Sun Sep 27 13:38:01 UTC 2015
In celebration of Arbor Week (1-7 September), the Checkers supermarket chain will aim to plant over 1500 trees in schools and communities around the country, offsetting more than 553,5 tons* of carbon!
National Arbor Week is an opportune time for all South Africans to plant indigenous trees as a practical and symbolic gesture of sustainable environmental management. This year Checkers is again teaming up with social and environmental enterprise, Food and Trees for Africa, to donate indigenous trees to 27 disadvantaged schools and community groups during Spring. Their green programme, Trees for All, aims to educate and transform schools and other community centres into healthier, more sustainable environments.
The supermarket chain wants to inspire customers to share their own #CheckersArborWeek greenification efforts on social media during Arbor Week and have it matched with a tree planted in their honour as well as stand a chance to win a donation of 20 trees to a school of their choice.
With their Arbor Week initiatives, Checkers hopes to assist in beautifying the environment, whilst giving schools a sense of pride and teaching the youth to be more ecologically conscious. Indigenous trees help reduce air pollution, provide shelter and food for wildlife, protect the soil in barren areas, promote biodiversity and are cost effective to maintain as they don’t require fertilising.
This year’s tree donations include Spekboom, Yellowwood, White Stinkwood, Stinkwood, Acacia, Pompon Tree, Bushwillow, Lavender and Wild Olive trees. More than 80% of the trees planted during Checkers’ 2014 Arbor Week initiative are still contributing towards a greener environment.
For more information visit Checkers' website.
* Based on the same survival rate as last year, +/- 80%, it is estimated that the 1 500 trees donated will offset 553,5 tons of carbon through their lifetime - as per the Verified Carbon Standard (VCS) and Global Greenhouse Gas (GHG) calculations provided by Food and Trees for Africa. For more information on Food and Trees for Africa, visit www.trees.co.za.
