Help Us Conserve Our Urban Forest
Mission
TreeKeepers Cape Town is a citizen-based association committed to conserving
the urban forest in our city landscape – by promoting the value of trees,
empowering South African citizens in their stewardship, and building community.
It has formed a relationship with the City of Cape Town’s Recreation & Parks Department to help safeguard the city’s urban forest, guided by a Memorandum-of-Understanding (MoU).
Origin
Concerned citizens came together to form TreeKeepers, a voluntary association,
in order to protect trees in Cape Town’s urban forest after an indiscriminate felling
of majestic street trees occurred without adequate public consultation.
Vision
A world where trees are honoured and conserved for all they bring to people and our planet.
Aims
Conservation
of the urban forest, & special protection of mature trees
Advocacy
of the value of trees, as well as legal & heritage issues
Facilitation
of ”Champion Trees”, a project managed by DAFF
Mapping
of ”Significant Trees”, a shared initiative with the City
Motivation
to the City to increase Cape Town’s urban tree canopy
Accreditation
of professional tree-related contractors & personnel
Blog / Tree Matters
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TreeKeepers-Cape Town
A voluntary association committed to conserving the urban forest by promoting the value of trees.
What We Mean by these Definitions
URBAN FOREST
Is a term increasingly used by those engaged in thinking about resilient cities.
An urban forest comprises all the trees in a cityscape – in public and private spaces
that contribute to a green infrastructure and a wider urban ecosystem.
URBAN FORESTRY
Is the sustained planning, planting, protection, maintenance, and care of trees,
forests, greenspace and related resources in & around cities and communities
– for the public’s economic, environmental, social, and health benefits.
This includes retaining trees and forest cover as urban populations expand into surrounding rural areas, as well as restoring critical parts of the environment after construction.
Urban forestry also means the development of citizen involvement and support for investments in long-term, on-going tree planting, protection, and care programmes.
STEWARDSHIP
Is the attentive and responsible management of something entrusted to one’s care.
An example is the act of making wise use of the natural resources provided by the earth.
CONSERVE
Is to keep from harm, decay or loss.
Symbolism of the Logo
The
power and strength.
protective symbol by all faiths.