To celebrate Arbor Week, the Life Springs Parkland Hospital, in partnership with the CoE’s Environmental Development Department, planted trees on Friday.
National Arbor Week is observed annually during the first week of September. The hospital planted three trees on its premises and seven at a recreational park in Pollak Park.
Ntsako Mashele, the chief horticulturist for the CoE’s Springs Parks and Recreational Department, said the karee tree is the featured indigenous plant for Arbor Week 2024.
Mashele emphasised the importance of planting indigenous trees, highlighting their role in sustaining the environment and educating communities about the crucial functions trees perform in our ecosystem.
“Arbor Week aims to encourage people to actively support sustainable and equitable living by engaging in environmental greening activities. There is a significant need to plant and maintain indigenous plants throughout the country,” Mashele said.
Mashele also pointed out the environmental benefits of tree planting, including their role in the planetary recycling of carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen and their contribution to the water cycle by releasing water vapour.
Hospital manager Cora Muller expressed satisfaction with the collaboration, noting that the partnership with the department aimed to enhance the hospital’s environment.
“Trees not only bring tranquillity to our hospital but also act as natural air filters and add beauty to our surroundings,” Muller said.
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