200 New Indigenous Trees Take Root to Restore Bisley Nature Reserve’s Degraded Grasslands

Photo Credit: Wildlands via Facebook

When communities and organisations come together to nurture the land, a single morning of tree planting can spark long-term hope and healing for our planet – as seen this Arbour Month at Bisley Nature Reserve.

Pietermaritzburg, South Africa (30 September 2026) – Environmentally speaking, a thriving future is one where natural ecosystems are restored and actively protected alongside human progress. This vision has been front and centre this Arbour Month as the WILDTRUST team connected with local communities to highlight how trees act as the planet’s vital organs.

To bring that message to life, WILDTRUST and its partners recently hosted a hands-on indigenous tree-planting day at the Ukulinga Research Farm in Bisley Nature Reserve, Pietermaritzburg. Together with the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN), Msunduzi Municipality, Friends of Bisley Nature Reserve (FOBNR), and CHEP, volunteers rolled up their sleeves to plant 200 indigenous trees aimed at restoring the reserve’s degraded grasslands.

“We had three different species of trees namely the White Pear (umdakane / Apodytes dimidiata), Forest Fever-berry (umhlakuvane / Croton sylvaticusn) and Water Pear (umDoni / Syzygium guineense),” shared the WILDTRUST team.

Not merely a symbolic gesture, adding these 200 trees across three native species will make a meaningful ecological difference by giving back to Mother Nature, who constantly gives so much to us.

WILDTRUST CEO Dr Roelie Kloppers welcomed guests and extended a special thank you to the donors of the trees. He highlighted the important work of WILDTRUST’s Tree-preneurs, who go door-to-door teaching community members how to grow their own indigenous trees, which are then harvested and replanted in restoration sites.

Adrian Nel from the UKZN Geography department provided context on Ukulinga, explaining that the site was previously contoured and ploughed. He noted that preserving and restoring the grassland biome is a long-term process, but one with significant ecological benefits, and that planting indigenous trees is a key step in restoring the balance.

CHEP’s Ian Lindsey said it was a pleasure for their company to partner with WILDTRUST and to participate in an initiative that directly benefits the community and the environment.

By the end of the day, the soil of Bisley Nature Reserve’s was enriched with new life: living roots that will clean our air, combat climate change, shelter local wildlife, and help restore the natural balance of our ecosystem for generations to come. All thanks to every single volunteer who rolled up their sleeves, got their hands dirty, and chose to plant a greener future!