Reading the caves: learning about South Africa’s history through rock art
Prof. David Lewis-Williams is one of the world’s foremost experts on rock art. We asked him what cave paintings tell us about South Africa’s heritage.
News - Environment
Get in touch with South Africa’s heritage (sites)
South Africa has the second-highest number of World Heritage Sites on the African continent. Find out what they are and where they are, and start making plans to visit them. Unesco is offering a great prize for the best picture.
Footprint fossils suggest lizards have been running on two feet for 110m years
Fossil bones and skeletons tend to get most of the attention in palaeontology, but sometimes we can learn more about extinct life from the footprints long-extinct animals left behind. That’s the case in new research that claims to have found 110m-year-old trackways of lizards running on two feet (bipedally).
Support for storm-hit Orient Hills
Monday’s massive storm devastated the community of the Orient Hills informal settlement in Krugersdorp. If you’d like to offer support to the affected families, we’ve set up a collection point at the Maropeng Visitor Centre.
Save the date: Maropeng hosts free public talks on 26 August
We’ll be launching a series of free public lectures at Maropeng during the upcoming Magalies Rocks the Cradle festival. The inaugural event of the Maropeng Talks Series will feature a leading South African climatologist, a military-history expert and a prominent environmentalist.
Five ways to care for our planet this holiday
This time of year is filled with excitement and Harry, Maropeng’s spokeshominid, is excited too about all the ways we can care for our planet over the holiday.
Looking after spaceship #Earth
The world will be marking Earth Day on 22 April. We delve into the origins of the commemoration, which is becoming ever more relevant.
UN panel: time is running out to tackle climate change
The looming threat of climate change has been on the radar of world governments for years, but, the latest report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has found that extremely slow progress in tackling pollution means that humanity is running out of options to curb the potentially catastrophic effects of global warming.
Earth is into its sixth mass extinction, say scientists
It is generally accepted in the scientific community that our planet has experienced at least five mass extinctions since life began, and that the sixth has already begun.
Maropeng plants food garden at Maloney’s Eye School
Located in the Cradle of Humankind World Heritage Site, Maloney’s Eye Primary is where over 300 children from poverty-stricken backgrounds come to learn, despite facing almost insurmountable social challenges.
April 22, 2014: Maropeng celebrates World Earth Day
At Maropeng we take environmental conservation very seriously. Our Earth is precious and delicate, and it’s the only home we have. On April 22 every year we celebrate World Earth Day by reflecting on the many ways we contribute to a cleaner, greener, more sustainable planet.
Make a promise for #EarthHourZA
Maropeng is joining the World Wide Fund for Nature South Africa (WWF-SA) in calling on individuals, businesses and organisations to make a promise to honour the Earth for Earth Hour this Saturday.
Jane Goodall spreads message of hope on eve of her 80th birthday
When primatologist and activist Jane Goodall was four-and-a-half years old, she carried out her first scientific experiment. While visiting a farm from London, it was her job to collect the eggs, but something puzzled her: How did the egg get out of the chicken?
Sharing the fossil wealth of the Karoo trail
Looking at the semi-desert Karoo landscape of today, it’s hard to believe that it was once a luxuriant floodplain abounding in prehistoric life.
Eco-friendly fun for kids this holiday
The winter school holidays are upon us! By now you’ve no doubt ticked off most items on your list of things to do and see with the kids, and very nearly exhausted your holiday budget.
Maropeng raises population issues this World Population Day
World Population Day, observed annually on 11 July, is an event that seeks to raise awareness of global population issues.
Tiny fossil primate shakes evolutionary tree
Scientists have announced the discovery of the world’s oldest known fossil primate, a 55-million-year-old creature called Archicebus achilles, which shows changes that happened at a crucial branch in our evolutionary tree.
What Water Week 2013 means at Maropeng
Water Day on 22 March and National River Day on 25 March are designed to raise awareness of the immeasurable value of Earth’s life-giving liquid resource. What is Maropeng doing to help grow awareness of water conservation and preservation?
World Water Day 2013 – International Year of Water Co-operation
In December 2010, the United Nations General Assembly declared 2013 as the United Nations International Year of Water Co-operation. This year’s World Water Day, which will take place on 22 March, will also be dedicated to water co-operation.
Maropeng celebrates World Environment Day
Maropeng is looking forward to celebrating World Environment Day on Tuesday, June 5.
UNISA students learn about nature conservation at Maropeng
This week at the Cradle of Humankind, 80 UNISA students are getting hands their hands dirty learning about the natural environment.
Earth Hour 2012 and innovative ways to green your planet
On Saturday, March 31, people across the world will switch off their lights for an hour from 20h30, to mark Earth Hour 2012.
Conserving water in the Cradle of Humankind
Conserving water resources is a major priority for the Maropeng Visitor Centre in the Cradle of Humankind, Gauteng’s only World Heritage Site.
Maropeng awarded gold heritage status for going green
Maropeng, the official visitor centre of the Cradle of Humankind, has been awarded a gold certificate of membership by the Heritage Environmental Management Company for its commitment to sustainable business practices.
