Land Care
LandCare Awards for EduPlant Permaculture Competition
The national Department of Agriculture and Food and Trees for Africa will annually award prizes for best LandCare projects involving schools in South Africa, starting this year.
As a key partner of LandCare in urban areas, Food and Trees for Africa has initiated the Eduplant Permaculture Competition to encourage and empower school groups to start their own nurseries, permaculture gardens and urban greening projects.
After several provincial permaculture workshops, school groups integrate their knowledge and skills with their respective curricula. The Active Learning Framework (inform, explore and question, action and reporting) has been used to develop illustrative learning programmes with an environmental focus. This encourages learners to become actively involved in addressing and responding to environmental issues. Each year, schools are given the opportunity to enter the Eduplant Permaculture Competition and 63 finalist school groups are chosen for a national workshop.
The event encourages community participation, LandCare technology development, skills and training, as well as the formation of enviro-clubs.
The objectives of the LandCare awards are to:
- stimulate the initiation and development of LandCare projects in schools
- recognize achievements by school groups in LandCare projects
- motivate school groups to excel in LandCare
- promote awareness in LandCare and develop the LandCare concept
- strive for continual improvement in natural resource management
- highlight best practice in technology, community participation and integration as key elements of LandCare
- share and network new LandCare technology
Award categories have been set up in accordance with key LandCare elements:
- Best LandCare technology: A project demonstrating successful use of a completely new LandCare idea, adaptation or design.
- Best LandCare community participation: A project demonstrating maximum interaction and support from the community.
- Best LandCare integration: A project which successfully and sustainably integrates all components of the urban environment.
For further information contact Ms J Park, Ms Natalie or Mr Lawrence Tshokgohle at tel (011) 803 9750.