S
outh Africa celebrates Arbor Week in
the first week of September annually.
This year, the Agricultural Research
Council (ARC) in Stellenbosch planted
peach trees at the Stellenbosch Night Shelter
as a practical and symbolic gesture of sustainable environmental management.
In this hands-on approach, ARC InfruitecNietvoorbij wishes to educate the residents of
the night shelter about trees, particularly our
fruit trees, and highlight the important role
they play in sustainable development and the
livelihoods of people and their environment.
We hope that this exercise encourages the
community to participate in various greening
Derusha Crank
activities within their own surroundings.
The Department of Agriculture, Forestry and
Fisheries (DAFF), as the custodian of forestry
in South Africa, is responsible for the campaign. During the month of September
(heritage month), the department also focuses on the country’s champion trees which include the “Infruitec Gum Tree”, a huge Myrtaceae: Eucalyptus camaldulensis (river red
gum) located on the Helshoogte Road in Stellenbosch, which has been named after our
Institute. These trees are of national importance and worthy of special protection,
due to their remarkable size, age, aesthetic,
cultural, historic or tourism value.
Ms Denise Paulse, manager & social worker at the Stellenbosch Night Shelter and Mr
Pieter Quixley, farm manager at Bien Donné Research Farm getting their hands dirty while
planting peach trees sponsored by ARC Infruitec-Nietvoorbij.