Enthusiastic pupils and teachers at Seven Fountains School rolled up their sleeves and got to work planting trees at their school to mark Arbor Week and the beginning of spring on Thursday.
Arbor Day in South Africa is celebrated on 1 September, but the country expanded the day to a full week in 1999.
Enthusiastic pupils and teachers at Seven Fountains School rolled up their sleeves and got to work planting trees at their school to mark Arbor Week and the beginning of spring on Thursday.
Arbor Day in South Africa is celebrated on 1 September, but the country expanded the day to a full week in 1999.
Pupils from Seventh Day Adventist school performed a drama about the importance of trees and taking the of the environment. The project is about working with communities to educate them about the importance of planting indigenous trees, because these use less water.
The event acted as the official launch of Arbor Week, and was attended by representatives from Makana Municipality, the Environmental Learning Research Centre, the Millenium Tree Planting Project, pupils, teachers, and members of the community.
Proportional Representation councillor Boniwe Bonani, spoke on behalf of mayor Zamuxolo Peter, who is out of town on municipal business. “The [week's] purpose is to focus our attention on the importance of trees in our daily lives and to raise awareness of the need to plant and protect existing trees,” said Bonani.
Thembinkosi Yanta, a field worker from the Millennium Tree Planting Project, a non-governmental organisation based at Rhodes University, encouraged the audience to plant indigenous trees (donated by the Makana Municipality’s parks and recreation department). He also mentioned the benefits of conserving plant life as it recycles Carbon Dioxide, giving us Oxygen as well as preventing soil erosion.
Addressing the audience, Makana environmental manager Ndumiso Nongwe said the municipality supported the schools that met the challenge of creating a generation dedicated to the environment and sustainable living guidelines. He added that the eco-schools were chosen by the Rhodes-based Environmental Learning Research Centre, on the basis of their commitment to the environment.
“We want to inspire environmental consciousness in young people, and hope that they will take care of the environment, because it's their future,” said Nongwe.
