Northglen News – Community unites to plant hundreds of trees

IN honour of Arbour Month, 20 trees were planted at two different sites in Durban North last week.

The outreach programme was a joint initiaitve between community stakeholders and the eThekwini Parks Department. Marshall Security's ecowarriors, the Smile and Wave crew and Enviro Fixers Durban North were on hand to dig and plant the Natal Mahogany (Trichilia emetica) trees in Bridgevale Park and Virginia Circle. Overall, the City has planted 130 trees, stretching from Durban North to Quarry Heights in September.

Durban North Conservancy member, Jane Troughton said she was delighted by the tree plantings because they would create habitats for wildlife in the area. “It is fantastic to see the collaboration between Enviro Fixers Durban North, the Smile and Wave team, ward councillor, Shontel de Boer, and the Parks Department that were able to plant these beautiful Natal Mahogany trees in the area.

We will oversee the watering and care for the trees but, importantly, this is about creating habitat in our urban areas. “With both spaces being such central space in this node, we felt this would attract wildlife in much bigger volumes, which adds to our biodiversity,” Troughton said.

Parks Department district manager (district 3), Victor Chetty said the donation of the trees was part of the City’s plan as part of its greening strategy. “The donated trees are already established. In terms of size we felt they would be the perfect fit for these spaces. Of course, the significance of Arbour Month cannot be overlooked and the importance of trees in environments cannot be overstated. These trees will provide good shade and are evergreen and will add to both these spaces. We are grateful to members of Enviro Fixers Durban North who have partnered with us in this endeavour,” Chetty said.