THE 1^st Royal Scouts commemorated Arbour Day by getting their hands dirty and giving their scouts hall a much-needed green makeover. 

Also read: Children learn fishing skills and water safety at Brighton Beach

The day commenced with scouts planting indigenous trees and plants while also learning about the importance of protecting and caring for the environment. 

Tash Pretorius, scout group leader and assistant pack scouter for the cubs, said that each scout took turns to weed the gardens, prepare the soil and plant their seedlings. She added to close the programme the scouts each pledged to look after their plants until the next Arbour Day. 

A scout’s duty 

According to Pretorius, a large part of scouting is to leave the world better than we found it. 

“Scouts learn by doing, like learning how to plant, care and protect trees, as well as doing community service like greening their halls, schools and neighbourhoods,” she said. 

Keeping committed 

While the Arbour Day hype will die down, Pretorius said they are still dedicated to maintaining the space. The 1st Royal Scouts are therefore appealing for assistance to cover the ongoing maintenance. 

“Our group would appreciate assistance with indigenous trees, seedlings, compost and potting soil. Gardening tools, a Jojo tank, would be absolutely fabulous as our hall currently does not have running water and we have to cart 5l bottles up and down each week. Fencing to help secure our hall and solar lighting, any camping equipment, arts and craft supplies would also be amazing,” she said.

Pretorius extended her thanks to everyone who contributed and made the day a success. 

Contact to support:

If you are interested in helping the 1^st Royal Scouts develop their hall and space, contact Tash Pretorius on 084 088 5206.

For more Southlands Sun news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. You can also check out our videos on our YouTube channel or follow us on TikTok.

Subscribe to our free weekly newsletter and get news delivered straight to your inbox.