12TH AUGUST 2016
PROGRAM OVERVIEW

A collaborative between Herbertsdale Primary School, Landmark Foundation, Gondwana Game Reserve and the GCBR (Gouritz Cluster Biosphere Reserve) has been established in order to provide the learners of Herbertsdale Primary with the opportunity to participate in an environmental progam at their school. This initiative is part of the broader vision of implementing structured, sustainable and inspiring green clubs within the Eden District. The establishment of a green club at Herbertsdale Primary has been received with open arms by the principal Mr Marius Stander. The green club hopes to create environmental leaders as well as to bring environmental awareness to the learners based on factual and current information.

The hike will serve as an introduction to the establishment of a green club at the school and the aim is that the learners will be inspired and willing to drive it. The grade 5’s, 6’s and 7’s were invited on the hike, with a total of 46 learners present.

Each of the collaborating organisations will bring different elements to the Green Club.

Landmark Foundation will provide an educational structure by which the club will function. The green club will be guided by strong leadership structures. The program will eventually be run by the learners and the various teams. This will soon become part of the school ethos.

Gonwana Game Reserve have already been active in providing the learners with various environmental outings and activities, they will continue to support the school in a more valuable way by providing the necessary elements to grow the green club.

The GCBR will provide support by incorporating resources and growing the number of green clubs within the GCBR area. There is a serious need for this to happen.

OUTCOMES ACHIEVED

The hike proved to be a very useful tool to inspire the learners to take leadership. A Waste Management Program was introduced as an initial project for those wishing to take up the challenge. Jono from Gondwana Game Reserve will be assisting and overseeing this project. GCBR sponsored the blue drums to initiate the project. We hope to have the waste management established and in place by the beginning of 2017 when the green club will be launched with grade 6 and 7 learners.

Learners were responsive and participated in the discussions. The koppie nearby the school was specifically chosen to provide an eagle eye view point of their town. They were asked specific questions relating to what they saw from where they were sitting. Some of the questions were: “What do you see?” – “What would you like to see more of?” – “What would you change and how?” As mentioned their answers were positive and they were mainly of an environmental nature such as cleaning the rivers, clearing aliens, planting more trees etc..

This was a huge encouragement for everyone. We would like to thank the learners for their positive attitude toward the hike and the waste management project, Mr Stander for his vision, Marius, a science educator at the school for attending and his willingness to assist with the green club. Jono (GGR) and Andre (GCBR) for their commitment toward the green clubs.

Good luck to the learners, the future is in your hands.

In education,

Monica Vaccaro

Landmark Foundation

Education Program

www.landmarkfoundation.org.za

Please follow the link for more pictures.

https://www.facebook.com/LandmarkFoundation/photos/?tab=album&album_id=1294662657234670