Pictured: Teachers and ground staff in attendance and that form part of the school Eco-Committee, committed to driving environmental awareness and action.

In February, WESSA took an important step in expanding environmental education around air quality through a two-day Clean Air Fund implementation visit to Ditheku Primary School in Lephalale, Marapong.

Held on 16–17 February, the sessions focused on building awareness of air pollution while equipping teachers and learners with practical knowledge and tools to understand how air quality affects their health, environment and everyday lives. More importantly, the visit laid the groundwork for long-term collaboration with participating schools, helping to embed clean air education into the broader school community.

By combining classroom learning with hands-on experimentation and real-world observation, the programme aimed to turn awareness into meaningful action.

Building knowledge through teacher development

The first day of the visit focused on teacher development, with 14 participants attending the workshop. The group included teachers from Grade R through to Grade 7, as well as members of the school’s ground staff who play an important role in maintaining the school environment.

During the session, the WESSA team introduced the Clean Air project and explored key topics including:

• The basics of air quality
• Sources of air pollution
• The health impacts of polluted air
• Practical mitigation strategies

The goal was to equip educators with the knowledge and confidence needed to integrate air quality education into everyday teaching and learning within the school.

To make the topic more relevant to the community, discussions focused on local air quality conditions and challenges experienced in the Marapong area. Participants also took part in a practical activity using an air pollution catcher experiment, allowing them to see how particulate matter can be collected and examined.

Pictured: Before the workshop commenced, the ground staff assisted with placing pollution catchers strategically around the school as part of the experiment.

Hands-on learning through experimentation

Following the setup of the air pollution catcher experiment, teachers participated in a practical session examining collected samples.

This activity allowed participants to observe and discuss particulate matter present in the air, helping them connect theoretical discussions with visible evidence from their own environment.

Through this exercise, teachers were able to reflect on what the findings might reveal about local air quality conditions and how these issues can be explored further with learners in the classroom.

Pictured: Teachers actively participating in the air pollution catcher activity, closely examining the collected samples to identify any particulate matter present in the air and discussing what the findings reveal about local air quality

Engaging learners in understanding air pollution

On the second day, the focus shifted to learners, with 60 students from Grade 2 to Grade 7 taking part in an interactive education session.

Pictured: WESSA facilitator engaging with learners during the education session.

The session began with a presentation introducing learners to:

• What air pollution is
• Common sources of pollution
• The health impacts of polluted air
• Possible solutions to reduce pollution

Rather than limiting the session to the classroom, the WESSA team encouraged learners to step outside and observe their surroundings more closely.

Connecting learning to local reality

To help learners understand how air pollution affects their community, the group visited an open field behind the school where open waste burning regularly takes place.

Standing in the environment where these practices occur created a powerful moment of connection between the lesson and the learners lived reality.

Together, the group discussed how open waste burning contributes to air pollution and why improving waste management practices is essential for protecting air quality and public health.

Pictured: Waste management practices in and around the school. Learners get to further understand the connection between waste burning and air pollution.

This discussion reinforced the message that everyday actions and community practices play a role in shaping air quality.

By linking classroom learning to real-world environmental challenges, learners gained a clearer understanding of their own role in protecting the air they breathe and supporting healthier communities.

Laying the foundation for long-term impact

The two-day implementation visit represents the beginning of a broader effort to support clean air awareness and environmental education within schools and communities.

By strengthening teacher capacity, engaging learners directly, and grounding discussions in local environmental realities, the programme is helping to build a generation that is better equipped to understand and address air quality challenges.

As the partnership with participating schools continues to grow, initiatives like these demonstrate how education can empower communities to take informed action for a healthier environment and a cleaner future.

On 11 February 2026, WESSA partnered with the Lulwazi Lwethu Youth Group, Working on Fire, and The Sugarbird Project to lead an alien invasive plant clearing initiative in Tokai Forest.

Bringing together 32 participants, the event focused on restoring biodiversity within this important natural landscape while encouraging meaningful youth participation in environmental action.

Participants worked together to remove invasive plant species that threaten the integrity of Tokai Forest’s natural ecosystems, contributing directly to the rehabilitation of this vital habitat. Beyond the physical clearing, the initiative created a hands-on learning experience for young people, helping them understand the importance of ecological restoration and rewilding within South Africa’s unique biome.

The day reflected WESSA’s approach to environmental change, to Educate, Advocate and Act, by creating space for learning, encouraging awareness around the impact of alien invasive species, and enabling participants to take meaningful action in protecting local biodiversity.

Through collaboration and shared purpose, the initiative demonstrated how community-driven efforts can help restore ecosystems while empowering the next generation of environmental stewards.

Pictured: WESSA’s information stand at the Western Cape Education Department’s STEAM Expo in Kuils River, Cape Town 2026

On 6 and 7 February 2026, WESSA joined educators, learners and innovators at the Western Cape Education Department’s STEAM Expo in Kuils River, Cape Town, creating a vibrant space where science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics met environmental learning.

Over the two-day event, WESSA’s team connected with a wide range of teachers eager to explore how environmental education can strengthen learning in their classrooms. Many expressed strong interest in introducing the international Eco-Schools Programme at their schools, recognising its value in helping learners move from theory to meaningful environmental action.

Pictured: WESSA’s Western Cape Project Manager, Schools & Youth unit – Sharnay Wagner, engaging with educators at the stand.

At the WESSA stand, educators and visitors were invited to experience hands-on demonstrations of MiniSASS (Mini Stream Assessment Scoring System) and practical water testing activities. These interactive sessions showed how simple tools can turn local streams into living classrooms, allowing learners to investigate water health while developing scientific thinking and environmental awareness.

The expo highlighted the power of experiential learning, where curiosity leads to discovery, and discovery leads to care for the natural world.

In true WESSA spirit, the event reflected the organisation’s commitment to Educate, Advocate, Act: inspiring teachers through knowledge, strengthening awareness around environmental stewardship, and equipping schools with practical tools to bring sustainability to life in the classroom.

By the end of the expo, new conversations, partnerships and ideas were already taking shape, a reminder that when education and environment come together, the impact reaches far beyond the classroom.

Learn more about our Schools & Youth Unit Programmes here: https://www.wessa.org.za/environmental-education-programmes-for-school-and-youth/

Pictured above: (left) Zebra themed activities at Crawford International Sandton; (right top & bottom): Zebra face paint at South Downs College & learners in their Zebra-themed outfits

International Zebra Day is more than a celebration of one of Africa’s most iconic species. It is a reminder of why biodiversity matters, how ecosystems are connected, and the role education plays in shaping future custodians of the natural world.

Zebras, with their unmistakable stripes, are often one of the first wild animals children learn to recognise. But beyond their striking appearance, zebras play an important role in maintaining healthy grasslands and balanced ecosystems. As highlighted in broader conservation conversations around World Zebra Day, protecting zebras means protecting habitats, biodiversity, and the delicate relationships that sustain life in the wild.

This year, ADvTECH schools across the WESSA network brought that message to life through joyful learning, creativity, and meaningful action.

Learning through play and discovery at Southdown’s College

At Southdown’s College, International Zebra Day was embraced across school phases with enthusiasm and imagination. Younger learners arrived dressed in black and white, instantly transforming the day into a visual celebration that sparked curiosity and conversation.

Classrooms became spaces of discovery as learners explored zebra patterns through art, stories, sensory play and guided discussions. These activities went beyond learning facts about animals. They encouraged observation skills, creativity, and early environmental awareness, helping children make connections between wildlife, nature, and their own role in caring for the world around them.

By engaging the senses and inviting learners to express what they were learning, the day supported social development and built a foundation for empathy towards animals and the environments they depend on.

Pictured above: South Downs College Zebra Day Celebration – Learners dressed in their Zebra-themed outfits.

Turning awareness into action at Crawford International Sandton

At Crawford International Sandton, learners took International Zebra Day a step further by moving from awareness to visible, community-focused action.

Learners led a range of zebra-themed initiatives designed to spark conversations about biodiversity and conservation. From baking activities to upcycled bags, posters, and QR codes linking to conservation messages, learners found creative ways to share what they had learned beyond the classroom.

Importantly, these activities were not symbolic. They reflected a deeper understanding that caring for wildlife is connected to caring for people and the planet. Through charitable outreach and purposeful messaging, learners demonstrated how young people can use creativity and initiative to drive positive change in their communities.

Pictured above: Crawford International Sandton celebrating Zebra Day

Why days like this matter

International environmental days provide powerful opportunities for learning that is relevant, engaging, and action oriented. Zebras are part of complex ecosystems that rely on informed, committed stewardship.

When schools take part in days like International Zebra Day, they help learners understand that conservation is not distant or abstract. It starts with awareness, grows through education, and becomes meaningful through action.

At WESSA, we believe that these moments where learning meets care, and care turns into action, are essential in nurturing a generation that understands its responsibility to protect biodiversity and build a more sustainable future.