2023 Billion Acts Earth Day Countdown Supported by Restoring Hope

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COMMUNITY CLEANUP AND GARDENING INITIATIVE

As part of our Earth Day campaign for 2023 we will be doing two community clean-ups in the Cafda Village and Southfield Community. Two communities that we have been working in for the last 7 years. This year will be our 5th consecutive year of doing community clean up and gardening initiatives with the youth as well as community members in our high-risk communities. Over the years we have partnered with New Earth Projects/New Eart Aquaponics a Cape Town based organization that creates awareness and promotes aquaponics and alternative food growing systems for food security gardens projects. They also promote organic waste recycling solutions such as plant rescue, rehabilitation, soil recycling and nursery recycling.

Over the last few decades, we have become much more aware of the importance of being environmentally friendly. Years of pollution, deforestation, and wasteful consumption during the 20th century had a highly damaging impact on our global community.

Today, it's important for our kids to recognize why being environmentally friendly is now more crucial than ever. Teaching our kids the importance of environmentally friendly behaviors helps bridge the connection between our actions and how they directly impact the world around us.

Cleaning the environment is the key to existence and survival of life on planet earth. Maintaining a clean environment reduces pollution, preserves our biosphere, protects endangered species, and also helps preserve the earth's natural resources.

Why is gardening important to the environment? Gardens are important to the planet because, despite being human-made, they represent a natural environment. Plants and trees grow there, taking in carbon and releasing oxygen. The roots of these plants stabilize the soil and filter water.

In terms of mental health, gardening has also been shown to decrease the risk of dementia and as a type of therapy for those already suffering from it, according to a study published by the journal Psychiatry Investig. This might have to do with the mental health benefits we experience just being in nature. Gardens, by virtue of the human-made nature of their construction, allow us a means to connect to nature in a sort of self-determined way.