Earth Hour is the world’s largest grassroots movement in support of the environment. Since 2007, it has become so much more than an hour-long lights-out event, and is now a movement which has achieved massive environmental change, through harnessing the power of the crowd.
The Hour
Saturday 30th March 2019 – 8.30pm your time
Every year millions of people, businesses and landmarks set aside an hour to host events, switch off their lights and make noise for the Earth Hour movement. The hour is an opportunity to show your resolve to change, while celebrating the earth’s beauty and diversity.
Beyond the Hour # Connect2Earth
As accelerating climate change and huge biodiversity loss threaten our planet, Earth Hour 2019-2020 aims to spark conversations on the loss of nature and the urgent need to protect it.
Earth Hour is really about people. About the collective power of individuals pressing for positive action to save the world’s wildlife, climate and environment. Earth Hour 2019 is about Connecting to Earth, raising awareness and calling for action to halt the frightening loss of nature
People are just one part of Earth’s web of life, but are the driving force behind the threats to our planet’s wildlife, ecosystems and habitats.
Our Earth Hour Stories
We asked our incredible, dedicated and passionate staff from our volunteer projects and partners around Southern Africa, to explain why nature matters to them, and why they decided to make caring for the environment part of their life.
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Mike January, Community Liaison Officer, Greenline Africa Trust, Zimbabwe
Connect2Earth
“Growing up within a wildlife-rich ecosystem propelled my passion for biodiversity conservation. Nature is vital to the survival of mankind and hence, one cannot afford to turn a blind-eye to how the activities we do today can result in depletion of our beloved resources.
Communities continue to rely on nature for energy, medicinal, religious, and aesthetic purposes, and it is therefore essential that people build sustainable relationships with nature. With climate change already exhibiting devastating effects on the environment, there is need to come up with climate-smart initiatives which will ensure the survival of both mankind and nature.”
Read more about our community work in Victoria Falls.
Nkosilathi Tshuma, Elephant Handler, Zimbabwe
Connect2Earth
I was born in a community surrounded by many different species of wild animals, which included the world’s biggest land mammal the elephant. But through all my years of boyhood I had never thought of coming close to these huge scary looking creatures – but when the chance came my way, I never hesitated in taking a job to work and look after them.
Having worked with these wonderful creatures for more than a decade I got to understand them even better than my own kids! They can be very good friends, and all they need is respect and love, which they also give back without a demand. Man has a lot to learn from these highly intelligent amazing animals.
Let’s keep them, love them, respect them and consider them. The combination of these four things will by all means benefit our future generations world wide.
Join Nkosi and his team in Zimbabwe, and learn about Africa’s most iconic and beloved land mammal from true, passionate experts.
Calum Murie, Shark Researcher, Mozambique
Connect2Earth
Since an early age I have been fascinated by the ocean. It is a dream come true to be able to take a boat out every day and explore the ocean with like minded people. Investigating the underwater environment itself, as well as its threatened and vulnerable species is important, as it allows the oceans health to be monitored and informs the design of conservation practices.
I am proud to work towards the conservation of sharks and begin to understand their movements around the beautiful Mozambican coast, which I am so grateful to currently call my home.
Join Calum on the beach in Mozambique at our Marine Conservation Programme.
Muzi Sidambe, Environmental Science Student, Bulawayo, Zimbabwe
Connect2Earth
I’m Muziwethu Sidambe a geography and environmental science student. I am on attachment with Greenline Africa where I am focusing on mapping areas within our local communities to enable us to focus our projects correctly. My current task to to concentrate on mapping water availability and Human Wildlife Conflict hotspots
I had no idea how important nature was, deforestation was the daily routine, in search of firewood. Years went by and tree destruction became the order of the day, that’s when I realized how we as humans had damaged the earth. Reduction in Biodiversity was becoming evident, as wildlife species came to extinction in some areas.
At times I ask myself why this damage on our earth, do we ever consider future generations? This is our world, let us take part in monitoring it, everything humans have needed to survive, and thrive, was provided by the natural world around us: food, water, medicine, materials for shelter.
My dream is that it becomes everyone’s first priority to protect nature.
Read more about our biodiversity work in Victoria Falls.
Vera Castro, Field Guide and Volunteer Manager, Zimbabwe
Connect2Earth
My passion for wildlife started long ago. I remember I was about four years old – I didn’t even watch cartoons or anything, I was obsessed with the BBC and David Attenborough. It was Africa, always just Africa. And I went my first time to Africa when I was 18, and I realised – this is my place to be. I have to live in Africa and I have to conserve this beautiful wildlife. So I studied biology, and in 2015 I went back to Africa and did a field guide course, and I absolutely loved it. I felt that it was a perfect combination between my passion for wildlife and education – educating people. I felt that people who were coming to Africa and who were doing safaris with me, would go back home with a totally different idea of conservation.
Then luckily If found a job as a volunteer manager at Imire, and that was the cherry on top of the cake. That was – is – perfect. I am out in the field every day. I am helping the black rhinos to succeed in the wild, and to actually think that I’m helping towards giving the species hope for the future; and every day it is a step forward.
Every day we have people from all over the world, with a completely different background from me, coming with a passion for learning. It is so rewarding, that we have people, sometimes for 8 weeks, that come and they don’t know the difference between a black rhino and a white rhino – and they go home and they are able to share their experience and to educate other people.
This is a change that I am a part of – and it is mind-blowing that I am a part of that change. Its amazing. Being a biologist as well and teaching people that scientific research is so important to conservation.
Every day is a different day, I have never had the same day ever and its always a good day. To be living my dream, a dream that I have had since I was 3 years old, to be in Africa, I can’t even explain it. Its just amazing.
Volunteer at our Rhino & Elephant Programme and meet Vera in Zimbabwe!
Charlene Hewat, Conservationist and Child of Africa
Connect2Earth
Growing up on a farm in Africa instilled a deep love for nature, and out of this was born my passion for the environment. Coming across a poached rhino in Mana Pools National Park in 1995, made my heart so sore that I decided to do something about it. Together with Julie Edwards, we cycled over 22,000 km from the UK to Zimbabwe, to raise funds and awareness for Rhino Conservation in Zimbabwe.
Now living in Victoria Falls, one of the Natural Wonders of the World, I continue my passion, working on conservation in communities under a community driven organisation called Greenline Africa.
I love what I do and with climate change becoming a reality, there is so much we need to do for conservation and communities in Africa. I believe everyone play their part and make difference no matter how big or small. Be part of the change and make a difference.
Assist at Charlie’s Greenline Africa community projects in Victoria Falls.
Read more about Charlie’s ‘Ride for Rhino’ and the book that came out of that story: ‘Extinction is Forever’.
Morgan Taylor, Conservationist, Australia
Connect2Earth
For as long as I can remember, my life has revolved around animals. My fascination for all creatures great and small only grew as I did. Whether it was a domestic cat or a kangaroo, I wanted nothing more than to watch it and be close.
One night, while watching a David Attenborough documentary on Africa, I decided I had to see it for myself. And so the next day my flight was booked.
For four years I have lived, travelled, volunteered and been fortunate enough to work, in a continent that has shaken me to my core. I have witnessed the most incredible feats of nature and the absolute most heartbreaking events brought on by human greed – wildlife poaching. I have taken the immense sadness bought on by these events to drive my passion for conservation even further. I am outspoken in my beliefs and hold my head high as a wildlife and nature advocate. This deep-seated feeling has led me to a vegan lifestyle, not wanting to contribute to the incedible destruction to natural habitats brought on by climate change – animal agriculture being the number one cause.
This planet is remarkable, it is diverse, its beauty goes beyond words and its creatures are more pure than we can imagine. We only have one world that is ours, it is our duty to protect it and conserve it for generations to come. I believe as a collective force we have that power.
Read about all our conservation projects in Africa.
