Learning about trees

Education was the thrust of Arbor Day at the Joburg Zoo, with several organisations turning out to teach schoolchildren about trees and the environment.
ARBOR Day was an educational affair for 500 schoolchildren, who were at the Joburg Zoo to learn about different types of trees and how to maintain them.

A miss Earth contestant does her part to green the environmentA Miss Earth contestant does her part to green the environmentVarious organisations were on hand to share arboreal knowledge, and the children were taught about planting and growing trees. Among the people at the celebration were Miss Earth finalists, with two of them helping to plant trees with the zoo’s chief executive, Stephen van der Spuy.

Grow-a-Tree told children about the importance of trees in the lives of animals, and the Sci-Bono Discovery Centre performed scientific experiments. The children learnt about water through Joburg Water.

According to Letta Madlala, the brand and communication manager at the zoo, the zoo celebrates Arbor Day as part of its education mandate. “It is a biodiversity event that highlights the important role that trees play in the eco system. We demonstrate the connectivity that exists between plants, animals and our natural resources,” she said.

Madlala said the zoo had conducted a survey to find out what its visitors know about Arbor Day, and had found that the day was not important to them. “They did not know when it took place and when it was first celebrated, nor its origins and how it was celebrated in South Africa.”

The Arbor Day zoo gathering took place on 1 September; children who attended received plants from City Parks to take home.

In South Africa, Arbor Day has been extended to Arbor Week, running from 1 to 7 September, the first week of spring. It is an annual event celebrated around the world, usually in spring. On the day, individuals and groups are encouraged to plant and care for trees.

Forests for people
The campaign is spearheaded by the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, with the theme this year being “Forests for people”.

Visiting children were encouraged to care for the environmentVisiting children were encouraged to care for the environmentThere are three trees of the year: the Pavetta lanceolata tree, which is also known as bride’s bush and Christmas bush; the Pappea capensis tree, which also goes by the names jacket plum, bushveld cherry and indaba tree; and the Nuxia congesta tree, commonly referred to as the common wild elder and brittle wood.

According to the department, trees are an integral part of our natural environment. They help to reduce air pollution, remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, prevent soil erosion and reduce evaporation of water from the ground, to name only a few of their functions.

Arbor Day was first celebrated in the United States in 1872 when J Sterling Morton moved to a treeless Nebraska. He partnered with the local agricultural board to set aside a day for planting trees; as he was also the editor of Nebraska’s first newspaper, he was able to garner public support for the initiative.

It was then named Arbor Day after the name of Morton’s home, Arbor Lodge.

South Africa began celebrating the day in 1983.