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Above all, it was so valuable to hear from the beneficiaries who were at the event. Neesa, a research assistant at UCT, spoke about her efforts to start an urban greening programme at her son’s high school, Garlendale High. “It’s basically being open-minded and starting small,” is the advice she offers to others hoping to do the same. “That’s the main thing… Start small and then grow from there.” Ultimately, things are looking bright; at the end of the workshop debriefing, teachers at St. Augustine’s said, “We are inspired to start an eco-group at school now!”
We’re so grateful to the workshop sponsors, who made this amazing day possible: BOS Ice Tea, Just Trees, The Pole Yard, Bulk SMS, Reliance, ProBio, MonkeyBiz, and Struik Nature!
17th February was a special extended plant day at Vulamasango Orphan Project in Philippi. Along with the teachers at ReUnion Yoga, we were able to plant 60 trees (and we even tossed some yoga and meditation into the mix!). We also launched a new “forest pattern” planting technique at this site. By staggering the trees’ positions and planting nitrogen-fixing Virgilia trees in between them, we mimic the growth pattern of a forest. This allows the trees to help each other along. After all, Mother Nature knows best!
At the end of the day, we shared a beautiful moment of song with the Vulamasango family. We followed the music with a circle gathering to hear one another’s thoughts and feelings about the day. “It’s not just to start a culture, but to bring the culture back of taking care of the environment… I’m hoping that it can rejuvenate that part of everyone, especially in the townships,” said Lusanda, one of the project’s facilitators. “Hopefully this can now make tree planting cool, make taking care of the environment cool, and in that way develop the understanding that if you take care of the environment, the environment in itself takes care of you.” Check out this blog post for a closer look into the #TrekForTrees campaign that made this day possible!




Roger and Dominique were kind enough to give us some of their gorgeous veggies as gifts – aubergine, okra, green peppers, spring onions, chilis, and some fragrant lemongrass. It all made for a deliciously fresh vegan lunch for our office on Friday!



And, of course — thank you to our donors, who made this month of urban greening possible!
Women in Sustainability: Meet our Head of Programmes, Zoë Gauld-Angelucci
For this year’s Women’s Day in South Africa, we want to introduce a woman in sustainability who inspires us daily. After earning a Master’s degree in Development Studies, she joined Greenpop in 2014. When she is not heading up programmes across Sub-Saharan Africa, you can find her spending time with her family, tending to her garden, practising Italian, and searching for the best pizza in the Mother City. Get to know Zoë Gauld-Angelucci!
15 Things You Can Do To Make A Difference On World Environment Day
World Environment Day is organized by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and has been held annually since 1974. The goal of the day of action is to promote environmental awareness and draw attention to crucial concerns around our planet’s survival, that require active engagement and commitment. Today, the day represents one of the largest global platforms for environmental action, with millions of participants from around the world. Each World Environment Day focuses on a specific issue that reflects urgent problems and challenges of our time, such as climate change, biodiversity loss or pollution.
How to Compost at Home, and Reduce Your Waste
Composting is surprisingly easy with these 4 steps – you can even do it at home, and don’t need a lot of space.
Greenpop Foundation NPC is a registered non-profit organisation. Registration Number (NPO): 151-411 NPO.