Dwight School Dubai, a leading international IB school with campuses on three continents, has successfully used the water-wise and sustainable ‘breathable sand’ solution offered by Dake Rechsand, a Dubai-based company offering sustainable solutions in water conservation and desert farming, as part of a tree planting drive in its Dubai campus.
The initiative was spearheaded by students themselves, with Grade 8 Student Akshada Dake playing an active role in conceptualizing the project. "Dake Rechsand’s breathable sand technology is very interesting and has many sustainable aspects which I and the school feel strongly about", said Akshada. "The project was an educational experience and students got first-hand experience of an innovation that allows plants to flourish in harsh desert conditions, such as Dubai. Hopefully the project will continue to grow, as more students get interested in plant care and technologies that influence sustainability".
The tree planting drive is part of Dwight School Dubai’s efforts to encourage their charges to adopt green initiatives at a young age, and aims to give students hands-on experience in implementing breakthrough technologies.
"I’m interested in environmental problems, so I enjoyed this project very much", said 10th grader Gayoung Park. "Soil that helps plants to grow well in the desert is a very good thing, and we can reduce water usage too, with the breathable sand technology".
Tenth grader Minnah Elberier emphasised the need to be proactive in taking care of the environment. "A new international study has found that trees are growing faster and dying off earlier. It is time for us to make a change. I felt very empowered and useful when I planted the trees, knowing that I was making a change for the better", she shared.
"The Dake Rechsand sand is amazing as it helps reduce the water we use to grow the trees we planted", added Jules Royer, another tenth grade student at Dwight. "I think it also shows what the school stands for, as its students are using such soil".
Enthusiastic involvement in the project was not restricted to the student body. Leela Young, PYP Teacher at Dwight shared her thoughts on the many ways that the project would contribute to the local environment. "The tree planting project at Dwight School Dubai was a great project for our school community", Leela said. "I was grateful to be a part of this project because I could see student and staff engagement in helping create a greener environment in our community. This technology makes it much easier to grow plants in our region, and the best part is that it uses desert sand to do so".
"The Dwight School tree planting initiative is unique, in that empowers students to become active agents of change, to create a more sustainable future", said Chandra Dake, CEO and Founder of Dake Rechsand. "The students are gaining a first-hand experience of implementing an innovative approach, which uses 80% less water than conventional methods," Chandra said. "While planting trees is always a good idea, doing so in a water-wise manner will inspire these young minds to overcome challenges through innovation, in keeping with the school’s motto of: igniting the spark of genius in every child".
Dake Rechsand hopes to leverage the success of the Dwight School Dubai tree planting drive to encourage more schools to implement similar projects. The aim is to inspire young people to emerge as changemakers, and proactive drivers of a greener and more sustainable Dubai.