14 Ways to green the classroom

Go eco-friendly on World Environment Day - 5 June

Children are often more aware than adults about the importance of being planet-friendly, and the need to conserve scarce and precious natural resources. Many, however, don’t know which steps to take. Here are some practical and easy ideas from JoJo Tanks to take to school for a greener classroom:

1. Start recycling of paper, plastic and metal in the classroom, and motivate the entire school to participate.

2. Choose reusable packaging and a reusable BPA free water bottle for your lunch box, rather than throwaway plastic bottles.

3. Arrange a recycling day on World Environment Day at your school and encourage everyone to bring their recyclable waste from home.

4. Ask the science teacher to dedicate time on World Environment Day to show everyone how to make your own eco-friendly cleaners from vinegar and water.

5. Plant an indigenous tree outside the classroom for nature on your doorstep and a much cooler classroom.  (A great activity for World Environment Day on June 5.)

6. Grow a few indoor plants in your classroom. They’re not only nature's air filters; they also absorb computer radiation and airborne pollutants, and provide oxygen and cooler air. Winter is a great time to add a few plants because research indicates that indoor plants significantly reduce fatigue and incidences of cold-related ailments like sore throats and coughs.

7. Start a wormbin in your classroom for all the lunch waste.

8. Create a school veggie garden – a fun and educational way to learn about the pleasures of growing and eating fresh, local, organic food.

9. Get rid of disposable pens and pencils, and opt for refillable pens made from recycled plastic or biodegradable plastic, and select pencils made from sustainably harvested wood.

10. When printing, make sure it is double-sided, and use the ‘less ink’ options for all but the most important printing.

11. Use the energy saving settings on your computer.

12. Check for leaks in taps and report to the school management. It’s an easy way to reduce water wastage. One leaking tap can waste more than 2000 litres a month.

13. Put plastic bottles filled with pebbles or sand in the toilet tanks to reduce flushing water.

14. Lobby school management to have a JoJo rainwater-harvesting tank installed at your school.

Press release by Riana Greenblo Communications on behalf of JoJo Tanks.

Eco-friendly pest control

Install a JoJo owl house

One of the biggest threats facing farmers is rodent infestations that cause crop losses equalling millions of rands every year. It’s no better in our cities where both Cape Town and Johannesburg have already publicly declared a war on rats.

The ideal way to control rodent populations is to install an owl house.

Explains Rod Cairns, managing director of JoJo Tanks, “Controlling rodents through the use of conventional methods, such as poisons, are not only costly, but also have a huge negative impact on the planet and our eco-systems. Poisons compromise the quality of crops, local water supplies, and the population of desirable domesticated and wild animals and birds. The JoJo owl house offers environmentally conscious South Africans a cost-effective and eco-friendly way to get rid of rats in a way that does not harm the planet.”

The barn owl particularly takes to owl boxes very readily. The good news is that it is also one of the most successful and widespread predators on Earth and a single pair can consume over 2000 rodents a year. Barn owls are not as territorial as other raptors, so one can install numerous boxes throughout one’s property to effectively control the growing rodent population.

They also regulate their own breeding, in keeping with the rat population of a specific year. If there is a surge in rodent populations, they can breed up to 20 chicks, as there is so much food available. In years where the pickings are leaner, they lay fewer eggs, making them the perfect allies. Barn owls breed mainly from August to September in the Western Cape, and March to May elsewhere. The JoJo owl box is also suitable for spotted eagle-owls that will occupy the box if positioned around the perimeter of storage sites.

The JoJo owl box, a roto-moulded seamless unit, ready for installation, is manufactured from a low-density polyethylene. It is ultraviolet (UV) stabilised to ensure durability in the harsh South African weather and, like all other JoJo products, it carries an 8-year warranty.

Please note that the ideal height above ground is 4m. The nifty doorstep in the entrance to the box ensures that the eggs and chicks remain safely inside.

In built up areas, the owl box should be erected against the south facing or south-east facing side of buildings, preferably under the overhang of the roof.

The JoJo owl box can be installed by:

1. Attaching it to a wall
2. Placing it on a pole (pole base plate included)
3. Affixing it onto a flat surface by cutting off the pole base plate and levelling the bottom surface.

Get a JoJo owl house today – it’s really the most sensible way to control rats.

Guidelines to encourage raptors and owls in assisting with rodent management:

1. It is advisable to have a cleared area of at least 2m wide around the field with perches erected within the area.
2. Perches for raptors should be made of 3m x 50mm gum or poplar poles, and be planted to have a height of 2.4m above the ground surface.
3. Perches for owls can be shorter – 1.6m x 30mm gum or poplar poles that are planted to a height of 1.4m.
4. For both perches, long sisal inflorescence stems may also be used to save on costs.
5. No cross arms should be erected on perches as previous experience indicates that the birds prefer straight poles. Untreated wood is the best to use.
6. To attract owls and diurnal raptors to the perches, it is advisable to scatter a few handfuls of crushed grain around the perches in the late afternoon. Gerbils will soon discover the food, and lure owls and raptors to the perches.
7. It is advisable to remove barbed wire from fences where perches are erected in close proximity to fences as owls are often trapped by barbs when they try and perch on fences. This is particularly true for marsh owls, barn owls and spotted eagle-owls.

Compiled by Riana Greenblo Communications on behalf of JoJo Tanks

JoJo Tanks Rain Catchers competition winners announced!

The announcement everyone has been waiting for...

Congratulations to our JoJo Tank Rain Catchers Mathunya Angelina Relebohile, who wins a Slimline JoJo Tank for her home, and Connor Magill, who wins a 5000 litre JoJo Tank for his school!

Each winner also receives R2500 towards delivery and installation, courtesy of JoJo Tanks.

We're very proud of your contributions towards water conservation!

Win a JoJo Tank for your home or school!

The most exciting competition of the year is here!

Enter today!

Terms and Conditions for JoJo Tanks Rain Catchers competition

1. Competition ends, 30 November 2014. 2. All entries must include name and surname, age, date of birth and contact details. 3. Persons entering the competition must be 18 years or under.  4. Competition is open to anyone except the employees  (or members of their immediate families) of Supernova magazine or advertisers or prize sponsors. 5. The closing date specified for the competition is final and no late entries will be allowed. 6. If you win a competition you will be notified via telephone or email.  7. The judges’ decision is final. 8. The prize will not be redeemable for cash and is non-transferable. 9. Supernova magazine is not responsible for delayed or lost entries. 10. Supernova magazine is not responsible for the loss or damage of a prize after it has been sent to the winner. 11. Incorrect entries will be disqualified. 12. Supernova magazine may use the information given in the entry for BK Publishing's internal database. All the information will be kept confidential. 13. If the competition requires the entrant to provide illustrations, photographs or any original artwork by the entrant, the submission of the work will constitute a consensual release and will allow Supernova and the competition organiser to publish your artwork in the magazine and online. 14. If you enter this competition we will assume that you have read trough the Terms and Conditions, and that you understand and agree with them.