SEE: Landscapers in Gauteng cause damage to trees worth R600k
How much do you think a 30-year-old Acacia tree is valued at?
This is something that is not often heard - being detained by the police for cutting down branches of a group of 30-year-old Acacia trees.
Besides the fact that September is the host of Arbour Month, many of our South African brands have become more conscientious when it comes to conserving our flora. Therefore, we are shocked that a company that is meant to preserve plant life did not take the significance of this month or the valuable nature of a group of trees in Fourways recently.
Traditionally during Arbour Month, everyone is encouraged to plant a tree. It is both a sentimental act with its metaphoric meaning of planting a seed and watching it grow, and reaping what you sow; but more than that it helps us as humans and our environment.
"Landscapers working for a big landscaping group have landed themselves in hot water after accepting a job to cut the branches of six acacia trees blocking billboards at a shopping centre. The trees are around 30 years old and are valued at R600,000 according to the Johannesburg City Parks and Zoo." (Times Live)
During a routine site visit that was being conducted by Mmankwe Sebatjane, Johannesburg City Parks and Zoo’s senior arboculturist, and Joseph Ndou, the regional manager, they were shocked to see landscaping employees allegedly pruning away at some trees.
Employees of the company say they were acting on instruction by their superiors, who were commissioned by the adjacent shopping centre to increase the visibility of advertising signage along this busy main road.
According to the Johannesburg City Parks and Zoo officials, now more than ever our people need to be more informed as to why every tree matters. They also said that our man-made forests in the city are at risk.
Species such as the jacaranda are reaching their full life expectancy. The challenges are further compounded by erratic weather patterns resulting in trees being uprooted; increasing urbanisation and densification giving rise to space constraints for new trees; the arrival of the diseases brought on by climate change such as, the Polyphagus Shothole Borer infestation, that is accelerating the demise of trees mostly in historically lush green suburbs and financial constraints that are impeding the ability to speedily plant new trees for the future.
So the effects of climate change, the environmental torture of pollution and of our human irresponsibility is affecting even the tree that we pass daily on our way to work. These landscapers were just following instructions from their superiors and are now in trouble for hurting a piece of history.
Image Courtesy of Unsplash Website