The 2018 Festival of Action will be Greenpop’s seventh annual action event. During the festival, the Capetonian urban greening and reforestation non-profit aims to bring people together to plant thousands of indigenous trees, build with eco-bricks, host sustainability and eco-friendly workshops alongside the local community, and create environmental murals for public spaces. Connecting environmental educators, experts and volunteers from around the world, the core concept revolves around collaborating for active change and a sustainable global future.
Tree Planting
As for the past few years, when held in Zambia, the Festival’s primary pillar will remain tree planting, with complimentary missions of greening communities with indigenous forest trees. These trees will also help bolster the biodiversity and ecosystems of the area. Planning on planting 5000-8000 trees in total, Greenpop selected two key reforestation sites in the area: Featherbed Reserve and Phantom Forest, both of which were severely affected by the fires, with little vegetation remaining unharmed.
Alien Clearing
Over the course of the Festival, three intensive alien clearing days will be held, assisting local authorities and organisations such as Pledge Nature Reserve, Goukamma Nature Reserve, and Cape Nature in removing invasive saplings that are currently re-sprouting in the affected areas.
Eco-bricking
Greenpop will also be creating three public benches from previously collected “eco-bricks”. These benches will be used in schools or community spaces, and constructed from so-called eco-bricks, made from recycled bottles that can last for 300-500 years. The eco-bricking concept unites citizens by raising environmental awareness and empowering communities to take responsibility of their plastic waste, as well as educating them on how recycling can benefit them.
Environmental Art
Continuing the environmental art project aptly called, “Conservation Conversation Corners” by bringing it to the Garden Route, Greenpop will help transform three public spaces through citizen participation with mural art and public seating. The public artwork spaces aim to spark conversation concerning our relationship with the natural world, with workshops scheduled to be held in each location, drawing concepts from local community members and artists.
Eco-Education
Throughout the Festival, eco-education will be facilitated to teach communities and participants the significance of the environment. The eco-education program aims to raise awareness and enable opportunities for activism, deepen understanding of nature and develop new leaders who will be the environmentalists of the future.
The 2018 Festival of Action will be an opportunity for young people to get involved with the global community, connect with sustainability leaders and build crucial leadership skills, all while furthering their knowledge about the environment. Greenpop’s central goal for the event is to create a platform where current and future leaders can collaborate in searching for sustainable solutions.
You can also donate to support the project at:
Trees For Fees
Greenpop are also facilitating fundraising programme for the Festival, called Trees For Fees, through which people can become fundraising activists for Greenpop. Not only will the funds raised be used to plant trees across Southern Africa, but for every tree raised, a discount will also be applied on programme fees to the Festival of Action – if enough trees are raised, this could even mean attending the Festival for free!
More info about at:
Who is Greenpop?
Greenpop is a social enterprise on a mission to (re)connect people with the planet. They plant trees through urban greening and reforestation projects, spread environmental education, and activate people through green workshops and events.
Greenpop was founded in 2010 and has since planted 80, 000 indigenous and fruit trees at schools and other urban sites, community farms as well as forests across South Africa, Zambia and Tanzania. More than the number of trees, Greenpop is inspired by the hands that have helped to plant the trees and the further thousands that have joined Greenpop’s eco-education programmes and made a commitment to be custodians of our beautiful planet.
Website: www.greenpop.org
Facebook: www.facebook.com/Greenpop
Twitter: @Greenpop
Phone: +27(0)21 461 9265
Email: info@greenpop.org
