Pictured above: Langa High School learners planting indigenous trees in the school’s biodiversity garden.)
[This blog has been developed from copy shared by Eco-Club coordinator Ms Nyamakazi, the Langa High School Eco Club]
“We’re not just talking green, we’re growing it.” This was the powerful slogan behind Langa High School Eco Club’s Earth Day celebration, held under the theme of climate change and action.
In partnership with Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens, the Eco Club planted more than 20 indigenous trees, plants and flowers in the school’s biodiversity garden. This builds on the more than 50 trees already planted in 2025, helping to create a greener, healthier and more climate-conscious school environment.
For the learners and educators involved, the garden is more than a once-off Earth Day activity. It is a living classroom, a safe space and a long-term commitment to ecological sustainability. As the plants grow, they will help clean the air, support a more ecosystem-friendly school environment and create a space that future generations of learners can continue to care for and enjoy.
Pictured above: Langa High School learners planting trees)
Learning from nature in the city
The school’s environmental journey has been shaped by meaningful learning experiences, including a visit to Intaka Island, where learners saw how nature can thrive within an urban environment.
As reflected by the Eco Club, the lesson was clear: nature in the city is possible when people choose to protect and restore it. Their Earth Day tree planting showed this in action, turning learning into visible change on the school grounds.
Growing action beyond Earth Day
Led by Eco-Club coordinator Ms Nyamakazi, the Langa High School Eco Club continues to take part in a range of environmental learning activities. These include climate change debates, biodiversity-focused visits and future plans to visit the Aquarium and other environmental institutions.
Through these experiences, learners are deepening their understanding of climate change, biodiversity and the role they can play in caring for the planet.
Langa High School’s Earth Day celebration is a reminder that environmental action does not always begin with big gestures. Sometimes, it begins with a group of learners, a garden, and the decision to grow something that will last.
As the Eco Club says: they are not just talking green – they are growing it.