101010 Magic Action

Obama installed Solar Panels on his roof, Japanese Sumo wrestlers rode bicycles to practice and in Vietnam children planted 1,010 trees as millions of people across the globe got together to work on Climate Solutions on Sunday 10 October. All determined to get CO2 levels back down to 350parts per million (where we need to be, to prevent runaway climate change).

In Mpophomeni, with 30 volunteers, The Midlands Meander Education Project created a bug-friendly food and medicine garden at the home of Lindiwe Mkhize in Impala Road by digging, dancing, fixing, fencing, painting, planting and feasting. Amidst the music and magic, a message encouraging everyone to work together to cut our carbon emissions by 10% this year was shared. The Enviro-Club kids collected and sorted litter for recycling and turned big tomato tins into herb planters, the girls painted a big red heart on the front door while Mr Gwamande, Mr Mtambo and Mr Lipheyana erected goat and chicken proof fences.

Felix (from Nigeria) and Éidín planted medicinal herbs, Steve and Gram (from Zimbabwe) helped Ntombenhle make a vegetable garden, Thulane and Xolani planted indigenous trees, Nkanyiso, Happy and Nana created a wildlife friendly garden. Lindiwe kept everyone topped up with fresh, cold water, Laila brewed herbal teas in the sunstoves and played a game about healthy living and Woolworths provided sandwiches for lunch. Lwazi was very excited to find a newly laid egg in the hedge and popped it into the sunstove to cook. We all learnt about food miles and living locally and how to turn a tin can into something to be treasured.

‘I can’t believe how lucky I am, because I love the environment so much.” said Lindiwe, ‘Now I will share my garden with more bees, birds and butterflies and also share organic vegetables with my neighbours.”

Together we really can do this. We just started. www.350.org www.mmaep.co.za