One of the biggest looming disasters of our time is global warming and if people don’t look after the environment, our chances of being able to adapt are very slim.
One of the biggest looming disasters of our time is global warming and if people don’t look after the environment, our chances of being able to adapt are very slim.
The Zoology society at Rhodes University has formed a community engagement project to teach learners from disadvantaged schools about sustainability and conservation.
The first lecture, presented by students from the Chemistry department, was held recently and the series will continue until the end of the university’s term.
The students demonstrated what climate change is and proposed ways we can combat it. A group of 30 Grade 11 learners of Nathaniel Nyaluza High School were chosen to be the main focus of the project.
Patrick Gourley who is the community engagement’s representative said, “I only managed to get hold of two schools [in Grahamstown] as it was during the school holidays at the time I made enquiries.
I then approached Frans Snyders from Nyaluza and he confirmed that it was possible.” Transport has been arranged with Rhodes to transport the learners to and from the university.
Thanduxolo Radu one of the learners from Nyaluza said, “It is always good to learn something new, now I know how we will suffer if we don’t look after our environment.”
Sanele Ntshingana another Nyaluza learner said, “I didn’t know that countries like Nigeria which produce oil release about seven million tons of carbon dioxide a year and that this traps the heat in our atmosphere.
This destroys the earth and causes glaciers to melt at the north pole.” Saskia Kuiper, a fourth year journalism student, is part of the project and feels strongly about its cause.
“People have called our generation an apathetic generation, therefore we should start fighting for our environment because we have nothing [else]to fight for.”
She further said that: “Eastern Cape’s tourism is the biggest is our province’s biggest income, this will show the learners the value of wildlife and how it provides employment for our people. If we don’t look after our environment people will lose jobs and we will all suffer,” she elaborated.
The society will set an essay question which will be answered by the learners over their holidays. According to Kuiper, the top four learners and their school teacher will win a sponsored day trip to Addo Elephant Park at the beginning of the fourth term.
They will be taken on a game drive and have lunch afterwards – experiencing what they have learnt while having a great time.
