Trees catapult school onto world stage
WHITE RIVER – Uplands has been honoured on the world stage for planting an astonishing 1 984 trees during 2014. Although only ranked in 40th position, it was the only school in the country to be recognised for its participation in an international tree-planting project called Treelympics. It was organised by Environment Online (ENO) in …
WHITE RIVER – Uplands has been honoured on the world stage for planting an astonishing 1 984 trees during 2014.
Although only ranked in 40th position, it was the only school in the country to be recognised for its participation in an international tree-planting project called Treelympics.
It was organised by Environment Online (ENO) in Finland. ENO is a global virtual school and network for sustainable development. The ENO Treelympics pledge was made to plant 100 million trees by 2017, at the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development in Rio de Janeiro in 2012, commonly known as the Rio+Summit.
In the first, second, fourth and ninth places were different schools in Belarus and three more institutions from the same country were in the top
100 tree-planting schools. Together they planted almost 140 000 last year. A high school in the Philippines was in third place with 18 206 trees. Turkey won in the category of most registered schools – a total of 600, while the small island of St Vincent & the Grenadines received the award for the most active country when 99 per cent of the schools took part in this competition.
Uplands Preparatory School as well as Uplands College registered their participation through Wildlife and Environment Society of South Africa’s (Wessa) Eco School Programme.
Ms Sue Kloeck is a teacher and the librarian at the prep school, and worked hard to get this competition off the ground. There are plenty of reasons why planting a tree is important and Kloeck told Lowvelder that good things happen when you plant one.
“Trees are the the world’s largest source of breathable oxygen and with the 80 per cent of the world’s original forests lost over the past decade we are in trouble.” She adds that one large tree provides enough oxygen for four people. It also works as a filter during air pollution, helps to recycle water, prevents soil loss, creates shade and gives shelter from wind and rain and provide homes to animals.
It helps to reduce the impact of tsunamis because the roots bind the soil. It also provides a soothing, learning environment for children and the community.
Kloeck added that this was the most environmentally-friendly Olympic Games in the world and she invited all the schools in the Lowveld to register with this programme.
“Last year we planted three toad trees for Mandela. We also started a fruit orchard near grade 000 classrooms so kids can one day see how the fruit grows in front of their own eyes. We have a Calendar Garden of trees. We also planted a few lavender trees, 2014’s Tree of the Year, next to a building that had just been built. The college kids planted a number of their own trees as well. We also planted a lot of trees around the cross-country course and the cycle track.”
Kloeck has won the “Enviro Green Heart” competition, an annual competition organised by Wessa. Last year 3 541 schools from 114 countries registered.
Registration for ENO Treelympics 2015 has just opened and will run until October 24. The member of the executive council responsible for environmental affairs in Mpumalanga, Mr Andries Gamede, congratulated the school for an achievement and thanked it for caring for the environment and for making this province proud.
“Citius! Plus! Fortius!” or Faster! More! Stronger! is the motto of this worthwhile campaign and anybody interested can contact Kloeck at the school or make contact with Wessa offices in the Lowveld.
