It was Tree Day, where I had a hand in planting 40 indigenous trees with the help of Strongbow Apple Cider, the Heineken South Africa Foundation and assorted media invited by Eclipse PR as part of tree ambassadors Greenpop’s latest urban greening project.
If you’ve worked with Greenpop before, you'll know they greet you with a clap, the response to 'how are we feeling' is an enthusiastic 'green' and that you leave with a tight hug from MD Lauren O’Donnell who started Greenpop with her husband Misha Teasdale, (known as Greenpop’s ‘TreeEO’) with the aim of planting 1,000 trees per month. Martine Erkamp, senior brand manager at Strongbow, explained that the non-profit Greenpop organisation has since planted over 70,000 trees since 2010. Here’s how they get it done…
O'Donnell had us all hold hands and get to know each other over drumming and dancing. We were then taught how to properly plant a tree with love and care, so that it'll be easy for the home residents to continue caring for them. In doing so, they’ll ensure they result in the biodiversity, food, increased oxygen, butterflies, birds and bees that’ll regreen urban Khayelitsha, especially once the much-needed Western Cape rain arrives and the trees really bloom.
The community itself got involved in the tree planting, with Khayelitsha councillor Bongile Ngcani and the current 21-year-old Miss Khayelitsha Lona Gweva in attendance, with little kids wandering in off the street and residents of the old age home alike hunkering down to rip open bags of compost and patting down mulch as we got those waterberry trees and wild olives firmly rooted.
This was followed by a simple yet delicious lunch at Kefu's with a choice of pork chops, steak, lemon-and-herb chicken wings or perfect-for-the-chilly-weather mac and cheese with sides of potato salad, green salad and spicy chakalaka washed down with Strongbow and Heineken, of course. Kefu’s is the ideal spot to digest after such a task as it offers a snap-worthy raised view of the township.
We left with slightly dirty hands but full bellies and warm hearts over the greening initiative. Follow Strongbow Cider, Greenpop and the #NatureRemix hashtag on Twitter or visit Greenpop’s press office for the latest updates.
