News - Africa
John Francis, Planetwalker, in South Africa Spreading the Word about GLOBE and Kindness
Taking cloud observations in Plettenberg Bay
Dr. John Francis, renowned for his Planetwalks that have taken him
across continents to raise awareness about environmental issues, is
now walking across South Africa in partnership with GLOBE Africa. He
began this journey in January 2023, walking from Cape Point to
Gordan’s Bay. In January – February 2024, he walked from Gordan’s Bay
to Mossel Bay. And he is currently walking from Plettenberg Bay
towards the Bostwana border.
Along the way, Dr. Francis
has been engaging local communities and schools, introducing them to
the GLOBE Program. On 14 September in Plettenberg Bay, Dr. Francis
conducted a GLOBE cloud observation, teaching a community group
environmental data collection. His commitment to collaboration has
inspired many, and students and adults have joined him for parts of
his walk, including UCAR’s John Ristvey!
On 16 September, they visited a
primary school, Bahia Formosa School. Dr John Francis began his
presentation with some stories about his life, a short banjo
performance followed by a time of questions and answers.
Afterward, John Ristvey shared about the GLOBE cloud protocol
using the Elementary GLOBE storybook to highlight the three basic
types of clouds. He began by reading the first page from the storybook
asking the students, “Did you know that children have names?” Followed
by a similar question about dogs, flowers, and finally clouds. He then
asked for a volunteer to come to the front of the room to hold a
handful of cotton balls. John then asked the students to describe the
cotton balls and then read a page in the storybook about cumulus
clouds including that they were low level clouds. All the students
then said, “CUMULUS CLOUDS!”
Next, he asked two students to come to the room to hold
each end of a bed sheet. He then asked the students to describe the
sheet as flat. He read the page in the storybook that described
stratus clouds, and all students said, “STRATUS CLOUDS.” He asked for
one last volunteer to hold a feather high in the air so everyone could
see. He read the page that described cirrus clouds. Then all the
students said, “CIRRUS CLOUDS.” He then showed them how to make
signals for each of the three types and reviewed them a few more
times, having the children call them out.
Finally, he
showed the students the GLOBE Observer app and how they could keep
track of clouds and send their observations in to GLOBE’s database.
The teachers were interested in both checking out the app, other
Elementary GLOBE books, and connecting with other schools in other
GLOBE countries.
Now in the Rietbron area, Dr. Francis is planning to visit two additional schools in the coming weeks – a primary school and a high school.
Dr. Francis will continue his Planetwalk in South Africa until early November, with plans to visit schools and community centers, spreading the message of sustainability and global collaboration. Stay tuned by visiting GLOBE's Planetwalk Africa page for more updates as Francis continues his remarkable walk across Africa, combining scientific observation with a deep connection to the communities he visits.
Have a question for Dr. Francis? Ask it hereand tune back in for his response.
News origin: GLOBE Implementation Office