Put your love into local and don’t forget to buy local this Valentine’s Day:
•Why not buy a gift voucher from one of our local restaurants as a Valentine’s gift?
•Or look at the local crafters as your one-stop shop for presents that mean a lot.
Put your love into local and don’t forget to buy local this Valentine’s Day:
•Why not buy a gift voucher from one of our local restaurants as a Valentine’s gift?
•Or look at the local crafters as your one-stop shop for presents that mean a lot.
•Also, don’t forget to visit the market at the Old Gaol on Somerset Street on Saturday mornings – more chances to support the local economy and buy fresh veggies, bread, cheese and fish.
Green Fund Run 18 March
The annual Green Fund Run, this year on Sunday 18 March, is organised by the Rhodes University Environmental Committee. It is a fun run/walk with a serious aim: to raise funds for the university's Green Fund to support initiatives that promote sustainability.
It's open to all: team (maximum three members) or individual entries are welcome. Minimum donation: R10 per participant.
Registration before the event is encouraged. Buy your tickets at the Scifest Africa ticket office at the 1820 Settlers' Monument or at the RU registration table on Friday 16 March, from 9am to 3pm outside the Rhodes main library building, or at least 30 minutes before the start at the entrance to Makana Botanical Gardens, on Lucas Avenue.
Certificates and symbolic prizes – in the form of a tree being planted in honour of the achievement – will be awarded to first three teams or individuals to cross the finishing line, plus the two best dressed teams (with an environmental theme).
The event is on the Scifest Africa programme under ‘etcetera’ – see italwww.scifest.org.za/ital
More info can be found at italwww.ru.ac.za/environment/committee/greenfund/funrun/ital, email italenvironment@ru.ac.za/ital or call Nikki on 046 603 7205.
Birding news
The Diaz Cross Bird Club has arranged a visit to Assegai Trails for the weekend of 27 to 29 April. The group will stay at Rock Bottom which can accommodate up to 20 people. The wooden, semi-open air building is situated at the bottom of a steep cliff where there is plenty of bird life, including booted eagles.
For more info contact Jenna Holmes on 046 622 3000 or italjennaholmes@saarp.org.za/ital
Green parking lots
Shopping centre parking lots are potentially important areas that can contribute to urban carbon mitigation efforts, biodiversity and the aesthetics of areas that are often considered as negative stretches of tarmac. Internationally, studies have shown that landscaped parking lots can contribute to the economic success of shopping centres. Recent work by Ally O’Donoghue in the Department of Environmental Science at Rhodes examined 30 shopping centre parking areas in five Eastern Cape towns (Port Elizabeth, East London, Grahamstown, Port Alfred and Queenstown) in terms of trees and their annual carbon sequestration potential.
She found that several parking lots had no trees whatsoever, and on average most parking lots had less than half of the potential density of trees they could have. That means commuters have to park in the hot sun and immediately switch on car aircons. Furthermore, even when trees are planted, only 38% are indigenous and 62% alien.
We all prefer shady parking lots, so come on developers! Surely we can do better to promote our South African flora and heritage?
Recycling the French way
Recently I was fortunate enough to visit France and was amazed to see that the local authorities in Haute Savoie have done away with door to door rubbish collections. Now the only option is for residents to take their recyclables and domestic waste to local recycling points!
Contacts for Makana Enviro-News:
Nikki Köhly: n.kohly@ru.ac.za, 046 603 7205 / Jenny Gon: j-gon@intekom.co.za, 046 622 5822 / Nick Hamer: n.hamer@ru.ac.za, 084 722 3458 / Nick James: nickjames@intekom.co.za, 046 622 5757 / Lawrence Sisitka: heilaw@imaginet.co.za, 046 622 8595 / Strato Copteros strato@iafrica.com, 082 785 6403
