Air Traffic and Navigation Services (ATNS) staff took some time off their busy schedules to celebrate the end of the 2013 Arbor Week with learners of the Con Amore School for the Mentally Challenged in Esther Park, Kempton Park.

The school provides education to over 289 learners, whose ages range between six and twenty years.

National Arbor Week -observed in the first week of September is a time when South Africans of all ages are able to celebrate the beauty and importance of trees. ATNS staff were joined by learners and educators, to plant Pecan Nut and Lemon trees – within the school’s premises.

Tree planting remains one of the most cost-effective ways of addressing climate change, as trees play a vital role in regulating climate, since they absorb carbon dioxide. This campaign aims to promote improved knowledge of trees, particularly indigenous trees, and highlight the vital roles they play in the natural environment. It also emphasizes the role that ordinary South Africans in greening the country, just by planting and taking care of trees.

Through its Corporate Social Investment (CSI) Strategy, ATNS encourages staff volunteerism. One of the better-known benefits of volunteering is its impact on the community. Volunteering allows employees to connect with communities and make it a better place. This selfless act of goodwill provides many benefits to both mental and physical health. It also provides a natural sense of accomplishment.