Pinelands High School was recognised for its environmental and sustainability efforts when they were awarded the Most Sustainable School in South Africa.
The school received the award at the Sustainable Schools Awards ceremony which was held last month by Nature Connect.
While outdoor education has been a core priority for the school for more than 30 years, they deepened their focus on sustainability since joining the Eco-Schools programme in 2016 and the Sustainable Schools programme in 2021, said sustainability co-ordinator Kate Jack.
From left, are Garren Sanderson-Smith, Yoannah Tshibasu, Ameera Gierdien, Sabine von Pressentin, Zach Roma and sustainability co-ordinator Kate Jack.
Image: supplied
“Environmental topics are integrated into various school subjects, including Economic Management Sciences, Life Orientation, Life Sciences, Natural Sciences, and Consumer Studies. Environmental topics are also reflected in assessments—for example, English language papers focused on the climate crisis, or Science Fair projects exploring the management of food waste using black soldier fly larvae,” she said.
A range of societies and programmes support education for sustainable development (ESD), said Ms Jack.
"The Eco-club organises environmental competitions, the Photography Club documents the school’s biodiversity, and the Interact Society participates in beach clean-ups and tree-planting days. The Academic Lecture Series invites experts to share their passion and expertise with the broader school community; in 2024, these lectures included topics such as African Dinosaurs, Urban Water Systems, and Careers in Veterinary Science."
Ms Jack said the school’s biodiversity garden serves as an outdoor learning space, an urban nature reserve, and a tranquil area where students can connect with nature. In 2024, the garden became part of the Fynbos Corridor Collaboration, and the school’s species list on iNaturalist (a global citizen science platform documenting biodiversity) now exceeds 300 species. A Fynbos Restoration Garden was also recently established at the back of the school property.
Principal Graham Sayer said: "We are so proud of the efforts which lie behind this significant achievement which I am sure will help to encourage and inspire all involved to keep up the good work.”