By Staff Reporter WINDHOEK The Gam Combined School, located in the Grootfontein Education circuit, Otjozondjupa region, has established a Nature Club to sensitise learners at the school on issues related to the environment. The club, which was established by learners and teachers started off its work by planting trees in their school environment and making sure that their school is free of litter especially papers, cans and bottles. The founding teacher Dennis Zembee Muesee said the club supports communal area conservancies, specifically the proposed Ondjou Conservancy in Gam. Muesee said it was important to prepare the youth in the community to become responsible members of the community and that they should be aware of what the community is doing. In April 2006, the club undertook field tours to the Namutoni Environmental Education Centre in Etosha National Park, and the Cheetah Conservation Fund near Otjiwarongo shortly before the schools closed for recess, to familiarise the club members with the diverse and beautiful Namibian nature and also to develop the love for nature and its fauna and flora. The Gam Combined School Nature Club, which is situated at Gam village in the Tsumkwe constituency about 429 km southeast of Grootfontein, received transport assistance from the district office of the Ministry of Youth, National Service, Sports and Culture. Muesee said considering the financial position of the school, the community and the club, without the assistance from the ministry such a tour would remain a pipe dream. Since the club only started this year, it did not get any sponsorship or material support from anywhere and Muesee and other teachers at the school had to cover the activities from their own pockets. Muesee further said the newly founded school club has got two main priorities for this year, which according to him is to get to know more about various endemic trees and grass species and their role to the livestock since the club consists of learners whose parents are farmers. They also want to know the different types of wild animals, including predators that live with them in the area to identify what role they can play as people. The club also has an Oviritje band (Ovaherero concert group), which sings songs that promote environmental conservation.