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Greenpop launches exciting initiative – Trees for Travel
Greenpop launched its new Trees for Travel initiative with a green event at the Vineyard Hotel on Thursday evening, October 17th. The event was attended by close to one hundred representatives from companies in the travel industry in Cape Town.
Lauren O’Donnell, Greenpop’s co-founder and Managing Director, presented Trees for Travel during a fun and visual presentation. She also introduced three speakers; Chris van Zeyl, Group Environmental Manager and Horticulturist at the Vineyard Hotel, Eddie Redelinghuys, Director at Reliance Compost, and Heidi van der Watt, Director and Global Sustainable Tourism Council, Managing Director at EDGE Tourism Solutions, and Director and the International Centre for Responsible Tourism. Chris van Zeyl explained the Vineyard Hotel’s pioneering green initiatives; Eddie Redelinghuys spoke about carbon neutrality and how Reliance uses a percentage of their carbon credit income to support other greening projects like Greenpop.
The evening’s main speaker, Heidi van der Watt, presented trends in eco-tourism and spoke about the market’s growing demand for sustainable travel options. “Research amongst some of South Africa’s overseas tourism markets show that most tourists are willing to change their behavior on holiday to help the environment, but they also want hotels and holiday companies to be more environmentally responsible,” explains Heidi. “With Trees for Travel guests can give the beautiful planet they love to explore a bit of breathing space – one tree at a time.”
The event was hosted by green events company My Green Love Affair and co-sponsored by Reliance Compost. Other sponsors of the event were Stellar Organic Winery, who sponsored organic wine, Recreate, who allowed Greenpop to use some of its up-cycled furniture as décor, and Growing Paper, who printed the event’s invitations on hand-made paper with embedded herb seeds. Music was provided by DJ duo Jews for Techno.
Greenpop and Reliance Compost also introduced ‘Green Up,’ a new green App that assesses your carbon footprint level and gives advice on how to live more sustainably.
Trees for Travel allows companies in the travel industry to offer their clients the option of adding a tree to what they’re booking. Greenpop will plant the trees as part of its urban greening and reforestation projects, and the company’s clients will get a certificate with the GPS coordinates of their tree, so that they know exactly where their tree is growing. It’s a simple way for people to help compensate for the carbon they’ll be using on their flight and/or trip – and it’s an easy way for airlines, bus companies, bookings websites, hotels, lodges, and tour companies to add some green to their business.
Trees for Travel can also apply to companies outside of the travel industry, who would like to help offset their business travel. A company could, for instance, sponsor a tree for each flight one of its employees takes for business purposes.
In return for a company’s support, Greenpop offers positive marketing and PR value through exposure on its website and social media channels, and invitations to its events.
A tree costs ZAR100 (we can provide prices in different currencies), which includes:
– The tree, compost, organic fertiliser, mulch
– The logistics around planting the tree
– The monitoring of the tree as part of our sustainability program
– An environmental education program at the beneficiary location (in the case of Greenpop’s urban greening projects)
If company’s prefer to give clients a tangible take away, Greenpop also has Tree Rings (tree-shaped key ring with a unique code that represents a tree, which cost ZAR120 each)
“Trees for Travel is a fun way for the travel industry to go a little bit greener,” says Lauren O’Donnell, Greenpop’s Managing Director. “It doesn’t cost companies anything because it’s their clients who can choose to buy a tree, and it’s a simple and tangible greening option to offer travellers. Greenpop believes that going green starts with the small things – every tree counts and so each tree added to a trip will contribute towards making a big difference. Trees for Travel has been very well received so far, and we look forward to getting many more tour companies and lodges to join our Treevolution.”
Dongola Guesthouse was one of the first to join Trees for Travel. Owner Mike Oughtibridge says: “As part of our efforts to be recognised as a Responsible Tourism business, we needed a passionate partner and a credible cause. We chose Greenpop and the Trees for Travel program as they not only met those requirements, but inspired us to do more. This is a social enterprise project that is about so much more than planting trees, and we hope to continue our happy and fruitful partnership with them for years to come.
POD, a boutique hotel in Cape Town’s Camps Bay, recently joined Trees for Travel. “We were excited to sponsor 57 trees in our first few months,” says POD’s Brendan Boyle. “ During the room orientation, our guests are informed of this sustainability initiative and the response has been incredible. The wow factor created by automatically offsetting a portion of their carbon footprint has greatly helped us drive home our conservation ethos. We look forward to a long and prosperous relationship with Greenpop and hope to fill the map with as many POD stamped tree geo-tags as possible!”
Some of our other Trees for Travel partners are African Impact, Acacia Africa, and FindALift.co.za.
Greenpop is a social enterprise dedicated to urban greening, reforestation, and eco-education. Greenpop believes sustainable living can be fun, popular, and accessible to all, and aims to inspire a ‘Treevolution;’ an inclusive green movement. The Greenpop team does this through tree planting projects, green action events, educational workshops, and by activating people to start DOING.
Since its establishment in 2010, and its expansion to Zambia in 2012, Greenpop has planted over 27,000 trees in over 250 beneficiary schools, crèches, and community centres, as well as in deforested areas around South Africa and Zambia. Greenpop’s aim is to spread its projects all over Sub-Saharan Africa and inspire a ‘Treevolution’ throughout the continent.
Photographs:
Please credit: Sarah Isaacs
Caption 1: The décor at the Trees for Travel event was created by event company My Green Love Affair
Caption 2: Greenpop’s Managing Director Lauren O’Donnell presenting the Trees for Travel initiative
Caption 3: Heidi van der Watt, the event’s main speaker, presenting current market trends related to sustainable travel
Caption 4: Guests enjoying organic wine and vegetarian canapés
Caption 5: Anna Guardascione and Lauren Ann McCarthy from My Green Love Affair, the green events company that organised the event, sitting on up-cycled suitcases from Recreate
Caption 6: Lauren O’Donnell from Greenpop, Mieke van Blommestein from Reliance Compost, Mia Groenewald from Reliance Compost, Nathan John Arendse from the Vineyard Hotel, and Misha Teasdale, co-founder and Director of Greenpop
Caption 7: Green Up, the new green App created by Reliance and Greenpop
Contact Greenpop:
Website: www.greenpop.org
Facebook: www.facebook.com/greenpoptreevolution
Twitter: www.twitter.com/greenpopsa
YouTube: www.youtube.com/greenpoptreevolution
Email: marleen@greenpop.org
Sponsors:
My Green Love Affair: www.mygreenloveaffair.com
Reliance Compost: www.reliance.co.za
Growing Paper: www.growingpaper.co.za
Stellar Organic Winery: www.stellarorganics.com
Recreate: www.recreate.za.net
Bos: www.bosicetea.com
Author: Tee
The Oceans 8 Charity Swim returns to Vetch’s Beach at the Durban Undersea Club on 23rd & 24th (25th ) May 2026, bringing together swimmers, supporters, partners and 14 beneficiary charities for a two-day ocean event rooted in community and shared impact.
Founded by charities, for charities, Oceans 8 was created with a simple but ambitious vision: to unite people through a shared love of swimming while raising funds for non-profit organisations with a footprint in KZN. Since its inception, the event has raised over R3million, directly supporting 23 charities and the communities they serve.
“Oceans 8 is about shared purpose and the belief that when we come together, we can strengthen the work already happening in our communities,” says Nicci Carvalho, event spokesperson. “It’s ordinary people doing something challenging and creating lasting impact.”
What to Expect in 2026
This year’s event continues that mission – bringing together swimmers of all abilities across the 1-, 4-, 8- and 16-mile distances to use their sport to make a difference.
Durban’s mild winter conditions and the protected waters of Vetch’s Beach offer a rewarding ocean experience for seasoned open-water swimmers, while remaining accessible to those stepping into open water swimming for the first time.
The 1- and 4-mile swims support the event’s 10 invitational charities, with funds raised shared equally among them. Swimmers taking on the 8- and 16-mile challenges direct their fundraising towards one of Oceans 8’s four founding charities. Schools once again form an important part of the weekend, with interschools’ participation encouraging learners to raise funds, earn community service hours and represent their schools in the 1-mile swim. Trophies are up for grabs!
The event remains proudly volunteer-run, supported by a committed local network of businesses, safety teams and community partners who help bring the weekend together. Returning sponsors Arena SA, Stanley, IPSS Medical Services and ALU Direct continue to stand alongside Oceans 8, sharing a belief in building something sustainable for the charities and the communities they serve.
Environmental responsibility is also central to the event’s planning. Oceans 8 minimises single-use plastics, prioritises recycled materials, and collaborates with partners who align with its sustainability values – recognising that caring for the coastline is inseparable from swimming in it.
As Oceans 8 continues to grow nationwide, entries are open to swim with purpose and join a community committed to turning personal challenge into meaningful impact.
Oceans 8 Charity Swim 2026 Events
- 1 Mile Event:
Choose one of 4 events on Day 1 or Day 2.
Cost: R200 per person + minimum R800 raised for invitational charities. - 4 Mile Event:
Swim 2 miles on Day 1 and 2 miles on Day 2.
Cost: R700 per person + minimum R3 000 raised for invitational charities. - 8 Mile Event:
Swim 4 miles on Day 1 and 4 miles on Day 2.
Cost: R1 100 per person + minimum R5,000 to be raised via Given Gain for one of the four founding charities. - 16 Mile Event:
Swim 8 miles on Day 1 and 8 miles on Day 2.
Swimmers will swim the 1 Mile course twice during each event.
Cost: R1 100 per person + minimum R5,000 to be raised via Given Gain for one of the four founding charities.
For more information or partnership enquiries, visit www.oceans8swim.co.za
Keep updated on all the action by following @oceans8_charityswim on Instagram and @oceans8swim on Facebook.
8- and 16-mile charities supported by the Oceans 8 Charity Swim 2026:
- Duzi-Umngeni Conservation Trust
- National Sea Rescue Institute
- Project Rhino
- Singakwenza Early Childhood Education
1- and 4-mile charities supported by the Oceans 8 Charity Swim 2026:
- CROW (Centre for the Rehabilitation of Wildlife)
- Game Rangers’ Association of South Africa
- IPSS Search and Rescue
- Makabongwe Pre-School
- Made for More
- Nazareth House in Berea
- Pietermaritzburg Children’s Home
- Rise Against Hunger Africa
- Sport for Lives
- Umduduzi – Hospice Care for Children
Author: Carla Wynne
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Author: mrjoelmagic
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