Each September since 1983, South Africa has celebrated Arbour Day: a holiday founded in the United States in 1872 to celebrate the importance of trees and their place in our national environment. From 1999 onward, South Africa extended the holiday to the whole first week of September, forming Arbour Week – and the nation now celebrates our trees for the entire month!
Greenpop encourages all South Africans this month to explore their environmental curiosity – by planting trees and having fun doing it!
Why Trees?
Put simply, trees promote life. Not only do trees produce oxygen and sequester carbon dioxide, they also provide homes for animals, recharge groundwater, replace soil nitrates, prevent erosion and more. The addition of an indigenous tree to any environment will have countless environmental benefits. From a social perspective, there is huge disparity in South Africa between ‘leafy’ privileged areas and ‘barren’ under-privileged areas. Urban greening improves pride of place in communities and has also been linked to reductions in social ills, like crime and drug abuse. Finally, fruit and olive trees can provide produce that can be used in feeding schemes or sold by schools and communities. Indigenous trees increase property values and can provide natural air conditioning for homes and classrooms.
How can we take part?
Firstly, in honour of Arbour Month, Greenpop is hosting its first ever Hogsback Reforest Fest from 12-14 September. Having planted over 18 000 trees in the Platbos Forest Reserve over the last four years as part of the Reforest Fest initiative, Greenpop is excited to replicate this project in the Eastern Cape, planting trees and spreading joy in one of the most beautiful regions of the country.
In Cape Town, we’ll also be planting trees every week all over the city in schools, crèches, and community centres. We encourage all to join the treevolution by joining one of our plant days, volunteering in our nursery, or purchasing your very own tree to be planted in an undergreened area of southern Africa. For more information, email info@greenpop.org.
Lastly, Greenpop has partnered with the SnapScan app to create an advertisement through which anyone can donate any amount towards tree planting in southern Africa. Gift a tree today!
About Greenpop:
Greenpop is on a mission to (re)connect people with our planet by planting trees and having fun doing it. Greenpop plants trees in urban greening and reforestation projects and hosts green events, educational workshops, and festivals of action to inspire people to get active about a sustainable future.
More Information:
facebook.com/greenpoptreevolution
Join us in Hogsback! https://www.facebook.com/events/786056728105451/
Gift a tree (or three…or four…or more) today! http://www.greenpop.org/give-trees/give-africa-trees/
