ARID NEWS
Arbor Month and World Rivers Day celebrated at Augrabies Falls National Park By Genevieve Maasdorp
The SET department of Augrabies Falls National Park celebrated Arbor month this year at Vredesvallei Primary School by planting a local tree species, namely Searsia pendulina. The learners were excited to be part of this important day and promised to look after their own special tree which is also a local species found in the area surrounding their homes and the park.
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South Africa celebrates Arbor Week in the first week of September every year and the Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development (DALRRD), as the custodian of forestry in South Africa, is responsible for the campaign. September is also heritage month and as we celebrate Arbor Week, we also focus on the country’s champion trees which include some of the oldest, largest and culturally significant trees. These include the Sophia Town Oak Tree and the Sagole Baobab Tree in Limpopo, both of which are part of our heritage.
disadvantaged in terms of planning for parks and tree planting in streets and open spaces.
National Arbor Week is an opportune time to call on all South Africans to plant indigenous trees as a practical and symbolic gesture of sustainable environmental management. It affords the government, the private sector, non-governmental and community-based organisations, as well as the public to be involved in ’greening’ their communities, since planting trees and greening human settlements takes place in communities. It is therefore important for the public to join hands with partners in local government and communitybased organisations.
Augrabies Falls National Park also celebrated World Rivers Day with the Midstream College group. The group enjoyed an overnight stay at the park which was followed by a rowing excursion downstream from the park. The maintenance team participated in this celebration as well as they all live in a community that is situated right on the northern bank of the Orange river. The team were given an introduction of the protected trees and recycling awareness campaign, and to top this off, brand new baboon-proof bins will be distributed all over the rest camp and the staff village.
Greening refers to an integrated approach to the planting, care and management of all vegetation in urban and rural areas, to secure multiple benefits for communities. Greening in the South African context takes place in towns, townships and informal settlements, specifically because in the past, the latter mentioned areas were
World Rivers Day is a celebration of the world’s waterways and it highlights the many values of our rivers, strives to increase public awareness, and encourages the improved stewardship of all rivers around the world. Rivers in virtually every country face an array of threats, and only through our active involvement can we ensure their health in the years ahead.
Vredesvallei Primary School planting a tree in celebration of Arbor week
