Mariette Liefferink, Chairman of the Federation for a Sustainable Environment, activist and champion of people's environmental rights, has been recognised for her tireless service to communities. 

In 2004, organizations struggling against the expansion of large-scale tree plantations declared 21 September as International Day Against Monoculture Tree Plantations. Since then, organizations throughout the world carry out actions on this date to raise awareness about this issue. This year, a group of people from several organizations have launched an international declaration calling for a halt to the further expansion of plantations. The declaration has been signed on by 8,429 people from 85 countries.

Director-general Nosipho Ngcaba said that Environmental Affairs Minister Buyelwa Sonjica had met Justice Minister Jeff Radebe to ask for the re-introduction of the "green courts". These specialised courts sat for only for a few years, yet the conviction rate in these courts was 80%.

Senior citizens, school pupils, taxi drivers and sports clubs are just some of the communities that the Kruger National Park (KNP) will be reaching out too during SANParks Week this week (Monday September 14 until Saturday September 19, 2009).