Arbor Week 2016: Get involved
"Our plan is to make all RDP areas environmentally friendly areas" - Lim's Arbor Week Project Coordinator, Richard Selemela.
POLOKWANE – National Arbor Week is annually celebrated during the first week of September and this year it takes place from 4 to 10 September.
The Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (DAFF) is the custodian of forestry in South Africa and is responsible for the campaign.
As Arbor Week begins in September, which is also Heritage Month, it means that the department also focuses on the country’s indigenous trees which include some of the oldest, largest and culturally significant trees, such as the Sophia Town Oak Tree and the local Sagole Baobab Tree in Limpopo, that are part of our heritage.
The theme for this year’s Arbor Week is “Forests and Water” and the department urges residents to help them protect our indigenous forests; help prevent veld and forest fires; plant a tree to green our country and mitigate against climate change; plant indigenous trees that save water; and use water conserving methods when planting trees and integrate fruit trees into your food gardens.
During each year’s Arbor Week, the department recognises different trees for the Tree of the Year. This year there are three trees.
Arbor Week Project Coordinator for Limpopo’s DAFF, Richard Selemela, told Review the three trees are the common wild fig tree (Ficus thonningii), the Bushveld bead-bean tree (Maerua angolensis), and the Common bush-cherry tree (Maerua.sp).
“These are all very important trees which serve many different purposes including traditional medicine, cooking and shade,” Selemela explains. He encourages residents to plant trees during Arbor Week to help make a difference in not only our environment but our communities as well. “Polokwane is a municipality with a green status and we are advocating for more trees to be planted. Our plan is to make all RDP areas environmentally friendly areas,” he says.
