN listed vulture species, also known to fulfil an ecologically significant role within the respective ecosystem.


The flagship for the reserve is the Cape Vulture. The breeding colony hosts more than 1000 breeding pairs that form the biggest stronghold for this threatened species in Southern Africa

Blouberg is a true magnet for birders.
The Blouberg Nature Reserve furthermore boasts 56 different reptile species (including the endemic Common Flat Lizard Platysaurus intermedius parvus and two other sub-species that are restricted to this range, namely Platysaurus intermedius inopinus and Waterberg Flat Lizard Platysaurus minor), and 25 amphibian species.

The Lepidopterists Society of South Africa undertook a survey of the 
butterflies of Blouberg Nature Reserve in March 2012 and recorded 64 different species.
Twenty-one bat species have also been recorded in the Blouberg Nature Reserve. 


Going on this nature drive made me realise how ignorant I have been with regards to the amount of species that are threatening or rather on the verge of being extinct. When we think of species that are on the verge of extinction we normally think about the Rhinos and the pouching threatening their existence , but we hardly ever think about the birds and other animals i have previously mentioned. 

As I was on the  tour, the one persistent thought that kept evading my mind was how humans are responsible for causing the changes in the environment that hurt animals and planet species. We take up more space on earth for our homes and cities, in doing so we pollute habitats, we illegally hunt and kill animals. We bring exotic species into habitats which are subsequently detrimental to the environment. All of these activities take resources and habitats away from plants and animals. Human activity often changes or destroys the habitats that plants and animals need to survive. Because human populations are growing so fast animals and plants are disappearing  1000 times faster than they have in the past 100 years.

 I thoroughly enjoyed the nature tour though, I got to learn so much about the reserve and just about the world outside of the city. Getting in touch with Mother nature helped me appreciate what is still left of her. Because, honestly at the rate we humans are going I doubt the forthcoming generations will get to appreciate her, if we do not intensify the programms that are already set in place in educating the masses about conserving nature and working at protecting mother Nature and her other children which are dying at the hands of their siblings (human beings.) 

The Blouberg Nature Reserve is quite fundamental to the Limpopo community and South Africa at large because it helps protect fifteen other bird species that are on the IUCN ( International Union for Conservation of Nature) Red List of Threatened Species. Personally i think there should be more media attention on such reserves with these programs that protect endangered species. Not a week goes by with us not hearing about President Jacob Zuma and his friends the Guptas , if the media could report more on the pressing environmental affairs like they did with politics, people would be more consciously aware and informed  about the endangered spices in South Africa and as a result i think people from all spheres of life would be willing to help protect and help conserve them.  




Sources Consulted : www.blobergreserve.co.za
(accessed  02/05/0215) 


Friday 22 April 2016

Slow Violence Is Not A Class Blind Concept


Slow Violence 


By Bonolo Mokwele Meso 


Violence is often defined as "the intentional use of physical force  of power , threatened or actual ,against oneself, another person or against a group or community,which either result in or has a high likelihood resulting in injury , death , psychological harm , underdevelopment or deprivation" [World health organisation 2004] . However Rob Nixon redefines the term violence in his book Slow Violence And The Environmentalism of The Poor. In this book Nixon writes pragmatically about the difficulties in fighting what he calls " spectacle deficient" environmental crises like climate change , compromised ecosystems and toxic waste whose victims are spread over time and place; these processes , Nixon says are , slow violence . Pervasive , devastating and unnoticed. This blog will take the form of a picture essay and air pollution will be the violator of concern, on will seek to use images that could perhaps increase the public's awareness on slow violence.  

Just as slow violence is made invisible by its subtle pace and scattered impacts, its victims themselves are invisible, at least in the tiny and shifting lens of the world media. These are microminorities , the marginalized women in already marginalized society ; often slow violence occurs in the "passive voice '  , the suffering is a shame of course but it comes as a side effect rather than through the immediate action from any responsible party , leaving a trail of excuses and denial. Who is responsible or rather whose fault is it   when a child goes hungry ? whose fault is it when leukemia clusters come 10 years later after and a hundred miles away from disaster ? I don't know but what I can say is that " slow violence is not a class blind concept . it is mostly the poor who are most vulnerable to the slow violence of malnutrition and environmental pollution, they often struggle alone as atomized individuals.  

Perpetrator  1 = Power Plants 
Perpetrator  2 = Air Transportation  

Perpetrator 3 = Car Fumes 

Perpetrator 4 = Human Activity 


Smog hanging over cities is the most familiar and more obvious form of " slow violence", the more obvious from of air pollution some visible and some invisible that  contribute to global warming. Generally any substance that people the( perpetrators of violence) throw into the atmosphere that has damaging effects on living things and the environment is considered air pollution. 

Carbon dioxide , a greenhouse gas , is considered to be largely the  main pollutant that is warming the earth. Though living species/ things emit carbon dioxide when they breath, carbon dioxide is widely considered  to be a pollutant when associated with cars , planes, power plants, and other human activities  as seen in the pictures above. In the past 150 years such activities have pumped enough carbon dioxide into the atmosphere to raise its levels higher than they have been for hundreds of thousand of years.

WHY DO YOU INSIST ON HURTING ME WHEN ALL I'VE DONE THROUGH OUT THE YEARS IS LOVE YOU ?

Personal Narrative on slow violence. 


When we have cut up all the roots to her trees,
When we have hunted all her animals,
When  all the air she gives is unsafe to breathe only then will we realise we can not eat money , yes money the paper we can not eat it in the literal sense. We can no longer suck from her breast and expect nourishment because perhaps we would have commodified  her breasts too.  

Mother earth and all of her children have a built desire to keep things in balance and harmony . Over the years though, we her children have seriously upset that balance; all we continue to do is destroy forests to make more farming land, erect buildings for the sole purpose of making a profit, more people equal to more food. The same holds true for oceans. More humans need more, houses,cars, clothes, television sets, internet gadgets and other material possessions typically accumulated over a lifetime. It is a vicious cycle that is destroying our planet. 

Mother earth is starting to fight back , she does not like being out of balance , quite frankly she can no longer endure all the abuse, enough is enough. She is fighting back because her children's arrogance and selfishness have gotten out of control. We see this with the violent weather patterns, global warming, increasing volcano activity, excessive rain and snow, rising sea levels, plague like conditions,etc are all warring signs that our Mother is highly upset. She is crying because all she has ever done is provide us with love and nourishment from hear breasts like an ordinary mother would to her child.But, because of greed and money  we have become separated from our source of  life  which has resulted to our self-centeredness. This self-centeredness will lead to our demise sooner than we think if we do not make things right with our Mother. 


In concluding '' Slow Violence" is inspiring , innovative to an extent and passionate, Nixon forces us to confront some of the most urgent issues facing the continued existence  of humans on the planet , He re-energizes environmental literature , infusing the filed with the transitional concerns of world literature ,and creatively reinvigorates post colonial studies.



Sources Consulted 

Nixon, R. 2011. Slow violence and the environmentalism of the poor. Cambridge: Harvard University Press.

Khallat, MK. 2011. The Impact of air pollution on health , economy , environment and agriculture. CCBY-NC SA 3.0 license, @ The Authors. 


[environment.nationalgeographic.com/envirionment/global-warming/pollution overview]
accessed 22 April 2016

[www.who.ink/violenceprevention/approach/definition/en/]
The violence that goes unnoticed. Blair Braverman April 4 , 2012 ]
 accessed 22 April 2016 .