Trees are an important part of life on earth. They clean our air, provide food, medicine and shade, conserve soil and support biodiversity. Yet, they are declining day by day and there seems to be no urgency in saving them. Well, NYCE is changing that!
This year, the Namibian Youth Chamber of Environment (NYCE) proudly took part in arbour day celebrations for the first time. Globally, arbour day 2025 was celebrated under the theme: “Forests and Food”. NYCE introduced a sub-theme: “Fighting plant blindness and loving one tree at a time”. This idea was inspired by one of our earlier webinars, where we explored the concept of plant blindness – the tendency to overlook plants as background objects rather than as living parts of our world.
Besides planting trees, we are celebrating the Apple Leaf Tree, Philenoptera violacea, Namibia’s tree of the year. It is a semi-deciduous tree that grows up to 15 metres tall, with grey to light brown bark that becomes textured with age – making it both beautiful and ecologically important species landscapes.
Why we participated
NYCE joined this year’s arbour day to raise awareness about the importance of indigenous trees and encourage practical action through tree planting. We also desired to strengthen collaboration between NYCE, the Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism (MEFT), youth networks, school and university environmental clubs, and other key stakeholders.
We are proud to say – mission accomplished.
Celebrations across two regions
This year’s arbour day took a mixed approach – combining morning tree planting sessions and afternoon dialogues:
A. Zambezi Region – Katima Mulilo
In the Zambezi Region, activities were led by University of Namibia’s (UNAM) Wildlife Club and NYCE Vice President Tristan Kölling, in collaboration with MEFT’s forestry division.
The morning session began at Mubiza Combined School with over 400 attendees, including learners and community members. The programme featured speeches, performances and planting demonstrations, with around 130 fruit and shade trees donated. Additional donations included five trees to Ngweze Primary School, five to Caprivi Senior Secondary School and six trees to UNAM Wildlife and Tourism Campus.
In the afternoon, a dialogue session was held at UNAM’s Wildlife and Tourism Campus. About 50 people were present, including UNAM students and staff, representatives from MEFT, IRDNC and other stakeholders. Presentations and speeches were given by Ms. Lina Mushabati (UNAM), Ms. Kendra Kudumo (Wildlife Club). Mr. Maiba Hage (Forestry), Mr. Raphael Kamwi (MEFT), Ms. Ida-Wenona Hendricks (IRDNC), and Mr. Tristan Kölling (NYCE). An official handover of the trees to UNAM Wildlife and Tourism Campus will follow soon.
© UNAM Wildlife ClubB. Khomas Region – Windhoek
In the Khomas Region, the National Botanical Research Institute (NBRI) through MEFT donated 60 trees to six schools selected by our partner School Environment Clubs (SEC): Centaurus High School, Jan Mohr High School, Ella du Plessis High School, Van Rhyn Primary School, Peoples Primary School and Auas Primary School. Each school received 10 trees, and NYCE volunteers visited the schools on Friday morning to assist with planting.
In the afternoon, around 60 people, including environmental club learners from Ella du Plessis gathered for a dialogue session at the International University of Management (IUM) Independence Campus, we. It featured presentations by members of the Namibia University of Science and Technology (NUST) Environmental Club, IUM Environmental Society, and NYCE. A panel discussion followed, featuring Prof. Vera de Cauwer (NUST), Esmerialda Klaassen (MEFT), Prof. Ezekiel Kwembeya (UNAM), and Ms Vanessa Stein (NBRI).
Celebrations continued Saturday, 11 October, at Michelle McLean Primary School at an event organised by United Nations Development Programme Namibia (UNDP). NYCE exhibited in collaboration with UNESCO Namibia, the Young Earth Scientists Network (YES) and the Global Shapers Windhoek Hub. NYCE was awarded a certificate of recognition and three trees.
In total, 190 trees were donated across nine schools and community members in both Zambezi and Khomas Regions.
Moving forward
Arbour day 2025 was more than just a celebration. It reflected the growing unity of Namibia’s youth environmental movement. The partnerships formed, lessons shared, and trees planted will continue to thrive long after the event. This experience was a reaffirmation that conservation is not only about protecting nature, but also about deepening our sense of belonging to it.
A huge thank you to all our partners and collaborators who made arbour day a success. Together, we are nurturing a generation that values and protects our natural heritage – one tree at a time!
© Jan Mohr SS