Children and SANBI are greening our future

13 Mar Children and SANBI are greening our future

2009: NLTDF grant R2,3 million SA National Biodiversity Institute’s garden-based school and outreach greening programme was implemented in five national botanical gardens – Pretoria, Walter Sisulu, Free State, Lowveld and Kirstenbosch – with support from the NLDTF.

The SANBI projects involve learners, educators and community members in learning about the environment and why they should care about it, as well as acquiring practical skills they are able to put to good use in greening their own schools and communities.

SANBI’s environmental education programme was attended by 25 523 learners from 334 schools across the country. Many of the learners came from disadvantaged backgrounds or have special educational or physical needs. For some, this was their first exposure to beautiful natural environments and a unique opportunity to participate in a greening project.

A separate outreach greening programme ran a series of workshops for “green teams” from 143 schools from Gauteng, Free State and Mpumalanga. The workshops promoted the educational value of biodiversity and gardens in schools and community, horticultural skills for economic empowerment and the development of water-wise gardens.

Getting their hands dirty was an enjoyable experience – and the lessons learnt will be valuable knowledge they can share with their peers, families and communities.

To learn more about greening and why we should cherish and develop our environmental heritage, visit www.sanbi.org.