Plett Rotary Club recently decided that it would aim to plant a tree for each member of the Club, before the end of summer and see what fun was had.
We felt that planting trees is a Good Thing to Do at any time and it is an especially Good Thing to Do after the recent fires that have ravaged Plett.
First question … where can we plant the trees where they will be well cared for? It’s no good coming back in six months’ time to find they have all died off. Happens only too often.
Answer: plant them at the Harkerville school where Plett Rotary knows they will be well cared for AND serve a useful purpose: they will provide lots of shade for the schoolchildren in years to come.
So … Plett Rotary decided that today, 20 October will be the day of the ceremonial handing over of the trees.
Below: the children of Harkerville School are assembled and told of the importance of the trees and how they are good for the environment ……
First question … where can we plant the trees where they will be well cared for? It’s no good coming back in six months’ time to find they have all died off. Happens only too often.
Answer: plant them at the Harkerville school where Plett Rotary knows they will be well cared for AND serve a useful purpose: they will provide lots of shade for the schoolchildren in years to come.
So … Plett Rotary decided that today, 20 October will be the day of the ceremonial handing over of the trees.
Below: the children of Harkerville School are assembled and told of the importance of the trees and how they are good for the environment ……
Second question: what trees do we plant:
Answer: they should obviously be indigenous but less obviously they need to be trees that do well in the sun in a playground at Harkerville. Enter our local tree expert …. Jean Sparg, with her back to us in the picture below wearing the green hat. Jean has chosen the trees but has emphasized the importance of proper preparation. Nice deep square holes and lots of compost. In the picture below, Jean gives instructions.
Answer: they should obviously be indigenous but less obviously they need to be trees that do well in the sun in a playground at Harkerville. Enter our local tree expert …. Jean Sparg, with her back to us in the picture below wearing the green hat. Jean has chosen the trees but has emphasized the importance of proper preparation. Nice deep square holes and lots of compost. In the picture below, Jean gives instructions.
And Jean, kneeling on the ground, sees that the roots are properly covered.
Below: a view of the trees, freshly planted. Jean, our resident expert, decided that essenhout, wild plum and yellowwood are most suitable, along with a wit-els and tarchonanthus: all trees that do well in Plett.
Finally, Patrick, our President, casts a critical view over one of the planted trees.
Plett Rotary’s Tree Planting Day was a big success. Of course, people do not plant yellowwoods for themselves but for their grandchildren,. Even so, I think all of the Plett Rotarians can reasonably expect to be around long enough to see the trees double in size.
Those of us who like more immediate results will be pleased to note that we also planted two keurboom, which are the sprinters in the tree world. They should be well on their way to ceiling height by the end of summer, given some tender loving care.
Those of us who like more immediate results will be pleased to note that we also planted two keurboom, which are the sprinters in the tree world. They should be well on their way to ceiling height by the end of summer, given some tender loving care.