Are you one of the many South Africans taking part in #Spekboom challenge to help fight climate change all while beautifying our country?

Related to #Spekboom challenge: 7 reasons to grow spekboom in your garden

Spekboom (Portulacaria afra) has been called a ‘wonder plant’ because of its climate change fighting ability to absorb more carbon dioxide than other plants.

Spekboom has been growing in popularity and this year the succulent is in the spotlight thanks to the #spekboomchallenge.

Hundreds of South Africans are joining the call to plant spekboom in their gardens, around their workplaces, neighbourhoods and schools.

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FUN FACT FRIDAY: Did you know a mature Spekboom can capture 4 to 8 kg of CO2 per year ? Producing 1kg of beef ? emits 60kg of CO2 ?? so on average for every 1kg of beef you enjoy per year you need to plant 10 Spekboom. Try reduce your beef ❌? #spekboomchallenge #spekboom #carbonfootprint #OneSpecAtATime #homegrown #climatechange #growyourown #proudlysouthafrican #waterwise #regrow #spreadthespek #capetown #ReduceCO2 #CO2Sponge #stayawayfrombeef #saynotobeef #reduceyourbeef Chart Image taken from: https://ourworldindata.org/food-choice-vs-eating-local

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How the challenge started

Apparently, the challenge was started by the Nel family, owners of Boplaas farm in Calitzdorp.

Concerned about climate change, they pledged to plant one million spekbooms by 2025 and challenged South Africans to join them by planting spekboom wherever they can.

Municipalities, companies and many individuals are stepping up to the challenge. The City of Cape Town has accepted the challenge and are currently growing 5 000 spekbooms to be planted around Cape Town in Climate Change Month (April).

Why you should be involved

Climate change is undeniable, but instead of waiting for world governments to do something, we can all play a part in helping curb greenhouse gases.

Planting spekboom is one of the easiest ways to help – you don’t need a lot of space, it doesn’t take much time and, because spekboom is easily propagated from cuttings, it doesn’t cost much to do.

Spekboom is a wonderful addition to any garden – it’s evergreen, drought-tolerant and low maintenance. It can be grown into hedges or planted in pots and thrives in almost any conditions.

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Have you heard of the #spekboomchallenge that @pascalie started on Instagram? # The idea is to challenge South Africans to plant indigenous spekboom! Why? A single spekboom can remove large amounts of carbon dioxide (a known greenhouse gas) from the atmosphere, apparently about a 100 times more than a single pine tree can. This means that if each of us planted a spekboom or two or three ?, together as a nation, we can help reduce the effects of climate change! How amazing is that! # This past weekend I bought this spekboom at @builderssa and planted it in a pot, as I don’t have lawn and I challenge you all to plant one too. ??? # #letsgardensa #spekboom #thegreenveganchick

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How you can get involved

1. Start in your garden (or on your balcony) by planting and propagating spekboom.

2. Challenge friends – Take a picture of your spekboom plants and post it on social media. Add the hashtag #Spekboomchallenge and tag friends and family to challenge them to plant spekboom plants too.

3. Make it a team project – Do you have access to a communal garden where you live or work? Find out if you can implement a #spekboomchallenge and invite colleagues or neighbours to help beautify the space with spekboom. It’s a great way to get to know your colleagues and neighbours better.

4. Plant spekboom at schools – Find out if your children’s school is taking part in the #spekboomchallenge and how you can help.

Are you in?

Monique Warner – All4Women

The post How to join the #Spekboomchallenge (and why you should) appeared first on All4Women.