MOSSEL BAY NEWS - Several initiatives were held to commemorate Earth Day by Transnet National Ports Authority's Port of Mossel Bay in collaboration with Oceans Research and Mossel Bay Municipality.
The activities, aimed at the port's "adopted" primary school learners, included a school waste management competition, clean-up campaign and an educational port visit, which all took place from 22 to 30 April.
Celebrated annually on 22 April, Earth Day calls for worldwide support for environmental protection. It was first celebrated in 1970, and is now coordinated globally by the Earth Day Network and celebrated in more than 193 countries each year.
The commemorative activities started with the launch of an Earth Day Waste Management Competition, focused on educating school learners on the importance of reducing plastic pollution.
Teams of Grade 7 learners from selected adopted schools were invited to develop a presentation on environmental conservation, with special emphasis on how to reduce, reuse, recycle and eventually remove plastics from the environment. Learners were judged on presentation, relevance of content to the theme, practical recommendations on how to manage waste and creativity.
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Next, an Earth Day a clean-up campaign was held on 26 April, when the TNPA Port of Mossel Bay, Mossel Bay Municipality and Oceans Research employees along with volunteers and the Grade 7 learners gathered to clean up an area in KwaNonqaba.
The campaign also provided practical experience to the learners and other stakeholders on the importance of taking personal responsibility in managing community waste.
On 30 April, the Grade 7 learners visited the Port of Mossel Bay, where they benefited from career presentations and practical job shadowing activities that exposed them to the various career opportunities at TNPA and the marine industry.
It is at this juncture that the learners will also present their Earth Day Waste Management Competition presentations.
Port manager Shadrack Tshikalange said environmental awareness was embedded in TNPA's corporate social investment strategy.
"We believe deliberate action is required to drive sustainable social impact. We are also committed towards empowering the local youth with knowledge by involving them in awareness activities around significant days like Earth Day," he said.
Amid the hard work there was time for fun and laughter.
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