Press
Release: Earth Day “Drum it up”
Project
Dyer
Island Conservation Trust
(DICT) would like to remind everyone that Tuesday, April 22nd was
Earth Day. Earth day is meant to celebrate, but most importantly practice,
eco-friendly habits and lifestyles, promoting a “green” way of life. There are
many simple changes that everyone can make in order to be more environmentally
friendly such as walking to work instead of driving (or car pooling), being sure
to switch off unnecessary lights or electric appliances when not in use,
conserving water usage, using reusable containers for your lunches instead of
plastic wrap and/or foil and even bringing reusable bags, instead of buying
plastic sacks, when shopping.
DICT wants to encourage everyone to use effective waste
management strategies, and in honour of Earth Day we implemented our “Drum it
up” recycling stations. A complete station consists of 5 recycled metal oil
drums. Each of the 5 drums are colour coded for a specific type of waste:
GREEN= Organic, YELLOW= Glass, BLUE= Plastics, GREY= Metal, WHITE= Paper
The first of these (partial) stations was revealed at
Kleinbaai harbour on Tuesday for Earth Day. In the harbour we initially placed
only one GREY (metal) and one Yellow (glass) drum, in order to clean up the
drink containers which are highly popular with tourists on the boats.
In honour of our “Marine Big 5” (whales, sharks, penguins,
seals and dolphins) we will also have one animal portrayed on each drum. We
encourage everyone to use these bins and practice these simple sorting
strategies in your own homes! These clearly marked drums are easy to understand
and something as simple as sorting garbage can really cut back on waste. We
will expand this project to include additional “Drum it up” stations at The
Great White House in Kleinbaai, and if successful, other stations around town as
well.
Our interest in being environmentally friendly can have a
huge impact on our marine wildlife. Global warming is of increasing concern,
with variable air and sea temperatures affecting and changing the dynamics of
many animal species, causing a chain reaction in food webs. Garbage and foreign
objects that make their way into the sea can get entangled around the bodies or
insides (if eaten) of animals, potentially leading to death.
We hope everyone took the time on Tuesday to make Earth Day
“resolutions” and find ways to reduce our “ecological footprint”. Remember that
we should always treat everyday as Earth Day!!
DICT also has other ongoing exciting environmental
projects including our very successful housing project for the African Penguins
on Dyer Island. The houses are fibreglass shelters that offer them protection
for their chicks and eggs. To purchase a penguin house, or to find out more
about DICT initiative and projects, please visit our website:
www.dict.org.za or contact Kari (082 530 9133 or kari@dict.org.za)
OVERSTRAND CONSERVATION FOUNDATION
The OCF is an independent NGO
registered as a Non-profit Organisation (NPO) and a Public Benefit Organisation
(PBO). It was founded in 2002 by Overstrand conservation organisations to unify,
coordinate and promote environmental conservation. This purpose for founding the
organisation is now the OCF’s mission.
The OCF believes that the wellbeing of mankind is dependent upon and inseparable
from the wellbeing of the natural environment. We have adopted the UNESCO Man
and Biosphere (MaB) guidelines to sustainability as the basis for discerning how
to reconcile the competing needs of people and our natural environment. The OCF
works strictly according to a set of guiding principles that has been developed
to ensure that we remain consistent with MaB and with our mission.
OCF
& Landcare partnership receiving a 2007 national award for the OCF alien
vegetation clearing and employment programme in the Klienrivier water catchment
area.
To achieve its
mission, the OCF divides its work into four focus areas; namely Eco-information,
Eco-learning, Eco-management and Eco-employment. Work programmes are undertaken
within each of these focus areas. Notable current programmes include the
• Design for Sustainable Living Expo, staged for the first time during the 2007
Whale Festival;
• Eco-Schools programme, commenced in 2007 with 6 schools receiving
internationally recognised awards in the first year;
• Eco-watch programme, which is exerting increasing influence on the nature of
development in the Overstrand;
• Alien vegetation and employment programme, which has resulted in significant
areas of alien infested land being restored and provided many rural unemployed
people with work. This programme also received an award from the Impumelelo
Innovations Award Trust in 2007.
The OCF is proud of its achievements in each of these areas, and has plans to
expand its activities in 2008.
Several membership options are available, starting with becoming a subscriber or
ordinary member (R200 p.a.) and we will welcome volunteers to participate in our
work programmes.
The OCF’s programmes all require funding. Our funding is derived from membership
subscriptions and donations. As a PBO we are authorised to issue S18A tax
deduction certificates to anyone making a donation or bequest.
You are invited to find out more about the OCF and our work by visiting our
office at 23 Molteno St, Onrus (028 316 2181) and our website, www.ocf.co.za.
Rob Fryer
Manager
Dyer Island Teamsters
