Theme: Harmony with Nature and Sustainable Development
The Big Biodiversity Challenge returns for 2025 with a call to action: how can we live in harmony with nature while meeting the needs of people and communities? This year’s theme asks Grade 6–9 learners across the Western Cape to explore the balance between ecological health and human development, from food systems to energy use, waste, water and urban living.
Organised by the Western Cape Environmental Education Friends (WCEEF) in partnership with CapeNature, SANBI, SANParks, Nature Connect, Working on Fire (WoF), Two Oceans Aquarium, the Western Cape Government’s DEA&DP, and the Western Cape Education Department, the challenge encourages learners to think critically and creatively about real-world environmental issues.
What to Submit:
Learners may enter as individuals or in groups and are invited to submit projects in any of the following formats:
- Essays (up to 1,000 words)
- Presentations (Google Slides, PowerPoint, etc.)
- Eco app or tech concepts (mock-ups, feature lists or demo videos)
- Social action projects (e.g. a recycling drive, school garden, or clean-up campaign, documented in photos, reports or video)
- Creative works (poetry, performance, visual art, or music, with an explanation of how it links to the theme)
All submissions should clearly link back to this year’s focus: how can we design solutions that respect biodiversity while supporting the wellbeing of people and planet alike?
Participants may enter here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSctcCstU8vOBzTLCViJPtif7pNazvxjGLooOYFbFqv61BJVMg/viewform
Past Inspiration
Last year, learners impressed judges with innovative and heartfelt entries. Grade 6 learners Benjamin Banda and Polite Masango from Orangekloof Primary used a powerful combination of visual art, poetry, and live performance to raise awareness about water pollution and the human behaviours driving it. Their entry called for change through both emotional storytelling and practical action.
Instagram video of Benjamin and Polite: https://youtu.be/QeSqSPRuuRw
Benjamin Draper from Pinelands North Primary earned second place with his ecosystem restoration concept for the Elsies River canal. His plan to rewild the urban waterway (using reeds to reduce pollution and restore habitat), captured the essence of sustainable development by offering a nature-based solution within a human-altered space.
Instagram video of Benjamin: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DBGeCo1qL5Y/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
From the tech side, Yameen Jeebhay of Westerford High developed an idea for a Conservationist Badge App, a tool that rewards users for taking part in real-world environmental activities. His idea showed how technology can support behavioural change and build a culture of sustainability.
Instagram video of Yameen: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DBGyBPZKPgZ/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
