Greenpop, the social enterprise responsible for the reforesting of South Africa’s indigenous trees, are hosting an idyllic, fun-filled weekend in the ancient Platbos Forest to plant thousands of trees, and reconnect with nature.

The idea is to rehabilitate the forest and experience the spirit of holistic green living and fellow environmental warriors are invited to join them to plant trees, camp under the stars and Milkwoods, dance to live music and become a part of growing Platbos Forest Reserve back to its original abundance. Many of the trees had been previously cleared and these areas are being taken over by dense invasive alien vegetation, which makes it difficult for the indigenous trees to grow back, and pose a serious fire risk to the whole forest. It’s important to replant endemic trees because they are especially adapted to droughts, keep the fires out, and serve as a food source for the bird and animal species that rely on the Platbos ecosystem for survival.

The festival is split between a family weekend, on the 11-13 March, and a friend’s weekend, the following weekend on the 18-20 March. The family-focused weekend welcomes children of all ages, offers a range of exciting activities to get kids and adults interacting with the forest and each other, and ensures that music stops at about 10:30pm on Saturday night to give everyone a good night’s rest in the forest. The Friends weekend is the perfect place to bring old friends and meet new ones. The party goes on for longer and the eco-workshops and talks are aimed at a more adult audience, although all ages are welcome at both events.

The planting and general getting dirty action will take place on Saturday and Sunday will be comprised of forest walks, yoga, and talks on conservation and sustainable living, among other activities to keep everyone entertained for the day. Tickets start at R360 to which a meal plan can be added. There will also be food trucks serving up nourishing vegan dishes. Campers are welcome to bring their own food for the weekend, but it will have to be mostly raw as fires in the forest are prohibited. Unhappy campers who still want to be involved are able to book into a local guesthouse and meet up to plant in the morning.

Spend the weekend doing something slightly different with your family and friends and have a blast, while being part of an incredible move to taking care of our forests and environment. For more information, including other ways you can get involved without dirtying your hands, visit the Greenpop website.

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