There were scenes of jubilation at Sinovuyo Old Age home, in Ilitha Park, when GreenPop, in conjunction with a number of other organisations, donated 40 indigenous trees to the home on Saturday April 1.
GreenPop, a tree conservation movement, said it was important to encourage people in the townships to plant trees, and on Saturday, taught senior citizens how to plant trees and ways to maintain them.
Lauren O’Donnell, managing director of GreenPop, said trees play a crucial role in preventing damage during the floods, while contributing to biodiversity.
They also beautify communities and increase property values.
She said their intention was to urge people to reconnect with the environment and understand the significance of looking after trees.
She said sometimes people chopped them for no reason because they did not understand their importance. Ms O’Donnell said they would provide an on-going support to keep the trees and food gardens alive.
She said some people thought that it was difficult and expensive to have trees.
She said apart from providing shades and protecting the soil, many crucial materials like paper is made from the trees and if there is no continuation of planting them they might fade away. “We need to be protectors of environment because without it we will never be able to live.
“We have to change the way we think about trees and be their guardians. We also need to educate our children about the importance of trees and refrain from cutting them without reason,” she said.
Sinovuyo secretary Patricia Ophile said she was thrilled by the planting of the trees and the organisation’s continuous support. She said the event had afforded senior citizens an opportunity to learn more about trees. She urged them to pass the information they had gleaned, on to the community. Ms Ophile added that the day had also provided them with a rare opportunity to forget about their daily life challenges and just have fun.
“I have no words to describe how I feel about this.
“I hope this is not the last time. These trees are also beautifying our premises and provide us with fresh oxygen to breath,” she said.
