On September 3, in celebration of its centenary year, Jeppe High School for Girls planted 100 spekboom plants as part of the school’s responsibility to the environment and working towards getting its “green certification” through eco-schools.
Earth Rangers or Green Reps have been appointed in each class to carry out eco-initiatives that the school decides to undertake.
They work in conjunction with the Geo and Science Club as part of the eco-school initiative.
One of the first projects of the year the girls did was to ban balloons at the school.
The Grade eights had a poster competition in term one to make girls aware of the negative impact that balloons have on the environment.
They asked learners to think of other ways of celebrating their friends’ birthdays, and have seen rosettes, coloured socks, hair bands, ribbons and tutus introduced.
The second project of the year was the collection of toothpaste boxes which are to be sent back to the manufacturers to show how unnecessary they are.
The third project was to celebrate Arbour Week.
The third project is the biggest project to date as the girls planted 100 spekboom plants in a nursery.
The spekboom plants are very effective at keeping the air clean and they want to propagate them and encourage their growth in the school, in the learners’ gardens and in the local community.
Spekboom are indigenous, water-wise and hardy and live for up to 200 years.
They are the best carbon dioxide absorbing plants in the world.
The intention of planting a spekboom nursery at the school is to pay it forward and help reduce the carbon footprint and fight climate change.
The Earth Rangers are Gabriella Thomaides, Tatum Thurling, Lynn Ntendesha, Saffiyah Ayob, Jamaica Singh, Thobeka Mabaso, Nicolette Lau, Darnell Swart, Courtney Smith, Tasmin Fourie, Mikayla McLennan, Michaela Basson, Ayabukwa Magocoba, Tshegofatso Chawasarira, Danielle Muthala, Taylea Gray, Hannah Labuschagne, Erin Brooke, Farzana Ahmed, Jessica Khokholo, Sapna Sowki, Rihaab Shaik, Nandi Zulu, Caitlynn Switala, Lamees Fick, Naomi Mabi, Tyla Harvey, Noa Lessing, Mirren Ross and Basiame Legoabe.
