WITZENBERG ECO CENTRE
"A COMMUNITY INITIATIVE WHICH PROMOTES  BIODIVERSITY
AND CONSERVATION IN THE WITZENBERG DISTRICT"
Formed in 2009, this Eco Centre provides the local community with a venue where environmental programmes can be facilitated from. This Eco Centre is supported by Waverley Hills along with Cape Nature, WESSA and Cape Winelands District Municipality.
The Witzenberg Eco-Centre has achieved the Eco-Centre Green Flag status awarded by WESSA. Visitors will be able to see the flag flying at the entrance of Waverley Hills, home to the Witzenberg Eco-Centre.
The Eco-Centres programme has been established with the main aim to assist environmental education centres to work toward the holistic promotion and support of biodiversity and conservation education. The programme is part of the well-known WESSA/WWF Eco-Schools programme which has been in operation in South Africa for almost 10 years with over 1200 schools participating. The Green Flag status has been awarded to the in the Witzenberg Eco-Centre for 2011 as it has shown a positive social, practical and educational change over the course of the last 12 months in the Witzenberg district.
This facility is not only available to the learners and teachers of local schools but also to the public and is committed to providing environmental education.
GREEN FINGERS INITIATIVE
This initiative was officially launched in 2010. The aim of project is to provide children with a sense of pride of where they live and to create a greener environment.
Subjects covered:
* Indigenous plants - Fynbos conservation
* Reuse, reduce, recycle
* How to propagate a plant
* Names of plants and their uses
Read more about the 2010 Green Fingers Initiative
2011 Green Fingers Initiative
7 schools participating: Skurweberg Primary, Koue Bokkeveld Primary, Morrisdale Primary, Gericke Primary, Bella Vista Primary, Witzenberg Primary and Rijk Tulbagh Private School.
Each school 'adopts' a wetland eco-system located nearby each individual school. The Green Finger project takes place around their wetland eco-system.
Subjects covered:
* Mini Sass, (river monitoring) analyse the river plants and animals to assess river condition
* Exotic vs Indigenous plants
* Plant propagation and replanting
* River rehabilitation
* Lifecycle and importance of animals found in rivers
* Reuse, reduce, recycle
* Creative activities - arts and portfolio activities
Read more about the 2011 Green Fingers Initiative
CLICK HERE : PHOTOS AND REPORT BACK ON EACH STAGE
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