Weekend Argus (Saturday Edition)
It’s all about trees, terrific trees
IN HONOUR of Arbor Week, the Centre for Conservation Education (CCE) is bringing the textbook to life by partnering with the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE) to sponsor 300 indigenous trees to schools in the Western Cape
In the hope of promoting a better understanding of indigenous trees, the importance of trees and how they are beneficial to the natural and social environments, CCE is having schools participate in Arbor Week programmes by providing schools with four trees each to use as lesson tools when teaching pupils about food chains and life cycles.
CCE principal Anton Fortuin said that with CCE operating as a unique school since 1836, the school provides a variety of environmental education lessons and programmes around the environment for schools.
“CCE adopts a field work or experiential approach to learning which brings the textbook to life. The centre is well known for providing enrichment experiences that cannot be replicated in the classroom,” said Fortuin.
This year’s Arbor Day theme being Trees Terrific Trees, Keanan Wagner, educator at CCE, added that she hopes that these beautiful trees can provide the learners with shade and beauty at the school as the trees grow with them throughout their schooling career.
With Intsebenziswano Secondary School in Browns Farm, Philippi, being the first to celebrate the start of Arbor Week by planting trees that were donated by CCE, the school’s acting principal, N Zantsi, said it is paramount to educate children about
the importance of planting trees as this would counteract the effects of global warming and climate change.
“We need to start at a young age in discouraging children not to destroy trees or to see trees only as firewood. Fortunately, the curriculum covers every aspect that needs to be known by children. Practical activities of planting trees complements the curriculum and provides more knowledge,” said Zantsi.