It’s weird and wonderful and it’s the gift that keeps on giving.
That’s the focus of Nature Nerd, the punchy new television series of environmental shorts that launched last week on the Openview channel.
Gqeberha resident and show presenter Lwamkelo “Lex” Tshikini and his team have chosen a sure-fire way into the often complex eco-realm by zooming in on the things that just come naturally to different critters.
Kicking off the series were the bombardier beetle, which defends itself by shooting a boiling hot chemical cocktail out of its rear end, and the basilisk lizard which can run on water by using its webbed feet to create pockets of air.
Then there was the mimic octopus, known for its ability to imitate other creatures to elude predators, the mantis shrimp, which punches so fast and hard it creates a mini-explosion in the water when it strikes, and the mudskipper, “the fish that walks on land”.
Tshikini, 27, said he was fascinated by what he and his research team were learning and his aim was to communicate this sense of fun and wonder to his viewers.
“For me, it just comes from being curious about the wild side and I’ve realised that there is so much that ordinary people don’t know and that we should be celebrating.
“I am definitely not an expert myself but I have the opportunity to introduce our readers to some mind-blowing facts and footage.
“I often think, ‘oh my gosh, that’s so cool’, and I want our viewers to enjoy that sense of amazement too.
“I get the opportunity to attend different events, like the recent Whale Festival, and I’m also going to be trying to share some of what I learn there on Nature Nerd.
“I love birds and we’re going to be doing a focus on them soon which I’m really excited about, from the strange ways some of them hunt to the different and extraordinary ways they built their nests.”
Tshikini grew up in Motherwell and studied information technology before joining Media Seven, the Newton Park-based broadcast media training and production company.
He worked there as a sound engineer on the company’s online radio station, The Wireless, before getting an opportunity to be the frontman on the fledgling Nature Nerd.
“My family and friends love what I am doing with the show and they’re always saying to me ‘what, I never knew that!’, which is great.
“I also have a younger nephew and my hope is he and other school pupils will find the series useful.”
Media Seven director Bronwen Nel said the aim was to support each Nature Nerd short with the best photographs and footage available.
“We’ve so far looked at species from around the globe but we’re hoping as well to showcase the Eastern Cape, and to promote local conservation and tourism.”
You can find Nature Nerd on the People’s Planet programme on the Openview channel 115, on Thursdays at 9.30am, and again at 2.30pm.
Viewers are encouraged to engage with Tshikini and his team via email (hello@thewireless.org) about the show, and share any of their own encounters with weird and wonderful critters.
The Herald
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