Recognising the city’s Green Heroes
Gillian Noyce holds one |of the 'Green Hero' certificates that will soon be awarded to people who have played a valuable role in preserving the environment in the Durban area. Gillian Noyce holds one |of the 'Green Hero' certificates that will soon be awarded to people who have played a valuable role in preserving the environment in the Durban area.
Some of Durban’s most dedicated environmentalists will soon be honoured as “Green Heroes” through an award system proposed by eThekwini councillor Gillian Noyce.
Noyce, a keen environmentalist, suggested several months ago that some means of recognition be devised to honour people in the municipal area whose work for “green” causes had been particularly valuable.
She said she had become aware of the important work being done by various individuals while serving on an environmental committee set up by DA councillors for the past five years.
“Initially the committee was set up to try to understand the legislation and various environmental issues,” said Noyce. “We wanted to make ourselves more effective in this field.
“But over the years we became more aware of the incredible, selfless work some individuals were doing to try to save our planet and preserve biodiversity.”
Noyce said there were people in the municipal area working tirelessly, for instance, for the preservation of clean water supplies and other natural resources.
“In our conservancies we find people who are generally unsung heroes They are very non-political people. Their only concern is to save and preserve the environment.”
Noyce brought this to the attention of the chairman of the DA’s environmental committee, Jean Lindsay, and together they worked on ways to honour such individuals in the various communities of eThekwini.
“We have set this up in such a way that any councillor may choose to confer an award on any deserving person in their community,” Noyce said.
“There is no prize money involved. It merely affords us an opportunity to recognise and pay tribute for valuable service.”
She said a councillor on the Berea had already identified a deserving person who would probably be the first to receive an award within the next three weeks.