The Zoo Lake Users Committee teamed up with the Saxonwold Parkwood Association and Parkview Residents Association for a clean-up and planting of 28 trees on November 28.

Read more: Parkhurst community unites to clean up park and protect Braamfontein Spruit

The committee’s chair, Tracy Davies, said this particular clean-up was sentimental. ” Twenty-eight trees were planted today. These trees were the last of the 121 trees we planted this year as part of the lake’s and Johannesburg Zoo’s birthday.”
She noted that 14 trees were donated by Joburg City Parks and Zoo (JCPZ). “The other 14 were donated and sponsored by individuals for different reasons. Some were in honour of people.”

Davies noted that the idea for the tree-planting initiative came from a parent at Jan Celliers Laerskool en Preprimêr.
The parent, Peter van Vuuren, said the idea to plant trees was born from his planting an olive tree as a young boy.

“The plan was to give Grade 1, 2, 3 and 4 learners an opportunity to plant trees. I’m hoping that every single child in the school will get the opportunity to plant a tree before they go on to high school.”

Van Vuureen noted that the beautiful thing about planting a tree was its slow growth process.

He noted, “You don’t get immediate gratification from planting a tree. It’s helping people understand that you need to invest in your community, in your environment, which is a slow process which bears fruit that might be seen in 10 or 20 years from now.”

Also read: Zoo Lake receives much needed clean up

Davies reiterated that the committee was sponsored by Fibre Circle, which also maintained the park.

“Fibre Circle gifted us with a selfie frame at the park. They pay for the recycling bins as well as for a sorter who separates litter before it is recycled, and when the goods are recycled, that money is pumped back into the committee.”

The Johannesburg Zoo’s executive manager, Louise Gordon, was also in attendance with a team that looks after herbivores and asked the community to donate tree branches to the zoo for the animals to browse.

Community members interested in donating the tree branches and who want to find out more information are urged to contact the zoo at: (+27) 82 803 0333