The Centre for Excellence in Learning and Teaching (CELT) is giving back to Mother Earth. In collaboration with the Department of Horticulture, the CELT staff recently held a special tree planting initiative at the ML Sultan Campus. The CELT team have planted 50 spekboom tree cuttings that were personally propagated and nurtured over the last two months. Spekboom, which is often celebrated as a miracle plant, acts as a powerful carbon sponge, removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and improving the air one breathes.
Giving an overview on the importance of planting spekboom trees was CELT’s organiser, Prega Naidoo.
“It can absorb four to 10 tonnes of carbon per hectare, using this carbon to grow and to produce oxygen. According to the Spekboom Foundation, its carbon-offsetting ability is comparable to that of moist, subtropical forests. Uniquely, spekboom stores solar energy and performs photosynthesis at night, making it 10 times more effective at carbon fixing than tropical rainforests on a per-hectare basis. Also, since excess carbon contributes greatly to global warming, planting more spekboom helps to combat climate change,” he shared.
Naidoo indicated that caring for the environment is a shared responsibility, and the DUT community holds the privilege and power to make a meaningful change.
“Through this planting ritual, we are not only giving back to Mother Earth but also endeavouring to inspire a culture of environmental stewardship across our campuses,” he said.
He explained that planting trees chimes with DUT’s ENVISION2030, especially with its commitment to sustainability, ecological responsibility, and fostering a people-centred, engaged, and innovative institution.
“By planting spekbooms, a remarkable carbon-absorbing miracle plant, we want to reduce our carbon footprint, enrich our green spaces, and support a healthier, more sustainable DUT environment. We envision this will become a regular and ongoing initiative, as caring for our planet is not a once-off act, but a continuous and collective commitment,” he added.
Naidoo relayed that each tree planted strengthens DUT’s impact and reinforces DUT’s work to shape a greener, more conscious future.
“In moments when the coming season does not feel all that festive to you, consider cultivating a cutting, so the next generation of creatures could sit in its shade, or nibble its leaves,” concluded Naidoo.
Pictured: CELT staff plant spekboom trees at ML Sultan campus.
Story: Supplied.
