Pick n Pay Sustainable Living Festival

Tucked away between two of South Africas most well known Natural Heritage sites, The Kruger National Park and the Blyde River Canyon live a number of communities that realized that they have a more than usual responsibility towards their environment - but also an unique opportunity to jointly embrace ecosystem friendly sustainable development. This responsibility and unique opportunity led to the creation of the Kruger to Canyons (K2C) Biosphere Region. This has been a recently discovered jewel of South Africa but development is occurring at an accelerated, and at times, out of control rate. Therefore the education and creation of awareness of sustainable principles and ethics within the region are of utmost importance.

Sustainable living is no longer a term used in theoretical studies but rather a vital part of the future of South Africa and therefore looking after our natural environment is no longer just a cause for the conservation minded. In fact, it may become the only way to ensure a good quality of life in the future, with access to sufficient water, secure food supplies, good health and ultimately even our own survival. It is each individuals responsibility to make the lifestyle and consumer choices to reduce our personal contribution to the causes of climate change and global warming.

As such the vision of the Pick n Pay Sustainable Living Festival is to offer a platform for the common vision of sustainability and to inspire this through a festival that develops a sense of responsibility for our natural environment and social systems.

The Pick n Pay Sustainable Living Festival is planned and activated on 5 Sustainable Living Pillars. All activities and workshops at the festival are identified and selected in line with one or more of each of these pillars. Each of these pillars are vital sectors within the all encompassing concept of SUSTAINABLE LIVING. To give a little more insight into these and the planning behind the festival, here is a little information on each of these pillars.

Conservation
This pillar relates to the PROTECTION of our natural environment, our resources and our fauna & flora. This includes both landscape conservation, biodiversity conservation, and individual species conservation.

Community
Activities and projects reaching out and ENGAGING society at large, focusing on EDUCATION, empowerment and effecting changes in communities.

Resource Management

This showcases a LIFESTYLE that attempts to reduce an individuals or societies use of Earths Natural resources and brings awareness of resources derived from the environment and the need to MANAGE them sustainably.

Innovation
This highlights the INNOVATIVE creation of better or more effective products, processes, services, technologies, or ideas that are of benefit to society.

So come on and celebrate the best of a green lifestyle with fantastic music, cooking demos, inspirational art, workshops and a fun mountain bike race, all in the beautiful town of Hoedspruit.

The next festival is to take place from the 20th September to 22nd September 2013 at the GKNP College, Hoedspruit Wildlife Estate.

If you would like to receive regular updates informing you of activities and developments linked to the event, please send your name and email address to coordinator@sustainablelivingfestival.co.za

Directions from Johannesburg
From Johannesburg or Pretoria, take the highway towards Witbank / Middelburg, continue on the N4 direction Nelspruit, and take the Belfast off-ramp. Continue past Dullstroom, Lydenburg and Ohrigstad until you get to Hoedspruit. Go through the town until you go over the railway bridge, then turn right at the 4 way stop. Take the first left, past the Pick n Pay centre into the estate.
Directions from Nelspruit
From Nelspruit take the R40 north towards Phalaborwa. Go past White River, Hazyview and Bushbuckridge. Just past Buckbushridge you will get a turn off right towards Orpen gate, drive past this turn off, and then take the next turn off on your right, towards Phalaborwa. As you enter Hoedspruit, you will see a Total petrol station on your left-hand side and the Pick n Pay centre on your right. Turn-off right before you get to the four-way stop, and then continue straight, dont turn-off into the Pick n Pay centre itself - after a few hundred metres, you will get to the entrance to the estate.