This month we celebrate Arbor Month. On 1 September we not only celebrate the start of spring, but we also celebrate Arbor Day and until the 7th September, we celebrate Arbor Week.

For many conferences and functions, the thought of being eco-conscious is not always on top of one’s mind, however a number of conference venues have implemented “green” options without delegates even having to think about them- The Royal Palm Hotel in uMhlanag being one of them.

Arbor month as a whole makes way for an opportunity to raise awareness of South Africa’s urban greening initiatives and encourages all individuals, communities and businesses to participate in various greening activities.

There are also team building activities that groups of delegates could get involved in such as litter-cleaning, beach cleaning, planting trees at a local school, creating a sustainable vegetable garden for an institution in need, and getting involved in recycling waste into correct recycling stations.

There is also the option of starting to go green at the office before the conference takes place. Staff can look at ways of greening their office by adding plants to the area, finding ways to reduce waste in the office, installing LED lights and even creating signs for each area reminding staff to turn off the lights to save energy.