kulula’s Project Green programme, to combat the carbon and greenhouse gas emissions released by their aircraft, has already planted 6 870 trees this year to support greening and mitigate climate change through Food & Trees for Africa (FTFA). Now they are supporting the launch of Green Day, 30 September when they will plant another 500 fruit and indigenous trees to residents in the dusty township of Parkgate, in Durban.

Green Day is a call by FTFA and Global Carbon Exchange (GCX) to individuals and companies to support and promote climate change action, greening and sustainability. This can be done through measuring, reducing and offsetting their environmental impacts, contributing to FTFA and other green causes, wearing green and spreading awareness through Facebook and other social media.

‘We are hoping to mobilise the nation to show their support for green issues by wearing green on the day, supporting a green cause in their communities, donating to a green cause - or by changing their Facebook profile pictures to show that they are aware of green issues and support Green Day,’ says Ingrid Mech, Marketing Manager at GCX.

September is the ideal month to launch this awareness day. September is a very green month – it is not only Arbor Month. Al Gore launched 24 Hours of Reality to connect the dots between extreme weather events and climate change climate change on 14 and 15 of this month. Also celebrated in this month are Clean up South Africa Week, Clean up the World Weekend , Car-free/zero emissions day, Heritage Day, Moving Planet Day (to move the world from fossil fuels) and Day of 1000 trees, with Sunday 25 September being World Rivers Day.

After all, with the country currently wearing green shirts on Fridays to support the Springboks in New Zealand, taking advantage of one of these days for the environment makes perfect sense,’ says Mech.

FTFA founder, Jeunesse Park, who recently presented Al Gore’s 24 Hours of Reality, says, ‘From an environmental point of view we are often preaching to the converted. Climate change and environmental issues need to enter the public domain so more people become aware of the role they can play in ensuring a sustainable future.’

The international spotlight is already on South Africa with COP17 being hosted in Durban at the end of November. kulula, with their infamously lumo green aircrafts, have been planting trees with residents in dusty settlements across South Africa for the past few years. Through the planting of these 500 trees in Parkgate FTFA will train another 10 unemployed residents who will go door to door to tell their neighbours about kulula’s great green gift, invite them to collect their trees on 30 September, and inform them of Green Day.

Green Day aims to raise consciousness of green issues such as climate change, water, waste and energy management, natural resource depletion and sustainability in general. In this regard, Park emphasises, ‘As a nation we need to raise environmental consciousness issues. This is an opportunity for individuals and companies to wake up to the reality of green issues, to show their support for environmental causes and realise the positive influence they can have on ensuring a sustainable future.’