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Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to respond to food insecurity and environmental sustainability through school food gardens in Johannesburg, South Africa. Design/Methodology/Approach: Permaculture is a method of organic agriculture where the garden design maintains a stable and productive ecosystem, mimicking natural processes and thereby creating a more natural and sustainable environment. Organic permaculture food gardens were established and integrated with the curriculum at two schools over the course of one year. A nutrition study of dietary intake and assessment of dietary diversity score was undertaken with a sample of 68 children. Findings: Permaculture food gardens can contribute to children's physical, mental, and emotional health and can be a resource for teachers and learners. To achieve sustainability, practical and cultural challenges must be addressed. Research Limitations/Implications: The project was implemented at only school sites, findings may not be applicable to all schools in all settings. This assessment was conducted after one year of implementation, impacts, and sustainability would be best assessed after three years. Conclusions are therefore based both on this case study and on the wider literature. Practical Implications: When implementing a school food garden there must be long-term support and mentoring for school staff. Social Implications: The value of a school food garden goes beyond the provision of nutrition and addressing food insecurity. Participation in gardening can increase students' interactions with the natural world, and contribute to skills development, academic achievement, and well-being. Originality/Value: This paper informs discussion and practice related to school food gardens' influence on holistic health and broader educational benefits. It is of relevance to health promotion and education practitioners, school garden developers, and funders.

The population of (Haliaeetus vocifer (Daudin)) at Lake Naivasha, Kenya, was censused over a 13-year period (1987-99). During this time it declined by over half, to alow of 70 birds, by 1996. Breeding effectively ceased, with no courtship or nesting observed for most of the 1990s. The reason seemed to be a food shortage, which provided enough to stay alive but not enough to breed. Declines in the main prey items - fish species and red knobbed coot (Fulica cristata), occurred during the early 1990s and feeding conditions were worsened by a combination of increased turbidity in the lake, floating mats of exotic vegetation and the loss of shallow lagoons behind fringing Cyperus papyrus. This explanation was confirmed when heavy rains, following the strong ENSO event in 1997-98, caused a rapid lake level rise of 3 m vertically, flooding new lagoons behind formerly stranded C. papyrus. Breeding re-commenced, leading to 17-24 fledged juveniles in a population exceeding 100, by 1999. This population of H. vocifer is a valuable index of both the health of the lake and of its littoral ecotone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]