Greenpop is one of Stories Experiences Travel’s Positive Impact partners in environmental projects and an award-winning, non-profit organisation headquartered in Cape Town, South Africa. Founded in 2010, Greenpop works to restore ecosystems and empower environmental stewards through forest restoration, urban greening, food gardening, and environmental awareness projects across Sub-Saharan Africa. They have planted over 175,000 trees and inspired over 132,000 active citizens across South Africa, Zambia, Malawi and Tanzania.
On the 29th of July 2022, a group of Stories Experiences Travel’s staff members attended a planting day that forms part of Greenpop’s Fynbos for the Future urban greening programme. The vision for Fynbos for the Future is to inspire a green urban future in which biodiversity is accessible, valued, and protected by active, engaged, and inspired citizens. The core objective is to provide interactive fynbos learning spaces in under-greened schools.
Fynbos for the Future
Fynbos is a distinctive type of vegetation found only on the southern tip of Africa. It includes a wide range of plant species, particularly small heather-like trees and shrubs. Fynbos is known for its exceptional degree of biodiversity and comprises about 80% of the Cape floral kingdom.
When selecting Positive Impact initiatives to support, Greenpop emerged as a top candidate for Stories Experiences Travel’s Conservation Committee. Their vision and efforts go well beyond just putting trees into the ground, and the emphasis is on making trees count rather than simply counting trees. For this reason, Greenpop is engaged in a wide variety of activities.
In addition to the reforestation work being done as part of their Forests for Life programme, their work to protect and restore ecosystems also covers Food Gardening, Environmental Awareness, and Urban Greening which houses the Fynbos for the Future project. This project is aimed at reconnecting the youth in traditionally marginalised communities with the environment and their natural heritage.
This project was originally focused on trees but was later updated to focus on water-wise plants that were better suited to the area, and in doing so, rebuilding historical biome linkages – which is where fynbos entered the picture.
A Blooming Partnership with Greenpop
Stories Experiences Travel’s planting day took place at Highlands Primary School in Woodlands, situated alongside Mitchell’s Plain in Cape Town. After arriving at 09:00, Stories Experiences Travel’s staff were treated to an icebreaker with the kids on the playground.
Greenpop’s Urban Greening Manager, Deon Louw, facilitated the day alongside a small group of interns. Deon played a pivotal role in the entire experience. He is chock-full of passion and knowledge, and very good at ensuring that the ice gets broken through introducing some playful and fun games.
Everyone then split off into three groups, with a mixture of adults and kids in each, and went to the different activities:
- Planting fynbos
- ‘Fynbos Bingo’ or citizen science
- Rock painting
Stories Experiences Traveland the kids from Highlands ended up putting 87 plants into the ground on the day. The kids’ enthusiasm was electric – they’d found themselves deep in the soil bed area and onto the next plant totally forgetting to watch their steps on the one they just did!
‘Fynbos Bingo’ was fascinating, as Deon spoke through all the different varieties of plants that were present in an engaging format. First half of the allocated time was spent understanding the individual plants and how they fit into the wider ecosystem, and then the second half was playing ‘bingo’ using this new-found knowledge to identify plants.
Finally, the painting ‘station’ was a place for the kids to work hard at ensuring there would be a stern word at home later that day – more paint ended up on the ground sheet and on a very enthusiastic ten-year-old than it did on the rocks that were being painted to beautify the garden!
The entire experience played out over the course of a few far-too-short hours. It was a deeply humbling and gratifying opportunity for Stories Experiences Travelto get plugged into our core value of ‘We Conserve’. We can’t wait to participate in more planting days with Greenpop!
Planting a Sustainable Future: Greenpop and Stories Experiences Travel Join Forces to Plant Over 80 Fynbos
In a world grappling with climate change and environmental degradation, the need for sustainable solutions has become increasingly imperative. As conscious citizens, it is our responsibility to take action towards building a greener future. Recognizing this urgency, Greenpop, a non-profit organization, has joined forces with Stories Experiences Travel to embark on a significant mission – to plant over 80 fynbos.
Greenpop has long been committed to sustainable reforestation and environmental education in South Africa. Their work encompasses a range of projects, including tree planting initiatives, urban greening, and the facilitation of educational programs. With an unwavering vision of restoring ecosystems and inspiring behavioral change, Greenpop’s collaboration with Stories Experiences Travel signifies a major step towards achieving a sustainable future.
Fynbos, a unique vegetation type endemic to the Western Cape of South Africa, is renowned for its exceptional diversity and ecological importance. Sadly, due to human activities such as agriculture and urbanization, vast areas of fynbos have been destroyed, leading to a decline in biodiversity and threatening the delicate balance of this ecosystem. By actively engaging in fynbos restoration, Greenpop and Stories Experiences Travel aim to preserve this vital habitat and promote its regeneration.
The joint effort between Greenpop and Stories Experiences Travel is centered around a three-day event, aptly named ”Plant the Future.” During this event, participants will come together to understand the ecological significance of fynbos, learn about sustainable planting practices, and actively contribute to the reforestation efforts in the region.
The event will include educational workshops where participants can deepen their understanding of the intricate web of biodiversity supported by fynbos. Experts from Greenpop will provide insights into the ecological roles played by different fynbos species and the threats faced by this unique biome. This knowledge will enable participants to make informed decisions and actively participate in ecological restoration long after the event concludes.
One of the key objectives of this collaboration is to ensure sustainability in the long run. To that end, Greenpop and Stories Experiences Travel are working diligently to engage local communities in the restoration process. By involving community members, the project fosters a sense of ownership and empowers individuals to take charge of their environment. Moreover, the initiative provides a platform for knowledge-sharing and encourages the exchange of ideas about sustainable practices within the community.
In addition to the in-person event, the collaboration between Greenpop and Stories Experiences Travel has a wider reach through the use of digital platforms and storytelling. By documenting the entire process, from the preparation of planting sites to the growth of fynbos, the organizations hope to inspire others to embark on similar initiatives. Through captivating visual content and compelling narratives, Greenpop and Stories Experiences Travel aim to create a ripple effect whereby individuals and communities worldwide are motivated to take action towards a sustainable future.
The planting of over 80 fynbos by Greenpop and Stories Experiences Travel is a significant step forward in the quest for ecological restoration. By restoring this invaluable habitat, the organizations are not only preserving biodiversity but also setting an example for future environmental initiatives. Their collaborative approach brings together individuals, communities, and organizations, fostering a sense of collective responsibility and reinforcing the idea that a sustainable future is achievable through collective action.
As we navigate the challenges of a rapidly changing world, it is initiatives like these that provide hope and inspire change. By planting the seeds of a sustainable future, Greenpop and Stories Experiences Travel are reminding us of the power we each hold to make a positive impact on our environment. Let us join hands, plant trees, and support initiatives that nurture the planet we call home.
