African Wildlife and Environment Issue 65

ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION

ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION

Matale Secondary School learners carry out a river health evaluation and a clean-up at a river in Phokeng, following floods in February 2017

WESSA Eco-Schools still GOING STRONG

protect the earth’s resources. Moreover, the Eco Schools model is a way for teachers and learners to lead the mobilisation of government departments and the private sector from grassroots level. The most important SDG for schools is SDG 4 Quality Education, but with others getting attention according to the specific local situation or personal interests of the school. Key features of the programme are that it has a holistic, participatory approach and a combination of learning and action (Figure 1) which makes it an ideal way for schools to embark on a meaningful path for improving the environment in both the school and local community. This also benefits the school in terms of

WESSAEco-Schools is aglobal initiativeof theFoundation for Environmental Education (FEE), managed in South Africa by WESSA (Wildlife and Environmental Society of South Africa) with national support from Nampak and the Department of Water Affairs and Sanitation. Various corporates and state entities support Eco-Schools, with funding at a local level such as Bakwena Toll Concession, the Wrigley’s Company Foundation and De Beers. Almost 1 000 schools in South Africa are currently part of the programme. The Eco-Schools process is an excellent fit for all the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) that were developed by the United Nations to end poverty and

WESSA Eco-Schools is a school based environmental management, certification, and sustainable development education programme implemented in no less than 64 countries worldwide.

Dr Cathy Dzerefos

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57 | African Wildlife & Environment | 65 (2017)