The event was held in partnership with Johannesburg City Parks and Zoo (JCPZ) Region E team and the University of Johannesburg's Faculty of College of Business and and Economics (UJ CBE) which saw 50 Olanier and Afrikaner (25 each) trees planted in a heated Sandton CBD.

Cultivating a Greener Urban Oasis

The joint environmental initiative aimed to bring together volunteers, youth advocates, scholars and municipal conservationists to enrich Sandton's green lung. Located on Daisy Street, the Mushroom Farm Park aims to serve as an ecological and recreational sanctuary amidst high-rise developments, says the partnership.

Members of ASEZ and ASEZ WAO worked alongside the JCPZ and UJ to plan and execute the tree planting event, which saw close to 100 participants dig, plant and water the trees. The newly planted trees will expand the local canopy, helping to absorb carbon emissions, mitigate urban heat island effects and stabilise the soil along the park's natural water streams, adds the partnership.

The event aimed to underscored the power of youth-led volunteerism in maintaining public spaces and fostering a culture of environmental stewardship.

The tree planting event was accomanied by the presence of guest speakers in the morning who the partnership says were thankful for the volunteer work being carried out. Paired with the park is the Truffles On The Park Restaurant.

"We have a permanent team that works in the park on a daily basis to beautify not only the garden and the space, but the focus is really on the wetlands and keeping the rivers clean. In the last 2 years we have upgraded the children's play area, installed new public bathrooms and we maintain and look after that," says Carmen Graham from Truffles On The Park Restaurant.

"Through our collaboration with Joburg City Parks, we have managed to make the park a really beautiful space in Sandton for everybody," adds Graham. "We are proud to be a part of the initiative today. Tree planting is so significant and symbolises the future of our planet and environment. To have the youth so invested in something so important is really promising to see."

Professor Erica Derbyshire, Accounting Professor and Community Engagement Leader of the Faculty of College, aimed to highlight the need for organisations such as ASEZ and ASEZ WAO in communities and broader society.

"It's not just important to volunteer. I do think that many young people do want to get involved in volunteering but they don't know where to start. They are afraid of coming up with initiatives themselves and think that it is impossible due to the challenges they might face. Then we have institutions such as ASEZ that actually show that it really is not that bad," says Derbyshire.

"If we have more initiatives like this with partnerships with ASEZ leading such opportunities we will see how volunteerism will grow," adds Derbyshire. "It is so important for young people to know that they have the power to change not only their lives but also to make sure that we leave behind a beautiful environment for future generations."

Neo Susan Mathunyane, Horticulturist at JCPZ Region E explains the role that they play in the city in relation to the trees and took a moment to highlight the challenges they face in communities.

"What we do is that we manage the trees in the city and take care of them. We cut, prune, plant and water them. We take care of the green spaces and the parks. Certain areas are not taken care of by the communities," says Mathunyane. "There is a big littering problem in communities and also some of the trees that we plant get removed by people in some communities."

"They don't understand how important it is to take care of our trees. This great initiative from ASEZ WAO is a message of hope that is giving and showing and telling the community at large how important it is for us to be a community that works together to protect our future generations, our greenlands and our environment. We are grateful and we are thankful."

Johannesburg has over 10-million trees, making it the largest man-made urban forest in the world. The tree planting initiative meets the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals 13 which is climate action, 15 which is life on land and 17 which is partnerships for these goals. South Africa is bracing for a potentially strong El Nino weather event expected to peak between late 2026 and early 2027.

The expected effects from the El Nino are higher than normal temperatures fuelled by persistent heatwaves and below normal rainfall which may affect agriculture, food security and the economy at large, says the partnership.

ASEZ and ASEZ WAO conclude that the partnership aims to plant 8-billion trees globally under a project titled "Mother's Forest" which seeks to plant a tree for each person on earth to fight climate change and bring communities together.

For more information, visit www.wmscog.com. You can also follow ASEZ on Facebook, X, or on Instagram.

*Image courtesy of contributor