Spurred on by its resolve to make the circle of the environmentally conscious bigger, CPUT has recently trained a cohort of its students as Green Ambassadors.
The Green Ambassadors project is meant to inform and educate students to be aware of their carbon footprint on the environment and how it can be minimised.
During the training the new ambassadors came up with innovative ideas, including how to save water and electricity, waste management as well as explored the issue of creating vegetable gardens at their residences.
Student Development Officer, Anette Grobler, says they were impressed with the innovative and well researched ideas from students.
“It is important for us to have Green Ambassadors on campus that can notify us of potential danger areas such as leaking taps, irregularities in residences (students who shower for too long or use stoves as heaters in residences,” says Grobler.
“We are convinced that these students will take their knowledge to their respective home towns, provinces and countries, and do the same there. That way we are making the environmentally conscious circle bigger!”
The ambassadors are expected to attend all excursions and training sessions provided and give back by making an impact on their small communities, in class, at residences and their homes.
The training of the new environmental activists is the brainchild of the Department of Student Affairs, Green Campus Initiative and Student Housing and saw 42 students being trained by the World Wildlife Fund’s Natasha Jones on a variety of important environmental issues that affect them and the next generation.
The training workshop took place at Hotel Verde, Africa’s first carbon neutral hotel.
Students embarked on a guided tour of the hotel, which is situated at the Cape Town International Airport, and witnessed firsthand how electricity is generated, water re-used, and aqua culture is used to produce vegetables.
“Because our core business is the environment, they have given us the use of the venue (hotel) free of charge,” says Grobler.
Hotel Verde staff Rucian Willemse, and Mitcheala Valentyn explained the hotel’s facilities and unique operations to the students.
