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JOIN AN ON-LINE ECO-THEOLOGY COURSE! The CAPA (AENA) invites you to an online eco-theology course to consider key environmental challenges facing the continent from both a theological/biblical  and practical perspective. The course is open for lay and ordained leaders of the church and does not require any previous knowledge on environmental issues.  You are invited to participate to have; Better understanding of the environmental challenges. To be able to relate Biblical text to the issues/challenges.  Be inspired, challenged and equipped with knowledge and some practical skills to be able to undertake action towards environmental protection and build a sustainable future.  Weekly on every Tuesday From: Tuesday, 18th of April to Tuesday 30th May Duration : Six weeks Time:  12pm West Africa, 2pm Central/SA, 3pm East Africa Time  Please register using the link below. https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1mggMx6bDGTv8n0vyPUmgFcH_oYHeaMr5nOvY1JT3lVw/edit                                

First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat into my barn. Matthew 13: 30 What are invasive plants? Invasive plants are plants that are intentionally or accidentally introduced by humans into areas outside of their natural habitat. These species can spread rapidly with negative consequences for native species. Invasive plant species have an impact on the diversity of local species, they affect water availability and damage the quality of soil nutrients. Once an alien plant has invaded a habitat, it changes the conditions of that environment. It does so by changing the light, solar radiation and temperature levels in the invaded patches. The quality and availability of food, shelter, nest sites, basking sites and perches are changed for a number of animals. They can also inflict big changes on native vegetation, altering the frequency of fires, nutrient cycling, water availability and soil erosion. For example, pine trees in the Western Cape Province of South Africa have spread beyond forestry plantations and invaded native fynbos habitat. In these invaded landscapes, the temperatures available to lizards for functioning optimally are generally cooler and the number of lizard species greatly reduced. In a few cases, some benefits of alien plants have been reported. For example, they can provide fire wood for local communities or add resources for animal species. But these benefits typically do not surpass the negative effects. Invasive plants have an impact on native species through complex interactions and processes. Habitats that have invasive plants have a poorer diversity of animal species than native habitats. There are multiple reasons for this poorer animal diversity, like reduced availability of food resources or heat conditions that are essential for animal survival. A nice example of how alien plants impact native animals comes from a study in Lake St. Lucia, on the eastern part of South Africa. Alien vegetation has shaded Nile crocodile nests. Since being invaded, nests are much cooler than normal sunny nests which female crocodiles prefer. Temperature dictates the sex of embryos in reptiles, so this finding implies that development of eggs under these conditions will result in more females. These nest temperature changes could therefore affect the population’s demographics in the long-term and alter higher levels of organisation, like communities and species. So, invasive plant species might affect the environment in more ways than we can imagine. Find out about invasive plants in your area by going to ECOSIA (instead of google) and find out how to remove or replace them Reference: https://theconversation.com/invasive-plants-have-a-much-bigger-impact-than-we-imagine-82181

The Environmental Desk in the Diocese of Mthatha is led by Revd Mpumlwana, Revd Mafanya, Mr. B. White and Ms. T. Ngudle. The team has started a tree planting campaign in 2020Tree by introducing palm tree planting in all o parishes across the Diocese . The Environmental desk encourage parishes to plant trees during the following services:-– Bishop’s Episcopal Visits– Baptismal Services– Guilds’ Diocesan Conferences. The first parish to have planted a tree is All Saints Parish, Mbokothwana (St Augustine Station) on 26/02/2023 followed by St Francis Parish, Ngolo (St Paul’s Station). In both these parishes the trees were blessed and planted by the Diocesan Bishop, The Rt. Revd. J. T. Ngombane who is very much supportive towards the programme. We are pleased to announcec that the Diocesan Youth Guild is very much interested in our programs as they always invite us in their conferences to talk. Last year we planted 2 palm trees as St. Bedes during their 2022 conference. Together with them (Youth Guild), we are preparing to have a workshop where we will be equipping each other on tree planting and waste management. By Mr B White  

“Getting the Streets ready for the Messiah” For many churches, the Palm Sunday procession is the only time the church goes out through the streets. The young people of St Mary’s Kutlwanong decided to make a difference and apply the Reuse, Reduce , Recycle method to improve the community . On Saturday 26 February Bino Makhalanyane visited the young people from  St Mary Kutlwanong Odendaalsrus in the Free State, South Africa  to share with them what the Green Anglicans movement is  all about and the importance of getting involved on issues of care for creation, as we only have one common home called planet earth. During our time together we disused  what environmental hazards are being faced by the community of Kutlwanong and how we could address them using the three R’s ( Reuse , Recycle and Reduce) which when applied could make our community a better and cleaner place to be in . During the discussion one of the young people shared with us that these things are taught at school level but lack of eco-clubs or practically implementing the methods within the curriculum makes it hard for them to get involved in taking care of God’s creation. The day ended with each person learning how our to grow their own spekboom( Portulacaria Afra) which is known for its ability to remove carbon dioxide from the air, can be used for medicine , easy to grow , does not require too much water  and can be used a good source of vitamin C amongst other things . Those who were in attendance will now be teaching their peers on how to grow a spekboom from cuttings. The young people are planning  a clean-up near the church for Palm Sunday under the theme: “ Getting the streets ready for the Messiah “ We are grateful for the support of the United Thank Offering for this programme Bino  Makhalanyane   Photo used with permision    

Everything’s going to Bee alright! – gardening training in Lesotho Khubetsoana Community Home gardening project On the  13th February – 18th February 2023 the Eco-culture team ( namely Ms Thapelo Lipholo and Khahliso Letsie had an Adult Home gardening training session for the community of  Khubetsoana in Lesotho. On day 1 introduction to training to the attendees was done, they were given of the brief explanation of Eco-Culture Organization and Green Anglicans there after a local farmer by the name of Ntate Bofihla Letsie shared with us , his previous works and health challenges and how farming has contributed to his wellbeing with the advice from the doctor that he should invest in home grown foods. He also led the  discussion on  bee keeping, mushroom growing and wild range chicken farming and cross breeding of trees. On day 2, we were honoured to have visitors from the Ministry of Forestry who  gave  training on bee keeping,  On day 3, we looked at chicken farming with the training, the with a focus on how  to start, the feeds, medication, and housing activities like mulching or sawdust bed for the warmth of the chicks. The market and challenges experience by small scale farmers and why creating cooperatives or partnerships is an ideal way to work as this helps with consistence. On  day 4 we trained on  citreous fruits and also discussed how climate change has affected the industry one of the local  farmer came with oranges from her own orchard and shared with us  the advantages that come with growing own fruit trees . Day 5 was more about seedlings production, where the community was taught how to grow their own seedlings, the green leaf vegetables as well as herbs. How they can also get into the market of growing seedlings for commercial purposes. On day 6 we had site visit to Ntate Bofihla Letsie’s farm,  where community members had first hand experience of how things like  boiler farm look like , mushroom production house, bee hives on a leased land and an orchard.   We are grateful for the support of the United Thank Offering for this project Bino Makhalanyane  

Young Green Fingers in Lesotho Members of the Eco – Culture oganisation of the Diocese of Lesotho visited the  Khubetsoana Anglican  High School in Lesotho  from to 6 till 12 February 2023. The school has an eco -club, and Eco culture was running a week long home gardening training.  Day one saw up to 40 learners from the school gathered in the school hall for the introduction session , with many of them eagerly waiting  to learn more. On day 2 the learners  were taught about  growing mushrooms, which is a plant that does not require much attention since they spend most of their time on school premises, they therefore can take care of them a few minutes of their time. Mushroom production only requires moisture and shaded shelter, which is easy to maintain  and it would be good for their health. Having noticed that the school has few trees  day 3 was used to teach the learns  about fruit trees production, to green the school and provide fruit in years to come On day 4 the Eco – culture team discussed  food preservation with the learners ,  this was brought by the amount of food waste due to high production especially for perishable foods like tomatoes, cabbage, peppers etc. this was under the theme “Preservation of food helps prepare for difficult times”. Day 5 was on  Bee keeping were the learners were taught about how,  bees are good for our  health and produce products that can be used in different industries. On the last day the Eco-culture team focused on environmental issues. Sometimes  young  people  think this is not relevant to them, but the team used  activities that included art and environment, showing the role art plays in passing the message to the society. Music, fashion, modelling etc, how artists advocate for the protection of the environment and improvement of livelihoods for their own people using their talents . Due to weather constraints the practical part could not take place however both the school and Eco-culture team have agreed to having one Friday every month to engage the club in practical works. We are appreciative for the support of the United Thank Offering for this programme and for Australian overseas Aid for training of Climate yes Bino Makhalanyane