Lodge staff get dirty for Arbour Week
Staff got rid of alien trees and replaced them with home grown ones that are more kind to the environment.
Staff at Riverstone Lodge in Muldersdrift got their hands dirty in celebration of national Arbour Week.
A dense group of alien trees including the blue gum tree at the river adjacent to the lodge were taken out to make way for indigenous trees.
“The trees we used to have took up a lot of water and because it grew so quickly it was difficult to maintain,” says maintenance manager Steven Mphanga.
Staff at the Lodge did some research and decided to replace the old trees with South African willow trees. Mpanga says the willow trees do not need a lot of water, are home grown and serve as a security measure as their luscious leaves make it difficult to see into the property from the outside.
Arbour Month provides stakeholders with the opportunity to raise awareness about South Africa’s urban greening initiatives. It encourages all communities and businesses to participate in these activities such as by planting trees and related environmental education programmes.
It highlights the essential role trees play in sustainable development and the livelihoods of people and their environment, now and for the future.
The Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (DAFF) is responsible for the national Arbour Month campaign as this department is the custodian of forestry in South Africa. The aim of Arbour Month is to promote and create a better life for all.
