Green Beings, based in Fourways, celebrated Arbour Week by promoting active citizenship through its Ethoma ka Wena (The buck stops with you) Campaign, which combines Arbour Week and National Clean-up Week.
The aim is to create awareness within Cosmo City’s schools and residents by promoting a clean, green, healthy community for everyone to enjoy. Special guests were invited to conduct awareness assemblies at each school.
Arbour Day is a day that pays special attention to the importance of trees. The day is celebrated on different dates around the world, depending on seasons. South Africans celebrate Arbour Week during the first week of September, to encourage people to plant trees so they are not lost to us and future generations.
Schools are encouraged to conduct action projects to promote effective environmental management within the school and the surrounding community. Each year, the tree-of-the-year is planted by pupils, while also carrying out a school clean-up.
Indigenous trees are part of our natural heritage; they serve many purposes in our lives and in other living organisms. They provide an important habitat for the survival of bird, animal and insect species. Our indigenous trees also play an important role in attracting tourists to South Africa.
The campaign impacted about 10 000 pupils and over 240 teaching staff. Each school planted fruit and indigenous trees on the school grounds.