City to celebrate International Day for Biological Diversity
The City of Tshwane’s Agriculture and Environmental Management Department will on Wednesday, May 22 2019, commemorate International Day for Biological Diversity at Wonderboom Nature Reserve, north Tshwane.
The purpose of the event is to raise awareness of the dependency between our food systems, nutrition and health on the one hand and biodiversity and healthy ecosystems on the other hand. The event will be celebrated under the theme “Our biodiversity, our food, our health”.
International Day for Biological Diversity is commemorated each year on May 22 with the aim to increase understanding and awareness of biodiversity issues.
“As a City that cares for its residents and promotes inclusivity, we are presenting a unique biological diversity awareness programme this year that targets 100 Natural Science learners from selected special schools and organisations for people living with disabilities, namely Pathways Pretoria School, Filadelfia Secondary School, Prinshof School for the Partially Sighted and the Blind, and Itireleng Care Facility for the Disabled”, said the MMC for Agriculture and Environmental Management, Cllr Richard Moheta.
“The day’s activities will be segmented into two sessions, one in which the audience will learn a lot about local biodiversity issues and the other entailing hands-on exhibitions, exposition of a guided braille and wheelchair trail. The City has planned this day in such a way that it will not only be an adventure for the learners but it will also complement their school curriculum”, concluded Cllr Moheta.
The objectives of the programme includes the following:
- Building capacity and promoting participation in the protection of biodiversity
- Sensitising residents about local biodiversity threats in protected areas and open spaces
- Raising awareness about the impact of urbanisation on biodiversity and actions that can be taken to avoid or minimise the impact
- Disseminating information to residents and relevant institutions about biodiversity education and awareness programmes offered by the City and how to access these programmes
- Promoting the City’s ecotourism facilities and services and encouraging residents to access the offered services
- Support the Department of Education with a hands-on biodiversity programme that complements the curriculum for Grade 8 learners.
The event will be held as follows:
Date: 22 May 2019
Venue: Session 1, Wonderboom Lapa at 08h30; Session 2, Wonderboom Nature Reserve at 10h00.
The media will be given an opportunity for photos and interviews.
Issued by Communication, Marketing and Events Department.