WILDTRUST, a leading environmental non-profit organization based in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) is excited to announce a brand-new partnership with CHEP, a global logistics company with sustainability at its core. CHEP’s commitment to sustainability goes beyond simply using resources responsibly; it’s about giving back to the environment and creating a positive impact for generations to come. Through this aligned vision, this partnership is set to help WILDTRUST realise its vision of a ‘Thriving and Resilient World’, by planting 100 000 indigenous trees during the 2024/25 planting season, a significant step towards nature resilience; restoring degraded areas and enhancing biodiversity as well as empowering local communities.
Central to this partnership between WILDTRUST and CHEP, is the reinvigoration of WILDTRUST’s legacy project, the Tree-preneur project. A term coined by WILDTRUST, Tree-preneurs are local community members that propagate indigenous trees from seeds to a 30cm height or more. When the trees reach this height, they have a value or become a currency which they then trade or barter with the Trust for livelihood support items. Items bartered include school support (uniform or school fees), building materials, grocery vouchers and more.
To activate and launch this partnership, various tree planting events were held around KZN during Arbour month. The WILDTRUST restoration teams went out far and wide, reaching the public, local schools, businesses and like-minded organisations at 17 different locations, planting well over 2000 trees over the month of September. A lot more trees still need to go into the ground and support is needed to reach the ambitious goal of 100 000 trees.
CHEP’s Sustainability and Government Affairs Lead, Marietjie Brown, emphasises how the WILDTRUST partnership aligns with CHEP’s strategic framework of Business Positive, Planet Positive, and Communities Positive. “Our collaboration with WILDTRUST supports our vision of creating regenerative solutions that benefit both the environment and local communities. Through initiatives like the Tree-preneur project, we’re advancing CHEP’s Forest Positive strategy, which aims to enable the sustainable growth of two trees for every one we use—helping restore ecosystems and promote biodiversity. By integrating circular economy principles of sharing and reusing pooled assets, we help our customers optimise their supply chains while reducing resource consumption. This partnership underscores our commitment to minimising environmental impact and contributing positively to the communities we operate in. We are thrilled to start this long-term sustainability relationship with WILDTRUST.”
Get Involved
Potential sponsors and stakeholders are encouraged to support this initiative, as every tree planted brings us closer to a healthier planet. For more information on how you can get involved or support this project, contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to find out how you can access the trees to make a real environmental contribution.
“Together, let’s plant the seeds of change and watch them grow into a thriving and resilient future. By restoring forests and increasing natural spaces, this project aims to create habitats for wildlife, improve air quality, and mitigate climate change. Equally important, the initiative provides marginalized communities with the opportunity to cultivate a sustainable livelihood while contributing to a positive environmental impact,” concludes Buyi Makhoba-Dlamini, WILDTRUST’s Partnerships and Donor Relations Manager.
Image above: WILDTRUST Partnerships and Donor Relations Manager, Buyi Makhoba-Dlamini and CHEP’s Tamaryn Stoop took a moment to get their hands dirty to plant indigenous trees during the Arbour Week planting event at the Maharishi Institute.
Image below L-R: Noluthando Khumalo, Carol Meyer, Roelie Kloppers, Thabisile Msani, Tamaryn Stoop and Zinhle Nkabinde.
Supplied.
