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The role of folklore in preserving wildlife and heritage – a story about frogs and sweet water

The role of folklore in preserving wildlife and heritage – a story about frogs and sweet water

 

THE ROLE OF FOLKLORE IN PRESERVING WILDLIFE AND HERITAGE – A STORY ABOUT FROGS AND SWEET WATER

Samson Phakathi, Field Officer, EWT’s People in Conservation Programme, samsonp@ewt.org.za

As in most cultures, folklore has played an essential role in influencing social norms and values in most African communities. Folklore is oral history attached to a particular place, group, or activity, communicated through tales, proverbs, riddles, songs, etc.

Folklore is typically passed down by word of mouth, although sometimes people write down collections of folklore to preserve the stories of a particular community. The fundamental premise is that folklore has no author – it slowly emerges and evolves from within a culture, and is carried forward through constant retelling. Some folklore is a product of indigenous knowledge about species and natural ecosystems. In Africa, particularly in KwaZulu-Natal, many of the folklore legends relate to the environment and specific species. Folklore has both positive and negative effects on the environment and species, determined by how much species are valued in a specific tribe. For example, if a species is deemed harmful and of no use to man, folklore will prescribe that it be persecuted, whereas if it is useful to man, folklore projects a glorified image of the subject, motivating for people to care for and conserve it. Folklore sparks the imagination of children, strengthens bonds between generations, and helps to shape people’s cultural views on biotic utilisation and preservation.

Folklore has always played an important role in preserving heritage in KwaZulu-Natal. Legends have it, for example, that upon discovery of signs of damage to Itshe LikaNtunjambili, the cliff head above the Tugela Valley, a narrative was spread warning that anyone who tampers with the cliff will develop misshapen legs, and to this day the cliff head is intact for all to see and enjoy. Older women are traditionally the narrators of folklore, and young people would sit around an open fire and enjoy stories in the dark. As we celebrate Heritage Month, we recognise the role of folklore in preserving our cultural and natural heritage. A story about the role of folklore in preserving wildlife and heritage

Once upon a time when people’s existence could be directly affected by how well they understood and respected their environment, Indlovukazi-the Queen Mother once embarked on a long trip from the Zululand to the South Coast in KwaZulu-Natal. She was accompanied by six warriors who were instructed by the King to ensure her safety, not only from physical dangers but also against unseen nature-related obstacles that might come to the fore. They walked gracefully for days using species like Honey Badgers, starlings, and weavers to provide signs of what lied ahead. Honey Badger would lead them to honey, starlings and weavers warned them about the presence of slippery friends (snakes). They walk for days until their supplies were beginning to run out. They had to find a suitable spring to collect water, but unfortunately, they walked for days without much luck because springs in their midst did not fit the description of a water source that is suitable for Indlovukazi.

An instruction from Indlovukazi was clear, croaking frogs and running water signalled a sign of water suitable for Indlovukazi. None of the springs they found showed signs of life, and the wise Indlovukazi decided that they would take a well-deserved break and brainstorm strategies to ensure that there is life in every stream the next time they travelled this way. They sat under a tree of great cultural significance, and as they deliberated on what to do to bring back the frogs, they heard the loud croaking sound of a frog in the distance. The Indlovukazi immediately instructed two warriors to search for the stream where the croaking was coming from, and if there was a sign of frogs, they dare not touch the water as the Indlovukazi should be the first to enjoy the sweet waters, or Amanzimtoti (of the spring). They found the stream, inundated with frogs of all species, shapes, sizes, and colours, and returned to inform the Indlovukazi about their finding. The thirsty Indlovukazi walked to the stream and scooped a cup full of the water and, instead of quenching her thirst, insisted that before they enjoy the water, they come up with a plan to bring life back to the other streams that they had passed. The men thought long and hard and soon realised the association of frogs to the sweet water the wise Queen had described earlier.

As the sun was setting, Mpeku, one of the lead warriors, began to put the pieces together and remembered how, as young boys, they used to go to play in the streams, throwing stones at the frogs and throwing their rubbish into the streams, until there were fewer signs of life in the area. He relayed what he thought was a contributing factor in the decline in frog numbers, and the Indlovukazi felt that what he shared was genuine. They all felt that there was a need to educate young boys about the importance of frogs in streams and folklore stories were an essential method of reinforcing a particular narrative in communities.

The Indlovukazi and her combatants manufactured a folklore narrative that those who kill frogs and pollute water will have an unpleasant period in their lives, and this narrative has played a role in the conservation of frogs and streams in Natal. Mpeku was rewarded and entrusted with a responsibility to develop folklores intended to preserve local natural heritage, associating certain species with good luck and positive experiences.

A giant leap for amphibian conservation: South Africa’s “Frog Lady” wins 2020 Whitley Award

A giant leap for amphibian conservation: South Africa’s “Frog Lady” wins 2020 Whitley Award

A GIANT LEAP FOR AMPHIBIAN CONSERVATION: SOUTH AFRICA’S “FROG LADY” WINS 2020 WHITLEY AWARD

Dr Jeanne Tarrant, Manager of the EWT’s Threatened Amphibian Programme, and known locally as the “Frog Lady”, has won a prestigious Whitley Award worth £40,000 to support her quest to save threatened amphibians. The EWT is the only NGO in South Africa to include frogs as a conservation focus.

The Whitley Awards, often referred to as ‘Green Oscars’, are awarded annually to individuals from the Global South by UK-based conservation charity the Whitley Fund for Nature. Jeanne is one of six conservationists to be recognised this year for their achievements in nature conservation.

Amphibians are the most threatened group of animals on the planet with 41% of all species at risk of extinction. Almost two-thirds of the country’s 135 frog species are found nowhere else, making South Africa a priority for amphibian conservation.

Despite this, a combination of threats from habitat loss due to mining, agriculture and pollution are putting the country’s frogs at risk.

In some South African cultures, frogs can be associated with witchcraft, making them often feared by locals. Jeanne’s educational work aims to dispel such myths and raise awareness and appreciation of the important role frogs play in the health of the environment and ecosystem. The EWT’s national awareness Leap Day for Frogs has attracted some 15,000 participants over the past five years. Jeanne has inspired school children with her “ Frogs in the Classroom” learning programme, gaining young fans and earning her the title of the “Frog Lady”.

Growing up in the southern Drakensberg mountains of KwaZulu-Natal, Jeanne was surrounded by nature. Following her undergraduate studies, she worked in the UK for five years before returning to her homeland of South Africa to specialise in the research of threatened South African frogs.

Some of the species that Jeanne and her team conserve include the Critically Endangered Amathole Toad, which had not been seen for over 13 years until Jeanne and her colleagues re-discovered it in 2011. Jeanne also works with the Endangered Pickersgill’s Reed Frog, with the number of known localities of this tiny 2cm amphibian on the rise thanks to her efforts.

In addition to education and field work, Jeanne works with government to ensure enhanced protection for frogs on a policy level. Supported by WFN, her team will produce a 10-year conservation and research strategy for South African frogs and protect 20,000ha of amphibian habitat conserving 8 species.

Jeanne said: “While South Africa has excellent environmental legislation, illegal developments continue to destroy frog habitats. Our aim is to not only improve appreciation of frogs through research and education but use our slippery friends as flagships for the wider conservation of vital freshwater and terrestrial areas that are under the increasing threat of humans.

“The fact that almost half of amphibians are experiencing declines should be a massive wake-up call to humanity that all is not right with our planet – most people however are unaware that amphibians are even in trouble.”

Edward Whitley, Founder of the Whitley Fund for Nature, said: “Jeanne is an inspiring leader who tirelessly advocates for amphibians – an often overlooked group. We hope that this Whitley Award will allow her to spread her important message far and wide, and bring about real change for amphibians and their habitat through science, policy, and community education.”

Six conservationists have won Whitley Awards and will each receive £40,000 in funding to support their work with a range of threatened species. While normally presented to winners by charity Patron HRH The Princess Royal at an annual Ceremony in London, the 2020 Whitley Awards Ceremony was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Whilst the winners will receive their funding now, they will be invited to attend a ceremony and related events in London later this year to celebrate their achievements, should circumstances allow.

This year’s Whitley Gold Award honours Brazilian conservationist Patrícia Medici for her outstanding dedication to protecting South America’s largest land mammal, the lowland tapir, using it as a flagship for largescale habitat preservation. Patrícia is a world expert in the science of tapir conservation and has dedicated her life to shedding light on this unusual looking, yet little-known species. Against a backdrop of political and environmental instability in Brazil, her work is more important than ever. The Whitley Gold Award enables the expansion of her work to the embattled Amazon.

Visit www.whitleyaward.org to find out more.