THE GREEN AUDIT

In 2009 the school’s Environmental Club, together with a few other schools in the peninsula, took part in a ‘Green Audit’, a project co-ordinated by the Cape Town City Council.

Schools had to monitor their usage of water, electricity and energy, as well as their waste management and carbon footprint. A presentation of their findings was then made at a function attended by various City officials. As a result of the efforts of our Environmental Club members, the school was awarded the sum of R30000, to be spent on ‘greening’ the school in a way suggested by the members themselves.

In August this year, thanks to the specialist advice and assistance of Erica Williams Services, a lovely garden, complete with water features, was established behind the administration block, as well as a vegetable tunnel and garden. Additions to our existing indigenous garden were also made.

The original environmental club members were Tarryn de Kock, Ryan Arendse (both matriculants in 2010), Kimico Petersen, Brandon van Niekerk and Nadine Prince.

It was therefore a moment of great pride for all involved, under the guidance of Mrs Davids, when the first harvest was presented to the staff. That, of course, is what the last photo is all about. Staff members were able to buy the produce at a very reasonable rate!

Further recognition was given to the efforts of the Environmental Club when the school received a visit from a group called ‘90 x 2030’, which is an organisation dedicated to making 90% of the population more environmentally aware by the year 2030. They announced that they would sponsor the installation of solar heating panels (changed later to a wind turbine) to power the computer room.

Then, at the end of the fourth term in 2010, the Environmental Club, accompanied by Mrs Davids, spent the weekend on Robben Island. This trip was sponsored by the City Council as a direct result of their presentation of the ‘Green Audit’.