In the spirit of the City of Cape Town’s Let’s ACT citizen action campaign, its Recreation and Parks Department hosted an outdoor event in celebration of Earth Day on Monday.
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The event at Akkerdraai Park in Delft saw 120 learners from three local schools commemorate the day with various educational activities in a bid to foster environmental awareness and stewardship through maintaining green community spaces.
According to the department, the theme of this year’s event, ‘Planet vs Plastics’, both aligns with the mandate of the City’s Recreation and Parks Department and increases awareness of the importance of a clean environment in an urban context.
As part of its celebrations, learners from Sunshine Educare, Delft Primary and Vergenoegd Primary School planted ten mature fig trees at the park and held a sustainable fashion show featuring garments made from recycled waste materials. The department also distributed Spekboom trees during the event.
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Also at Akkerdraai Park, the City’s Environmental Management Department’s Environmental Capacity Unit conducted a waste minimisation awareness programme and also did stormwater drain stencilling to encourage people not to block drains with litter as part of its Bin it do not Block it! campaign.
City’s Urban Waste Management’s mascot Bingo also made a guest appearance at the Earth Day event to speak about the harmful effects of littering through fun and educational awareness as part of the City’s anti-littering campaign.
‘There is a saying that goes “as the twig is bent, so grows the tree”, which means that early influences have a permanent effect,’ says City’s MMC for Community Services and Health Patricia van der Ross.
‘So it is our hope that the dozens of young ones who attended our Earth Day celebration will grow up to be ambassadors for their environment and the planet. It is crucial that we limit our personal impact on our surroundings, not only for our own benefit but also for a more sustainable future and the generations that are yet to come.’
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Picture: City of Cape Town / Facebook