Youthful and inquisitive enviro-go-getters awakened their passion for conservation and leadership at the Wildlands’ Green Heroes Indaba in Bergville recently, made possible by the N3 Toll Concession (N3TC).

Dubbed ‘Green Heroes’, the grade sevens from Myendane and Obonjaneni Primary Schools were subjected to a thorough selection process which assessed their understanding of environmental issues.

Ubuntu Earth Assistant Project Manager at Wildlands, Pamela Madondo, talked the youngsters through the initiative. “The Wildlands’ Green Heroes initiative exposes children from communities in KwaZulu-Natal to nature, by spending time in reserves learning about the environment and leadership,” she explained.

Each Green Hero received a Backyard Encounters workbook and Legends of the iMfolozi storybook to spark their passion for environmental action.

The young environmentalists participated in a variety of educational activities such as Biodiversity Square – an activity which requires one to identify as many living things inside a square of string as they can! They also learnt about the importance of recycling and environmental challenges such as climate change.

They explored the Cathedral Peak area, swam in a river and conducted a miniSASS exercise – a Citizen Science tool to test river health. All these activities tested their communication skills, leadership potential and encouraged teamwork.

Manqoba Masengemu from Obonjaneni Primary School cheerfully shared his ambition to carve out a career path as a vet – “I want to care for the animals because they too have a right to life. I really get upset when poachers kill rhinos because what they are doing is wrong,” said Masengemu.

The young Green Heroes are being encouraged to inspire their peers to be active citizens. The environmental change makers will be attending ‘Citizen Days’ hosted by Ubuntu Earth Ambassadors – Wildlands’ employees who have been trained to mobilize citizen action in their communities.

Ubuntu Earth Ambassadors are inspired by Mahatma Ghandi’s words: “Be the change you want to see in the world” and they continually re-invigorate this spirit by holding ‘Citizen Days’ which highlight special days on the environmental and social calendar; days such as World Water Day, Youth Day and National Arbor Week.

Green Leadership Manager Manqoba Sabela believes that strengthening a connection to nature at a young age will ensure future environmentally-conscious leaders. “We hope Green Heroes will contribute positively to their sphere of influence and grow to be great leaders,” said Sabela.