GEORGE NEWS - A special launch for National Arbor Month was held at the Garden Route Botanical Garden in George on Friday 2 September.
This year's Arbor Month theme is ‘Forest Restoration: a path to recovery and well-being’. The theme aims to encourage the celebration of South African trees and to create awareness of the importance of trees.
The acting regional head of the Western Cape Department of Forestry, Fisheries and Environment, Masithandaze Falitenjwa, said the DFFE sourced 200 trees for municipalities of the Garden Route as part of the department's Tree for Life programme.
“Let us green the Garden Route and turn it into a Garden of Eden," he said. Falitenjwa said that planting trees to green the country will help mitigate climate change.
The launch was also attended by representatives from the Department of Water and Sanitation, Garden Route District Municipality, SANParks, Cape Nature, the Botanical Garden, Breede Gouritz Catchment Management Agency and George Municipality.
A tree was planted in the Botanical Garden as a symbol of all the stakeholders' commitment to mitigating climate change.
Garden Route Mayor Memory Booysen said Arbor Month should be a continuous awareness programme that sets the tone for the whole country on how we balance nature with what people want. He also shared an idea which he came across in Morocco, where a fruit tree is planted adjacent to every indigenous tree.
These trees are planted within the communities so that people are in close proximity. He said it can be managed as a job creation initiative.
Falitenjwa said the planting of fruit trees is part of DFFE's programme. He emphasised that community involvement in their plans is essential, otherwise it will be a losing battle. Partners and government institutions should also become involved in these initiatives.
Deon Makwena from Cape Nature demonstrated the correct way of planting a tree.
Vuyiswa Thabethe, regional manager of SANParks in the Garden Route said tree planting initiatives are necessary because “... if one takes care of the trees, they will definitely take care of us in the future”.
Acting director of Water and Sanitation Services Support Zolile Simawo said planting trees will aid in sustaining the environment and biodiversity, provide clean air, beautify South Africa and conserve water.
The event was organised by Dr Nina Viljoen, a practitioner in disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation at GRDM, in collaboration with the participating departments. The programme was directed by Corne Brink from the Garden Route Botanical Garden.
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