JUNE is Environment Month, which includes Environment Day on June 5, World Oceans Day on June 8, and Desertification and Drought Day on June 17. Here is what we learnt about taking better care of our environment.

On June 17, the Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, Dr Dion George, commemorated Desertification and Drought Day under the theme “Restore the land, unlock the opportunities” by urging South Africans to care for the land to secure food, water, and a sustainable supply of energy for all.

Desertification and Drought Day is an annual event to promote public awareness of local and international efforts to combat desertification.

During a commemoration event in Limpopo this month, Dr George pointed out that: “Land degradation, desertification, drought, and water scarcity are not just local complexities but global crises. South Africa’s G20 Presidency’s prioritisation of these issues highlights their direct threat to economies, food security, and sustainable development,” said  George. “Together, we can protect our environment and unlock sustainable opportunities for generations to come.”

As a signatory to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), South Africa remains committed to global efforts aimed at addressing desertification, land degradation and drought.

Rewilding gardens

The rewilding of public spaces as a conservation effort has been actioned by a Hillcrest-based project established with the aim of protecting a local river, specifically, and the environment, in general.

The Mend the Molweni (MtM) project has started a garden in a public space in the Hillcrest area, which, according to the project’s envirochamp, Hlengiwe Magwaza, and its manager, Luci Coelho, now has a thriving diverse population of insects and plants.

“What I do is plant flowers that create a conducive environment for different insects. We even have snakes in our garden,” said Magwaza.

Also read: Molweni project makes visible impact

Environment Day

In line with this year’s theme for World Environment Day, “Ending Plastic Pollution”, Coelho of the Hillcrest Conservancy, and the Westville Conservancy’s Sue Smith provided these tips:

• Separate waste at home by using multiple bins or bags to sort paper, plastic, glass, tins, organic waste, and landfill waste to streamline recycling and composting.
• Start a small compost bin for organic waste to reduce landfill contributions.
• Make use of recycling services.
• Use reusable items like shopping bags, personal cups for take-away coffee, and non-plastic water bottles to reduce single-use plastics.
• Avoid plastic packaging and buy groceries without packaging, such as from local vegetable vendors.
• Repurpose containers like glass jars and use mostly glass rather than plastic.
• Challenge others and encourage friends or classmates to adopt plastic-free habits.
• Educate yourself and others by researching the environmental and health impacts of plastic, including its fossil fuel origins, long degradation time, and dangers of microplastics.
• Dispose responsibly by taking plastic waste home and placing it in your bin rather than littering.
• Support public clean-ups.

Also read: Global mission to end plastic pollution

Sustainable gardening

Here is what we learnt about sustainable gardening at a Coffee & Compost workshop held in Westville earlier in the month in commemoration of Environment Week (June 1 to 7):

• Mulching prevents soil erosion, reduces water loss, mitigates global warming, retains soil moisture, and enriches soil as it decomposes.
• Compost making promotes waste reduction and teaches sustainable practices to avoid wasting resources.
• Crop rotation enhances soil quality, manages pests and insects, and improves overall soil health.
• Biodiversity encourages diversity in ecosystems.
• Container gardening is a practical means of making use of space.
• Some plants like Iboza (Tetradenia riparia) and aloe, have medicinal properties.

One of the attendees of the workshop, Nonhle Thanjekwayo, pointed out that the aloe leaf can help with clearing dark marks or spots on the skin and can be helpful for people living with diabetes.

“When you have a cough, take Iboza, crush it and put it in hot water because when you drink it, it relieves your chest and then you stop coughing,” said Thanjekwayo, who cautioned that this concoction has a bitter taste.

@caxtonlocalmedia 🌱 It’s Environment Month, and here’s how KZN is stepping up! 🌍💧 From rewilding gardens in Hillcrest 🐝🌸 to sustainable composting in Westville 🍂, and tackling drought and desertification head-on 💪, local heroes are making a real difference, one garden, one habit, one action at a time. 🔥 Ministerial calls for land restoration 🐍 Biodiverse insect gardens ♻️ Zero-waste tips you can start today 🌿 Medicinal plants you didn’t know you needed 💚 Let’s restore the land and unlock the future. #caxtondurban #EnvironmentMonth #GreenKZN #PlasticFree #Rewilding #CompostRevolution #MendTheMolweni #DesertificationAwareness #SAEnvironmentDay ♬ original sound – caxtonlocalmedia

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