Finding the sign which points to Brazilia in a part of the Unisa gardens full of indigenous plants
The College of Education is happy to welcome Dr Patricia Leme from Brazil. She is here on a three month sojourn for the first phase the environmental education and sustainability joint research project. Patricia is a biologist, working as an environmental educator at the University of Sao Paulo and she will be looking at the sustainability at the university campus, including environmental educational courses assessment. Increasing sustainability actions in institutions is not an easy task and it demands assessment methodologies that are relevant and measurable. This project will pay attention to these aspects, applying the Ecological Footprint Calculation at UNISA and using this data for educational purposes.
Waste recycling bins on the Unisa campus
So far she finds South Africa much more aware when it comes to saving water. We plant our gardens using indigenous plants due to the dry conditions as water is a more scarce resource in our country. Besides, she considers that UNISA is well advanced in terms of environmental education courses for under graduated students, as well as in the implementation of the principle of the three Rs (reduce, reuse and recycle) in its campuses.
Mr Kevin Burge speaking to Prof Callie Loubser together with Prof Johan Dreyer and Dr Pazu Leme about their community engagement projects
Prof Callie Loubser and Prof Johan Dreyer, who are part of the research team, took Dr Leme with them when they visited their Science Outreach Community projects in Masinga, Nqutu in the Dundee area and Durban during April. Dr Leme was very impressed with how well these schools were managed and organised. Twenty ACE students in the area receive face to face contact from our Professors twice a month on a Saturday. During these visits the students are also accessed on how well they are implementing what they are being taught. Next on the itinerary was a visit to a project in Durban where they viewed the activities which are taking place at the Durban Waste Removal site which are aimed at encourage waste minimization and recycling by the local communities in that area.
Mrs Dreyer, Dr Pazu Leme, Prof Johan Dreyer, the school principal of Casino Primary School and Prof Callie Loubser
Dr Leme outside the community centre in Dundee
Childern in one of the classrooms visited in the Nqutu area
A vegetable garden on the Casino Primary School grounds at a school in the Nqutu area
