I attended the launch of Arbour Week 2010 this morning at the Orange Farm Regional Park. Arbour Week has grown out of Arbour Day (ha ha) and this year’s theme is “Plant for the Planet – Grow Green”. A worthy sentiment. Arbour Week is promoted by the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries which has partnered with our client Joburg City Parks in tree planting intitiatives.

There were many compliments for the park but actually, to tell the truth, it was almost invisible, transformed into an marquee city. Even the olive tree at the entrance to the park found itself squeezed into a marquee! The minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries was to address the crowds (and crowds there were), but couldn’t make it today so her acting DG Mr Peter Thabethe did so instead. No matter, he did a good job, and so did our mayor. The speeches focused on global warming and value of planting trees to mitigate it and they were interspersed with some cultural entertainment, the perfomers including the Soweto Gospel Choir. The whole event was brilliantly MCed by PR Councillor for the Environment, Ms Salphina Mulauzi.