In a year where Earth has already seen hottest global temperature ever recorded and a new record high temperature for the global sea surface – both of which could contribute to making 2023 the hottest year ever recorded on the planet – humanity has never been served a more stark reminder of the need to conserve our natural resources to protect our home.
28 July marked World Nature Conservation Day, which acknowledges that the foundation for a healthy society is a healthy environment and promotes awareness about the importance of protecting our natural resources. “MySchool MyVillage MyPlanet works with thousands of organisations doing good, every day – and our MyPlanet beneficiaries are in the spotlight this month,” says Pieter Twine, General Manager: MySchool MyVillage MyPlanet. “Raising awareness is important – but urgent action is more important – and there are many organisations working tirelessly around the globe to make a real difference on the planet we inhabit”.
Greenpop continues to work hard to establish a TREEvolution for a world where people and nature thrive together. The organisation works to restore ecosystems and empower environmental stewards through forest restoration, urban greening, food gardening, and environmental awareness projects across Sub-Saharan Africa. Founded in 2010, Greenpop has planted over 200 000 trees and inspired over 356 000 active citizens across South Africa, Zambia, Malawi, and Tanzania.
African Conservation Trust (ACT) is a broad-based environmental, conservation and heritage organisation, founded in 2000. The organisation continues to implement a diverse range of projects and programmes in South Africa in areas of food security, biodiversity conservation, natural resource management and heritage conservation, with a strong focus on collaboration, teamwork and bringing Ecological Agriculture to communities. ACT also works extensively in the heritage sector, using modern technology to preserve Africa’s rich history and culture. Their vision is simple: ‘People on a profitable planet’. They envision a world that is able to sustain human life, with abundant natural resources, which people can use not only to survive, but to flourish.
Children in the Wilderness is a non-profit organisation supported by ecotourism company Wilderness Safaris, which aims to facilitate sustainable conservation through leadership development and education of children in Africa. They believe that insight, care and commitment are essential to conserving Africa’s pristine wilderness and wildlife areas. They believe that the best path to this is to help the rural children of Africa understand the importance of conservation and its relevance in their lives, so their focus is on offering an environmental and life skills educational programme for children, focusing on the next generation of decision-makers; inspiring them to care for their natural heritage and to become the custodians of these areas in the future. They host Eco-Club programmes at local schools, run camps at Wilderness Safaris and partner camps for the children within the rural communities that live on the edges of the wild areas of Africa and offer school and tertiary bursaries to deserving children.
