EcoDay event launched at Midrand school

 

The Lory Park Zoo launched its EcoDay event at Eqinisweni Secondary School in Midrand.

This programme is part of the adopt-a-school initiative, which aims to bring conservation-based successes into schools.

The principal, Jabulani Kunene said this programme started with the aim of wanting to keep the school clean.

“The partnership between the school and the zoo began about two months ago. It is teaching children not to rely too much on government but to focus on how to use resources that are in the community.”

The Eco-Brick programme which was launched at the school on 29 November, is just one of the EcoDay initiatives that encourage learners to keep their schools clean. They collect empty plastic bottles and compress them with non-recyclable plastics. These eco-bricks will stop learners from using classroom chairs to sit on underneath the trees during break time.

Learner Mzwake Nzama said he is happy that he can keep his school clean and also learn a skill. He is grateful to his teacher for encouraging this because they are cleaning the environment.

The Lory Park Zoo in partnership with the Gauteng Environmental Education Forum, adopted the school to create a space where youngsters can learn skills through fun.

Education specialist for the park, Robynn Ingle-Moller wants to share experiences that the global community has learned.

“This is our first EcoDay event at Eqinisweni Secondary School. Lory Park Zoo is a social community, we believe passionately in people.”

As part of its 2019 goals, the zoo plans to create a series of conservation-based projects.

“Our focus is to clean the school through eco-bricks. Once a month we will be here to establish a market and garden for the community, we also plan to upgrade and paint classes,” said Ingle-Moller.

Partnerships are critical for such initiatives as they connect children to the outside. Ingle-Moller believes that partnerships expose people to such opportunities and by doing that anything is possible.

Four years ago, the Gauteng Department of Education embarked on an adopt-a-school programme. Eqinisweni is one of the schools benefiting from this programme.

The department’s subject coordinator, Jaliel Mookadam said there has to be a link between the classroom and the environment.

“Skills-based learning is the way of the future. We must generate skills according to the needs of the community.”

The Lory Park Zoo has called on the community to drop off eco-bricks at the facility.

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