September is a month when South Africans are encouraged to plant a tree annually in commemoration of National Arbor Month. As part of the SPU Campus Housing and Accommodation Unit’s (CAHAU) Environmental Sustainability project, tomorrow, 9 September, CAHAU’s Green Ambassadors will plant four trees at the Square of the SPU South Campus Multi-Purpose Hall under the theme ‘Plant A #MySPUTree’. The goal of this initiative is not only to plant trees, but to also preserve them by watering and nurturing them until the Green Ambassadors graduate.
The key aim of this student-led programme is to celebrate Arbor Month and highlight the value and importance of trees. It is also aimed at raising awareness and sensitizing the student community about the need to conserve trees and protecting them for environmental and human-related benefits. Trees reduce the carbon dioxide in the air as they release oxygen and improve the quality of soil and its capacity for water retention. They’re also said to help reduce stress and lower heart rates and provide food and shelter for wildlife.
Tomorrow’s tree-planting exercise will be the first of many for the SPU community as CAHAU’s Green Ambassadors commence with establishing a culture of supporting the preservation of trees, nature, and the environment.
