permaculture

[Wesley Roe and Marjorie Lakin Erickson <lakinroe@silcom.com>]

08/06/2006 12:33 PM - (SA)
South Africa schools with food gardens can win big
http://www.news24.com/Regional_Papers/Components/Category_Article_Text_Template/0%2C%2C433-441-442_1947924~E%2C00.html


Woolworths Trust EduPlant, in association with the Department of Water 
Affairs and Forestry, Landcare SA and SABC Education, is South Africa's 
leading schools' food gardening and greening programme that supports 
schools in the growing of good food in a sustainable, natural way. All 
entries must be submitted by the 30th of June 2006.

Western Cape schools are expected to have a strong showing this year. Last 
year, 11 Western Cape schools entered the Woolworths Trust EduPlant 
competition. Emfundisweni Pre Primary came first in the hotly contested 
Emerging category and Rocklands Primary was awarded the Provincial prize. 
At Emfundisweni Primary there is a high awareness of the impact of good 
nutrition on health. Children are fed the produce and the school has helped 
the local clinic to establish their own garden to support HIV/AIDS 
patients. The judges commended Rocklands Primary for its advanced 
permaculture design and practices. Their permaculture environment includes 
rain water harvesting, worm farms, a medicinal garden and a food forest.

Earlier this year, 2750 educators attended 46 one-day Woolworths Trust 
EduPlant permaculture food gardening workshops, held across the country. 
The workshops equipped educators with skills on how to develop permaculture 
food gardens and link these to the outcomes based curriculum.

Now is the time for schools to enter their gardens into the competition. 63 
schools will be chosen to participate in the 2006 Woolworths Trust EduPlant 
finals, to be held at the end of September 2006. All finalist schools will 
travel to Gauteng for an action-packed three-day event, where they will 
present their Permaculture food gardening projects to a panel of judges, 
attend fun and educational workshops and network with other schools. Each 
finalist school will win a cash prize of R500 as well as environmental, 
health and gardening resources. Additional prize money and resources will 
be awarded to the winners of the emerging, intermediate, advanced and 
provincial categories.

The Woolworths Trust EduPlant programme recognises the development of 
gardens over time. Schools that have just started their food garden can 
become finalists in the emerging category, which is for new entrants. The 
intermediate category is for schools with established gardens that have 
entered EduPlant in previous years. Schools that have won before and that 
have implemented community outreach programmes participate in the advanced 
category of the competition. In addition nine provincial winners are also 
selected.

The 2006 Woolworths Trust EduPlant competition is an opportunity for 
schools to be recognised and rewarded for their efforts in transforming 
their grounds into environmentally-friendly, food-rich environments .Enter 
the Woolworths Trust EduPlant 2006 competition by the 30th of June 2006.

Contact Food & Trees for Africa: Joanne Rolt on 011 803 9750, email 
joanne@trees.org.za or see www.trees.co.za Woolworths Trust EduPlant page. 
Entries can be faxed to 011 803 9604 or post to FTFA, PO Box 2035, Gallo 
Manor, 2052