JOHANNESBURG SOUTH – The start of September signified the welcoming of spring rains, sunny and some cold days and also the annual celebration of National Arbour Week, September 1 to 7.
In lieu of Arbour Day volunteers from Cathay Pacific Airways and the beautiful Miss Earth South Africa 2015 finalists, got their hands dirty at Ormonde Primary School to raise awareness of the environmental role trees play. On September 2, the volunteers and learners also planted a series of trees at the school.
The theme for Arbour week this year is Forest and People: Investing in a sustainable future. This theme was adopted from the XIV World Forestry Congress to be held from September 7 to 11 in Durban.
The Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (DAFF) stated that National Arbour Week is an opportune time to call on all communities to plant indigenous trees as a practical and symbolic gesture of sustainable environmental management.
“It affords the government, the private sector, non-governmental and community based organisations and the public the opportunity to be involved in greening their communities,” said a statement by the department.