Dig into Polokwane resident’s greening initiative for Limpopo rural schools

POLOKWANE – At the annual general meeting of Wessa Friends of Polokwane Nature Reserve, local resident Joe Grosel of Tembele Ecological Services announced a new project which will be focused in Limpopo. 

The project is called the Spekboom Project and is a school greening initiative.

The Spekboom is an evergreen shrub that needs little water and is easy to grow and propagate and, according to Joe, recent research has shown the shrub to be an exceptional carbon sponge. This means it has the ability to absorb more free carbon from the atmosphere than most other plant species.

Joe says this is why he decided to use the Spekboom in the greening initiative. Joe explains that the idea of the initiative came to him while he was pruning a Spekboom hedge at his farmstead during the first week of lockdown.

“Most rural schools in Limpopo are situated within impoverished communities, predominantly in the arid regions of the province. The natural habitats in most of these areas have been severely transformed as a result of deforestation for firewood and overgrazing by livestock. The schoolyards themselves are barren, dusty and featureless places containing little to no vegetation. The school grounds are often enclosed by a wire mesh security fence making them even more of a discouraging place for children.”

He decided to start a small Spekboom nursery with the idea of supplying plants to rural schools which will also create a number of additional benefits. Within a few weeks, a thriving nursery had been established with over 4 000 Spekboom cuttings planted directly into the soil and a further 2 000 in planting bags.

He hopes to get volunteers and donors to buy the shrubs and then go plant them at the schools. To find out more about this project contact Joe at 082 415 5250 or visit his website at www.tembele.co.za.

Why a Spekboom is ideal for this purpose:

• The Spekboom is a water-wise, low-maintenance plant that is drought-resistant and can survive on only 250-350mm of water a year. A bucket of water twice a month during the dry season will keep it healthy and happy.
• The Spekboom’s effective soil binding root system can play a vital role in curbing soil erosion in rural school grounds which are often devoid of grass cover and prone to sheet, splash and gully erosion. 
• Spekboom leaves are edible and have a pleasant citrus flavour. They are rich in Vitamin C and contain trace elements such as manganese, cobalt and magnesium. The leaves also hold micro elements; iodine and selenium, which act as effective antioxidants. These elements help boost immune systems and often lack in the diets of disadvantaged families in rural communities.
• The medicinal properties of the Spekboom mean that having a few of these plants growing in a school ground can help well-informed teachers in the superficial treatment of learners with skin conditions and other minor ailments for which this plant is known to be helpful.
• A Spekboom is easily propagated from cuttings and responds well to pruning, which means that after a year or two, there should theoretically be enough ‘mother plant stock’ in the school grounds to roll out thousands of new plants which scholars can even plant in their own gardens at home.
• The highly effective carbon absorption and oxygen producing abilities of a Spekboom should, to some extent, assist in improving air quality and the micro-climate within school grounds and around classrooms, provided a large-enough grove is established.
• It is well known that living near green spaces or having green vegetation within work or study zones can improve mood and cognition, reduce stress, encourage physical activity, reduce aggression and enhance the overall well-being in people of all ages under different circumstances.
• A small grove of Spekboom in a school yard is like having a live biology lab that science teachers can effectively utilise in demonstrating natural processes such as photosynthesis, energy flow, pollination and symbiotic relationships. Learners can also be taught about current environmental challenges such as greenhouse gas emissions resulting in global warming and how plants such as the Spekboom can assist in mitigating these problems.

Source: Carbon-Footprint-offset-Spekboom