Community schools and preschools benefit as finalists lead planting drive
Johannesburg — Miss Earth South Africa marked Arbor Week with a focused drive to green local spaces, planting 125 indigenous trees across three community sites in Johannesburg. The initiative involved Miss Earth finalists, local learners and several corporate partners, organisers said.
The first trees went into the ground at Mondeor Primary School, where the programme planted 10 trees and invited learners from Grade R to Grade 7 to take part in an environmental assembly and the planting activity. A further eight trees were planted at Forest Hill Primary School, and five at Emma Broscius Preschool, an early childhood development centre, where organisers said introducing young children to nature was a priority.
| Site | Number of trees planted |
|---|---|
| Mondeor Primary School | 10 |
| Forest Hill Primary School | 8 |
| Emma Broscius Preschool | 5 |
| Other community spaces (through finalists' projects) | 102 |
| Total | 125 |
Catherine Constantinides, director of Miss Earth South Africa, and finalists including Ronewa Mafunzwa and Busisiwe Tshabalala were on site during the planting. The trees were donated by the Marriott International Hotel Group, according to organisers.
“One way to celebrate is to wear short sleeves and dresses; the other way is to plant indigenous trees,”
said Ella Bella, educational officer for the Miss Earth programme, summarising the event's dual focus on celebration and environmental action.
Organisers said the remaining trees were planted during the lead-up to Arbor Month as part of tree-planting projects run by Miss Earth South Africa finalists, which began in mid-August. The effort aims to contribute to the greening of vital community spaces and to leave a lasting, educational legacy for younger generations.
Partners, transport and community outreach
The drive was supported by several stakeholders who provided resources and logistics. Rand Stadium Toyota provided transport for the Miss Earth team, while other contributors included Newsclip Media Monitoring, Cathay Pacific, Samsonite SA and Skin Renewal South Africa, organisers said.
- Primary and early childhood learners were involved to build long-term environmental awareness.
- Trees were planted at schools and community sites across Johannesburg during Arbor Week and the build-up to Arbor Month.
- The project is part of Miss Earth South Africa’s leadership and empowerment programme for young women.
Miss Earth South Africa described the programme as a leadership and empowerment initiative that seeks to upskill and educate young women to act as environmental ambassadors in their communities. The Arbor Day activities form part of this broader strategy to root environmental action in communities and to ensure projects meet local needs.
Residents in the areas where trees were planted welcomed the initiative, saying it offered educational opportunities for children and helped green public spaces that are often under pressure from urban development. The inclusion of Grade R learners at Emma Broscius Preschool highlights organisers' emphasis on connecting children to nature early, organisers said.
While the planting is modest in scale compared with municipal greening programmes, community and school-level initiatives like this add up, advocates say. They provide hands-on environmental education, increase canopy cover over time and can help mitigate heat in densely built neighbourhoods of Johannesburg.
Organisers plan to continue similar projects through the Miss Earth finalists’ community programmes, aiming to maintain momentum through Arbor Month and beyond.
