The children of Nkomazi East Environmental Centre’s Adventure Club set out to make a difference for Arbor Month this year, planting trees at Zamokuhle School during September.

Planting trees is always a celebration of Arbor Month, which is held every September in South Africa. After planting hundreds of trees during the month of September, Nakeni Khoza, an environmental officer of the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE), came to assist the Adventure Club’s children from the Nkomazi East Environmental Centre to plant fruit trees in each of their schools.

Sixty children from the club were drawn from Zamokuhle, Siboshwa, Magewu, Ingwenyama and Tendzaleni schools in Naas. Children were selected by their schools to attend a series of 12 weekly environmental lessons.

Held after school hours at the Environmental Centre at Zamokuhle School, these pupils spent extra hours learning about the environment, ecosystems, wildlife, and, importantly, plants. It is a hands-on, experiential programme that emphasises ‘doing’!”

This is the second group to participate in the programme. Both groups came together at the end of October to plant the first trees in what will become an annual event. Who knows what might evolve next? As the saying goes, ‘From little things, big things grow!’