At a time when the world’s focus is honed in on the ailing health of Madiba, this week we all have the chance to celebrate and recognize his life. Thursday (18 July) will mark his 95th birthday, and also Nelson Mandela International Day – a global initiative inspiring people to give 67 minutes out of their day toward a good cause, in recognition of the 67 years which Mandela gave to fighting for humanity. Many readers might be keen on volunteering for an environmental cause, but not have the time or money that many volunteer programmes require (read: 5 affordable wildlife volunteering options in the Western Cape). If this is the case, you have the opportunity this week to give as little as 67 minutes to one of the following Mandela Day initiatives.
5 environmental initiatives to get involved in this Mandela Day
SANCCOB beach clean up – Milnerton
The Southern African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds is holding a beach clean-up at Lagoon Beach in Milnerton. There will be a meet-and-greet with SANCCOB’s ambassador penguins, as well as an educational talk on the dangers that rubbish can cause to sea birds.
Where and when
Meet at the parking lot of Lagoon Beach on Thursday 18th July. The Clean up will happen between 10:00 and 11:30. For more information, visit the SANCCOB facebook page
Rooi Els beach cleanup – Rooi Els
If you are at work or school or otherwise engaged on Thursday, but a beach clean-up sounds like your cup of tea, join the folks from Rooi Els on Saturday to clean up the rubbish which has been blown onto their beaches from the Cape Town Metro area by North-Westerly winds. It may be further afield than Milnerton, but Rooi Els sits along the stunning coastal R44 and is part of the Kogelberg Biosphere Reserve – well worth a day trip from Cape Town.
Where and when
The beach clean up will happen at Rooi Els on Saturday 20th July. If you want to participate, be sure to contact the event organizer at [email protected] for more information.
67 Minutes of Hope – Fish Hoek
Join Living Hope (a family of ministries working for the empowerment of under-privileged communities in the Southern – Cape Peninsula area) to clear a 19 acre plot of land of invasive alien plant species. Get your hands dirty by pulling out, sawing down and chopping up alien plants which are harmful to indigenous species.
Where and when
Prospective alien-killers should report to Living Hope Head Office, Kommetjie Road, Fish Hoek between 10:00 and 15:00 on Thursday 18th July.
For more information please contact Mario on 073 279 9190 or [email protected]
River Clean-Up and planting on the Keysers river in Retreat – Cape Town
WESSA (the Wildlife and Environment Society of South Africa) is holding a drive to clean up the banks of the Keysers river in Retreat, after which it will be planting indigenous plants along the freshly-squeeky-clean banks. You are asked to take along gumboots and any gardening tools you might need for planting (spades, pitchforks, gloves etc).
Where and when
Participants will meet at the grassy patch on Military Road, next to Steenberg train station on Thursday 18th July. If you want to participate you should please contact the organisers at [email protected] who will inform you of a meeting time.
Students Anti-Pollution Society’s Cleaning Campaign – Leherutshe, Zeerust, North West
The Motto of the Students Anti-Pollution Society is “A cleaner Environment is a Conducive Environment for Learning”. We couldn’t agree more, and although this event may be the geographical odd-one-out, it definitely deserved a mention. The Students Anti-Pollution Society “aim[s] at protecting and caring for the environment and sustainable livelihood of Zeerust and neighbouring cities such as Mafikeng” and is having its official launch on Mandela Day. As part of this launch the society will be staging a cleaning-up campaign on the outskirts of Leherutshe.
Where and when
The launch and cleaning campaign will take place of Thursday 18th July in Leherutshe. If you wish to participate, please contact the event organiser at [email protected] for more specific information.
Main image by Albert Gonzalez Farran, UNAMID on Flickr
5 other environmentally friendly ways to spend your 67 minutes this Mandela Day
You don’t need to be near any of these particular pre-organised events in order to do your bit for the environment this Mandela day. Here are six more ideas of ways in which you could spend 67 minutes for the greater environmental good, from wherever you are in the country.
Go completely electricity-free for 67 minutes
Turn off everything – your lights, your plug sockets, your geyser, in fact go to the switch-board in your home and trip the switch. We all know the heavy load which increasing electricity use is placing on the environment, and even if switching everything off for 67 minutes isn’t going to be much of a blip on the electricity-usage radar, hopefully you’ll spend the 67 minutes outside (after all, being inside without electricity is enough to drive you crazy) and re-kindle your love for some form of entertainment that doesn’t have to be plugged in.
Take 67 minutes to make a home-made compost bin / worm farm
We throw away so much bio-degradable goodness which for those of you with garden space could go back into the ground and nourish your flowers/grass/veggies. Making a home-made composter can be as easy as drilling a few holes in a drum to allow for air-flow, and for nutrient-filled juices to seep into the ground or a container beneath. There are many different models and ideas of how to make your own composting bin online, from the one already mentioned, to rustic wooden-slatted crates on the ground.
Visit www.howtocompost.org for more information.
Spend 67 minutes doing some proper research on environmentally responsible living
Commit to spending just over an hour having a proper look at the ways in which you can change your day-to-day habits for the betterment of the environment. Part of the challenge of climate change is that it feels like such a massive, insurmountable obstacle to us and we feel powerless to help it. There are many websites out there dedicated to telling you exactly how you can make a change through simple adjustments to your everyday habits.
Visit www.wwf.org.za/act_now/green_living for more information
Visit a game reserve (this might be a slightly indulgent one)
Many of the safe havens for the flora and fauna we love so much are funded by fees paid by visitors. Why not take some time this Thursday, or over the weekend, to visit one of the many game reserves across the country. If you live within 67minutes drive of a nature reserve, you really have no excuse! If this feels like too much of a holiday, you could always donate an extra R67 above the entrance fee to make yourself feel extra good about it, or even better, you could take someone with you who has never had the opportunity/means to visit a game reserve and see wild animals in their natural environment.
Visit www.kznparks.com, www.sanparks.co.za and www.capenature.co.za for more information.
Apply for a Nedbank Green Affinity Account
Banking and dealing with financial matters can often be tiresome. With the Nedbank Green Affinity Account at least you will know that every time you use your account, a contribution is made to conservation through The Green Trust, at no cost to you. Why not allocate 67 minutes on Thursday to visiting a Nedbank account and opening a Green Affinity Account (or at least finding out more information – we know how particular people can be about their banking).
Visit www.nedbankgreen.co.za for more information
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