CLIMATE-SMART GARDENING 

Our project builds climate-smart Indigenous and traditional vegetable gardens in schools located in 3 eco-regions (Limpopo, KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng) in South Africa. The project aims to investigate impacts of co-designed Indigenous and traditional vegetable gardens on nutrition and well-being, intergenerational climate literacies and children’s land relationships. Through a collaboration between Indigenous and Local Ecological Knowledge (ILEK) keepers, climate scientists, educational researchers, community partner organizations, families, teachers, children and local government stakeholders, a key project goal is to strengthen climate change adaptation.  

READ MORE ABOUT OUR APPROACH ⟶

MORE TO COME ON OUR CLIMATE-SMART GARDENING CO-DESIGN CIRCLES

9 people seated in a circle around a table strewn with papers and sticky notes, one man in a green button up is standing to make a point; KZN Design Circle

Gauteng & Limpopo Design Circle

February 2025

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KZN Design Circle

woman in white shirt talking
elder standing in blue polo, yellow patterned head scarf, and glasses in front of a schoolroom blackboard
woman in pink shirt with a black blazer holds paper while addressing the room; 3 women listen; classroom setting
7 people seated at a table happily listen to each other in a school room for the kzn design circle
woman in blue with hand to chin, looks at a sheet of paper with sticky notes and provides feedback to the group
man in green button up, mid speech, hands clasped together, addresses the room while standing, chalkboard in background
woman in blue holds green tablet while addressing the room, 3 women sitting - listen
woman in pink tee and black blazer speaking while holding a notepad of green sticky notes
left is a woman in blue with glasses seated, to the right, an elder wearing blue polo and yellow and green patterned head scarf
two men in verbal exchange, one on left wears a camel coloured long sleeve, on the right, a light washed long sleeve button up
women in yellow dress speaks to the room, 5 other people around her listen
woman in white unicef t shirt and round earrings sits in front of a laptop
man in green short sleeves button up talks animatedly, with left hand facing up, right hand holding a pen
elder in yellow and blue head scarf, purple glasses, and beige knit sweater speaks; two people beside her listen intently while looking at the paper she reads from

Limpopo Design Circle

limpopo design circle - man in buffalo black and white plaid shirt speaks, sticky notes strewn across the table in front of him and a group of 6 others who are intently listening
6 people seated at a wooden table in front of a black white piece of paper, 3 people on each side, in discussion
6 people in foreground of image seated in front of sticky notes and a white pad of paper, in discussion as others are similarly arranged behind them
white sheet of paper that says "Indigenous Knowledge" underlined, sits on the table in front of a group of 6 mid discussion
8 people sit indoors around a wooden table, white sheet of paper filled with orange sticky notes on the table in front of them
8 people discuss and listen around a wooden table, white big sheet of paper covered in orange sticky notes in front of them
a big white sheet of paper with the words "children's literacy" printed in big letters at the top, is covered in orange sticky notes. a woman in a green tshirt and black zipup vest writes on a sticky note while others are engaged in conversation
7 people surround a wooden tabletop with a white sheet of paper covered in yellow sticky notes. a man to the right of the image leans in and addresses the group, right hand hovers above the table; shuttered windows slightly open behind them
the back of peple sitting at a wooden table, 3 people on each side of the benches, in front of empty white sheets of paper
a closeup; in the foreground a paper with yellow sticky notes - one reads "waste recycle compost" in a brown thick marker; background of the photo is two people seated, the man is wearing a black and white buffallo plaid, the woman beside him is in a
man in brown zip up leaning on a wooden table, woman in green shirt and black vest listens while smiling gently
man in buffalo plaid shirt has one hand raised high, looks to be speaking passionately to the group who is off camera
woman in a knit sweater with a vertical stripe - terracotta strip at bottom, white stripe above that, light green stripe above that, blue stripe at the top of her mock neck sweater - speaks while standing as others in her group listen
9 people are focused listening - 5 on the left side of the table - 4 on the right. books and papers on tabletop
the word "change" is written in the center of a big white pad of paper with yellow sticky notes. a group of 5 people sit around it in discussion
7 people sit in conversation around a white sheet of paper titled "children's literacy" covered in orange and pink sticky notes
woman in sleeveless top, black, covered in pink flowers, wearing glasses - mid speech while standing
woman in green shirt and black zip up vest, hands interlaced, speaking while standing
woman in soft pastel - green, blue, yellow - button up layered over a black turtleneck, addresses the group. 4 people face her while seated at her sides
a joyous group! the backs of design circle participants is seen, while in mid motion - an embodiment activity that lights up the faces of each person
5 people look to the right of the frame while seated around a wooden table
6 people facing the left of the image, are smiling big while in mid motion - happily in movement
the same 6 people in previous image now seated at bench smiling big
10 people around wooden table are standing and look to be dancing
6 people facing right standing and clapping while in mid motion around wooden table
image of room as the group prepares for lunch - a zoomed out photo with paper bags with a rooster logo sit on the table as people walk about
a zoomed out image of the limpopo design circle group - many groups are circled around rows of 5 tables, one man is seen to the right of the picture in a navy top holding an ipad

More to come!

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