2 change makers promote ecosystem protection on CNN African Voices

Depletion of the ecosystem has been of global concern in recent years. This is why current edition of CNN African Voices Changemakers is dedicated to two activists who are driving efforts to protect the environment in their respective societies.

According to Globacom, sponsors the programme which was aired on DSTV on Friday at 8.30 am and on Saturday at 11.30 pm, 4.30 pm and 7.30 pm, with more repeats today (Monday) and Tuesday at 4.30 am and 5.30 pm, respectively, the activists being celebrated are Albert Ndereki of Botswana and Frances Taylor of South Africa.

Ndereki is reputed to be one of the longest-serving members of the Botswana tourism industry and was one of the builders of the Game Lodge in 1971. At his Chobe Game Lodge, he manages the iconic ecotourism facilities which include a bio-gas plant, massive water-treatment plants, solar-powered safari boats and a recycling plant where cans and glass bottles are crushed to make building bricks.

The second guest, Taylor, is a co-founder of Communitree, a non-profit urban greening organisation in Cape Town, South Africa. The organisation was set up to re-green the city with gardens and trees through the conversion of overgrown or abandoned public spaces including parks, sidewalks and traffic junctions into indigenous and colourful fynbos gardens.

This is achieved with the removal of grass, weeds and other invasive vegetations which are then replaced with the fynbos gardens landscaped with footpaths and demarcated garden beds as feeding sites for sunbirds and insects like bees.

The organisation has made a lot of impact in the control of habitat degradation, helped to restore original vegetation types, provided medicinal and economic values to citizens and encouraged the protection of the environment.