Crocworld celebrates 30th anniversary
CROCWORLD Conservation Centre will host a special talk on April 11 to celebrate the 30th anniversary of its opening.
Delivered by esteemed indigenous landscaper Elsa Pooley, this talk will take a look at the people and the events that transformed the Centre from the undeveloped sugarcane field that it once was into the major tourist attraction that it is today.
Mrs Pooley has been involved in this transformation from the very beginning, and as such is the perfect person to deliver the thirtieth anniversary talk.
In 1984, she and her husband Tony moved to Scottburgh to assist a team funded by Crookes Bros Ltd with the creation of Crocworld. Today, Mrs Pooley continues to take an active part in the Centre, focusing particularly on Izinyoni, its specialist indigenous plant nursery.
Mrs Pooley’s expertise comes from nearly fifty years of gardening with indigenous plants. She currently runs an indigenous landscaping and rehabilitation company, and has worked on such prestigious projects as the Durban beachfront upgrade, Eden Rock Forest Estate and of course, the Centre itself.
She is the author of several best-selling guides on trees and wildflowers, and in 2014 she was awarded the South African Landscape Institute’s National Judge’s Discretionary Award.
Those that attend her talk on April 11th will be given a fascinating insight into the history of Crocworld Conservation Centre. Mrs Pooley will use old photographs to bring the venue’s past to life, and to show how with hard work and determination the team that built Crocworld succeeded in turning an untamed corner of KwaZulu-Natal into the Centre that we know and love today.
She will also talk about the local history of the Scottburgh area, and reminisce about some of the colourful characters that were a part of the Crocworld story and some that still are – including Doug Cooke from the Izinyoni Nursery.
The Centre opened its doors on March 27 1985, and soon became one of the biggest crocodile farms in South Africa. Twenty-five years later, the decision was made to turn the farm into a centre for conservation and education, as well as a botanical garden and indigenous nursery.
Today , Crocworld provides a home for the naturally-occurring birds and insects of the South Coast as well as for its resident reptiles. It is a centre of learning and enjoyment, and has made a difference in the lives of countless visitors, scholars and staff.
Guests are invited to arrive at Crocworld Conservation Centre at 8.30am in time for registration before Mrs Pooley’s talk begins at 9am.
Mrs. Pooley will speak for an hour and a half, after which tea, coffee and celebratory birthday cake will be served. Guests are then invited to join Mrs. Pooley and members of Crocworld’s staff (both past and present) on a guided tour of the Centre’s grounds and attractions.
Crocworld’s herpetology expert, Martin Rodrigues, is looking forward to the event, calling it a “celebration of the history of our Centre”.
He adds that “we have been a very important tourism attraction along the mid-South Coast for the past 30 years and I am honoured to be involved at the Centre. I am really looking forward to it and urge everyone with an interest to book their seats before the talk is sold out”.
Tickets are R70 per adult, with a concessional rate of R30 for pensioners, students and scholars. To make your reservation,contact Nolean Allun, Crocworld Conservation Centre on (039) 976 1103/ (083) 654 9651 or e-mail crocworld@cbl.co.za
