International book honour for uMhlanga eco-warrior
The book features the stories of 35 inspiring environmentalists, including children and adults, from tree-planters to scientists, from across the globe.
UMHLANGA’S eco-champion, Romario Valentine has been making waves this year with his ongoing fight for the environment.
Besides being actively involved in beach clean-ups on an almost weekly basis – with 180 clean-ups to date – he also raised more than R25 000 for the Umgeni River Bird Park that was under financial strain due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Now he has appeared in an internationally published book, What A Wonderful World.
Related story: WATCH: uMhlanga’s Romario is Captain Planet
The book features the stories of 35 inspiring environmentalists, including children and adults, from tree-planters to scientists, from across the globe, who have taken action to protect it. The book includes the likes of Kenyan ecologist, Wangari Maathai and environmental activist, Greta Thunberg.
Valentine is listed by author, Leisa Stewart-Sharpe, under the ‘Earth Shakers’ section with an illustrated picture (done by Lydia Hill) on the inside of the book, as well as on the front cover of the book.
“I’m honoured to have been selected as one of the world’s top environmentalists. It is really exciting to see an illustration of me on the front cover of the book, with a brief write-up on me. I’m grateful to everyone who has supported me on my journey so far. I believe in positive activism and I want to be the voice of the oceans, plants and animals around me. My biggest message to eco-warriors out there is you are never too old to help nature. When we take care of nature we take care of ourselves.
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“The book is wonderful. It reiterates the message that our world is worth protecting. It is a huge honour to feature alongside someone like Wangari Maathai, who planted millions of trees across Africa and started the Green Belt Movement. She is a remarkable woman, like my mother. I hope to inspire other young people in KwaZulu-Natal, and around South Africa, to stand up for the environment,” he said.
He added the book also gives practical tips and resources on how to make a difference in the fight against climate change.
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