Last month, the City of Cape Town’s Recreation and Parks Department dedicated the launch of its Arbor Month festivities to the families of residents who lost loved ones to COVID-19.
Executive Mayor, Alderman Dan Plato, and Mayoral Committee Member for Community Services and Health, Councillor Zahid Badroodien, helped to plant a memorial garden of tall liquidambar styraciflua trees in an empty space at Maynardville Park.
“We held six COVID-19 remembrance ceremonies at gardens that are living memorials to the many loved ones we’ve lost. We remember them not only today, but as these trees grow and thrive it will be a testimony to their lives. In total, 18 new trees were added to the established gardens,” said Badroodien.
The theme for Arbor Month in 2021 was ‘Forest Restoration: A path to recovery and well-being’. It is a call to action for communities to become aware of and to value the critical role that trees play in sustainable development as well as the contribution that trees make to livelihoods and the environment.
