A passionate local environmental educator from Parys is expanding her work with schools and young people thanks to support from Damlaagte Solar, helping to grow environmental awareness among the next generation. Nelly Komape, who serves on the board of the newly launched Parys Wetland Park, has dedicated her time to teaching young people about the importance of wetlands, conservation, and sustainable living.
The Parys Wetland Park, which officially opened last month, stretches between Tumahole and Mimosa Gardens – spanning 40 hectares, transforming a once-neglected urban wetland into a vibrant green corridor connecting communities, schools, and businesses. The rehabilitation project, led by the Park’s Committee in partnership with the Ngwathe Local Municipality, has restored biodiversity while creating a safe recreational and educational space for residents.
For Komape, the project created an opportunity to take environmental learning directly into local schools.
“They needed someone who could help bring environmental education into the classrooms,” she explains. “Someone who could help learners understand what wetlands are and why they matter.”
Since September 2025, Komape has been visiting schools around Parys, delivering environmental awareness sessions. Her lessons introduce learners to the role wetlands play in ecosystems, while also exploring practical topics such as recycling, waste management, sanitation, and soil conservation.
One of the programme’s most popular initiatives encourages learners to collect recyclable materials and take them to a local scrap yard. The materials are weighed, and the proceeds are returned to participating schools.
“The children quickly realise that recycling is not only good for the environment — it can also create real value,” she says.
The programme initially reached four schools and is now expanding to ten schools across the Parys area, with a particular focus on primary school learners.
For older learners, Komape encourages career discussions highlighting opportunities in environmental science, conservation, and related fields — helping young people see environmental protection as a possible future profession.
With the wetland park now open to the public, the programme is entering a new phase. From April, learners will begin visiting the park itself, where specialists will guide them through birdlife observation, indigenous plants, and simple water testing activities.
“When learners can experience nature directly, it becomes real,” Komape says. “They see the birds, the plants, and the water systems and begin to understand why it must be protected.”
To help expand this work, Damlaagte Solar recently provided Komape with funding through its small business support programme. The funding has enabled her to purchase laptops, presentation equipment, educational materials, and other tools needed to grow the environmental education initiative.
The support reflects Damlaagte Solar’s broader commitment to strengthening local environmental awareness and community development.
“Local people often have the strongest connection to their environment,” commented Jo-Anne Brown, Country Economic Development Manager at Damlaagte Solar. “Supporting initiatives like this helps build knowledge and pride in the natural spaces that communities depend on.”
The wetland park itself has become a powerful symbol of community collaboration. Volunteers spent countless hours removing waste, clearing invasive plants, and restoring the ecosystem to create a space where residents can walk, cycle, learn, and reconnect with nature.
Its official opening took place just ahead of National Water Month in March, which highlights the importance of protecting South Africa’s water resources.
For Komape, the work is about far more than environmental awareness. “If children understand the environment from a young age,” she says, “they will grow up wanting to protect it.”
With more schools now participating in the programme, that vision is steadily taking root across the Parys community.
