Plant a tree for every employee

Companies have been urged to come on board and plant a tree for every one of their employees. Trees help fight global warming and look good too.

City Parks is urging companies to donate and plant a tree for every employee in support of Joburg's campaign to plant 200 000 trees as a legacy of the 2010 FIFA World Cup™.

Jenny Moodley, the utility's spokesperson, says that not only will the tree planting be for 2010, but it will also improve the quality of the environment in under-developed townships before the end of the year.

"An average of 150 trees need to be planted to offset the carbon emissions of one person and City Parks is urging all businesses - including tree growers, cellphone providers, the construction industry, mining houses, financial institutions and vehicle manufacturers - to donate a tree for every employee in your organisation. This programme affords both small and big businesses a platform to offset their emissions based on their employee complement.

"It also encourages organisations to adopt the tree-planting programme as part of their corporate social investment initiative and organisations are further encouraged to use the programme as a team-building exercise to nurture healthy lifestyles," says Moodley.

"City Parks needs to intensify tree planting in areas such as Cosmo City, Ivory Park, Soweto, Eldorado Park, Lenasia, Westbury, Midrand, Roodepoort and Alexandra, with additional trees required to beautify main arterials, including 2010 routes to Soccer City and key tourist destinations ... 1 000 to 10 000 trees need to be planted per suburb."

The tree-planting project started in 2004, and already 136 000 trees have been planted in partnership with government departments, residents and businesses. The programme is transforming dry and dusty streets into tree-lined corridors that "act as a catalyst for environmental enhancement and socio-economic empowerment".

Trees reduce the effects of climate change by absorbing pollutants such as carbon dioxide and releasing oxygen. They act as coolants, are used for medicinal purposes and as a source of food; they increase property values and the aesthetics of an area, generate civic pride, provide a habitat for valuable biodiversity, absorb car lights at night and act as a barrier against sound.

"The price of a street tree may vary from R500 to R1 200, depending on the species, age, size and girth. Ideally, City Parks aims to plant more established street trees versus saplings, as saplings are more likely to be damaged due to inclement weather and pedestrian traffic. We want interested parties to contact us as soon as possible because there is a limitation on tree planting over seasons. We need a commitment so that we can start planting trees after winter season."

Those interested in participating in the planting of trees, can call 011 712 6600 or send an email to trees@jhbcityparks.com.

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The painting is by Alfred Glendening

Hundreds of trees will green Alex

Trees are being planted at houses in Alexandra's extension seven, and residents are being challenged to maintain their environment.

Some 600 trees are being planted in Alexandra's extension seven as part of a greening project in the area.

The trees will be planted in residents' gardens; there are 1 400 houses in extension seven. The greening initiative is a joint venture between the City, the Department of Housing, the National Housing Finance Corporation (NHFC), Absa bank, City Parks, Gauteng housing department, the Alexandra Development Forum and extension seven residents.

"The [housing] department has sponsored R200 000 to the greening challenge project; Absa bank has provided over 500 fruit trees and we are waiting for City Parks to give indigenous trees," said Isaiah Mabua, the campaign and project manager in the department of housing.

City Parks provided an aerial map of the area before the project got under way to give direction to where the trees should be planted, according to Kgantse Mofokeng, a stakeholder liaison at City Parks.

Residents and about 40 volunteers from various NGOs attended workshops earlier this month where they learned how to plant trees and how to maintain the environment. The NGOs include Shumang, Tswaranang, Thsogang, Suncross and Rhedi, all found in and around Alex. The workshops were taught by Vic and Dave Garden Plant.

"They taught us how to dig holes and the length and width needed for the different sizes of trees. We first dig the hole, put in some bone-meal, the plant, some soil and then the compost," said Elsa Tladi, one of the volunteers.

"Some of us have been planting our own trees at our homes way before the start of the workshop."

Another aim of the initiative is to teach communities how to look after their environment.

"The department started this greening challenge by supplying residents with grass; they asked us to provide them with flowers or trees and we [decided to provide] them with trees," Mabua said.

He explained that department of housing officials would pay regular visits to the area, checking on the maintenance of people's gardens.

"The families who keep their gardens well-maintained will receive cash prizes of up to R10 000 and gift prizes like stoves, fridges and television sets. We will have as many as nine winners."

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The painting is by Alfred Glendening

Jozi's urban forest now at 10m trees, and growing

Proud of its six million trees three years ago, Johannesburg has even more cause to celebrate as the urban forest has now grown to 10 million trees with active planting taking place in the city and on periphery areas.

Since 2001 when the various municipalities combined to form the Unicity, the City has planted around 1,3 million trees, bringing the tally of trees maintained by the City to 2,5 million, with a further 7,5 million trees in residents' gardens.

The 2,5 million trees are situated within parks, cemeteries, nature reserves, conservation areas, roadsides and on the city's pavements. Johannesburg City Parks, the custodian of the trees, estimates that the trees are worth R13-billion

On satellite pictures, the city looks like a rain forest, albeit man-made, but because the city does not get the required amount of rainfall to qualify as one, it passes as an urban forest. In the 1860s, when trekkers first settled on the Witwatersrand, there was not a tree in sight, and the area of rocky grassland was dotted with the odd shrub and several streams.

City Parks' Street Tree Management Strategy originally envisaged planting 10 000 trees per year but because of a mayoral request to plant larger trees, which are less vulnerable to vandalism, theft and destruction by goats and horses, the planting quota has had to be cut back to 2 500 trees per year, for budgetary reasons. Larger trees cost R600, compared with R350 for smaller trees. Larger trees are defined as those of over three metres in height, with a girth of more than 50cm.

A priority is to plant trees in the sparse southern suburbs, and despite having planted 17 000 trees in Orange Farm and 4 000 in Soweto in recent years, around 300 000 trees are still required to green these areas.

City Parks estimates that it would need R180-million over a period of 30 years to do the job. While it has budgeted an amount of R1-million for this financial year for the purchase of trees, additional funding of R6-million is still required.

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The painting is by Alfred Glendening

Joburg's urban forest to grow

Already the largest manmade urban forest in the world, Johannesburg is planning to add thousands more trees to its landscape, greening the traditionally neglected townships.

Thousands of trees will be planted across Joburg over the next three years under City Parks's new One tree at a time campaign.

Some 100 000 indigenous trees will planted on the streets of new and developing suburbs under the campaign, which will be launched on Monday, 3 September.

According to Prema Naidoo, the member of the mayoral committee for environment, the campaign is aimed at solving greening problems caused by urbanisation. "There is a collective need to accelerate greening programmes to enhance the quality of life of every resident."

One tree at a time is an appeal to individuals and business to work with the City in building a greener and healthier Johannesburg, says Jenny Moodley, the City Parks spokesperson. The agency will plant 9 500 street trees during Arbor Month to add to the 2 100 already planted. Various completed road island initiatives will also be unveiled.

Arbor Day – when people are encouraged to plant trees - is celebrated nationally on 1 September; in 1999, the government extended the celebration for a week, running from 1 to 7 September. City Parks will run its programmes over the full month.

Some R44-million has been set aside for the City Parks campaign. "This is a huge investment in greening and beatifying our city," says Johnny Masinga, the organisational developmental adviser at Equity Aviation, one of the companies that is working with City Parks on One tree at a time. Through supporting the project, companies will have a chance to help fight climate change.

"Residents are reminded that we have a collective responsibility to nurture our greenery, as trees improve air quality, provide a habitat for wildlife and have the potential to increase property values," Moodley adds.

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The painting is by Alfred Glendening

Greening Soweto, tree by tree

When Executive Mayor Amos Masondo led the planting of 6 000 trees to launch Greening Soweto in September 2006, an ambitious project to beautify the massive township ahead of the 2010 FIFA World Cup™, he began what has become Joburg's "biggest greening revolution".

Since then, 51 821 indigenous trees, worth R46-million, have been planted along Soweto's streets and in its gardens. Through Greening Soweto, a legacy project of the World Cup, the City aims to plant more than 300 000 trees in the country's biggest township.

"We are satisfied with the progress of the project," says Jenny Moodley, the spokesperson at Johannesburg City Parks, the agency charged with the mammoth task of implementing it.

With R7,6-million set aside for Greening Soweto, it is the City's biggest greening initiative. "It is by far the biggest greening initiative in terms of implementation. The landscape of Soweto is changing for the better."

In his budget speech for the 2006-07 financial year, Masondo said: "The greening of Soweto will receive R7,6-million, which will primarily be driven by the planting of street trees to enhance the quality of life and the environment; in 2006-07, 5 000 trees will be planted."

Johannesburg Water, City Power and Johannesburg Roads Agency are on board to ensure that there is sufficient water and power, and that roads are in good condition. The World Conservation Union and the national Department of Water Affairs and Forestry have also endorsed the programme.

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The painting is by Alfred Glendening