International church plants forest of hope at Magnolia Dell
The Church of God’s forest of hope is planting trees to combat desertification.
Local environmental stakeholders recently collaborated to conduct a tree-planting drive at Magnolia Dell.
Led by the World Mission Society Church of God, about 100 people, Church members from Pretoria and Johannesburg, families and neighbours attended the drive on June 23.
It is part of large-scale carbon emission reduction activity being held throughout June in countries around the world where these churches are located.
The aim of the campaign is to combat desertification and reduce carbon emissions by carrying out climate change response activities through public-private cooperation within the local community.
Kgolofelo Mahuma from the church said: “Plastic footprints are the total amount of plastic used and discarded by mankind, and the Church of God is conducting the Erase Plastic Footprints campaign to reduce this amount.
“We will continue to take steps of hope throughout the world by following God’s teaching to ‘be the salt and light of the world’.”
Volunteers went throughout the park, dug holes that matched the size of the tree roots and planted 13 trees in total.
They also picked up litter in the area, including disposable plastic straws and cups, food packaging, and used toilet paper during the three-hour campaign.
The metro provided toad trees, African olive trees, karee trees and garbage bags to support the effort.
The volunteers held a panel exhibition on the seriousness of desertification.
The exhibition alerted attendees to the fact that 87% of the causes of desertification are caused by factors such as environmental pollution due to population growth and indiscriminate deforestation, which causes food shortages and other negative consequences.
Ward 59 councillor, Shaun Wilkinson, who visited the event, said “Each tree we plant is not just a simple act of putting a seed in the ground; it’s a profound investment in our future. Trees are nature’s champions, providing us with clean air, combating climate change, and offering habitats for countless species.”
“By planting these trees today, we are contributing to a legacy that will benefit generations to come. It’s an act of hope, resilience, and commitment to a greener, healthier planet. So, after my friends from the World Mission Society Church of God got their hands dirty planting the trees, I will keep watching as these small trees grow into a small forest of hope, that will stand the test of time,” he said.
According to the World Desertification Map published by the European Commission’s Joint Research Center in 2018, desertification is taking place on 75% of land on Earth. It predicted that more than 90% of the area would be devastated by 2050.
“We’re putting back by planting trees and we’re trying to create this Forest of Hope in the Magnolia Dell. The more trees we plant in the Magnolia Dell, the more we can set an example for other places, parks and open spaces in the City of Tshwane.
“I was very happy to attend this event with all these friendly faces from the Church of God helping the environment fight climate change, bringing hope and building a garden of Hope. A Forest of Hope,” Wilkinson said.
The Church of God, started in Korea in 1964, is a global church based in over 7 500 locations in 175 countries around the world. It has been carrying out climate change response activities in South Africa for nearly 15 years not only in Gauteng, but also in Western Cape, Eastern Cape, Free State, and KwaZulu-Natal.
The church has removed invasive plants such as pom-pom and wattle trees from the Pretoria Klapperkop Nature Reserve four times up until February this year to protect its biodiversity.
A campaign was also carried out to clean up salt marshes, mangrove forests, and reed forests in areas such as the Hennops River, Walkerspruit, and Roodeplaat Rowing Club to raise awareness of the importance of the marine ecosystem.
Leny Matlala (29), who worked hard to plant trees, said, “You may be thinking, ‘What effect will planting one tree have?’ But each tree will come together to form a forest and I am proud to participate in meaningful activities that bring hope to the earth.”
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