ASEZ and ASEZ WAO partner with JCPZ and UJ to create green urban oasis in Sandton
Johannesburg – On Sunday the 23rd of August 2026, 80 ASEZ and ASEZ WAO volunteers gathered at Mushroom Farm Park in Sandton to actively boost urban greening, local biodiversity, and community climate action in the heart of the Sandton business district. The event was held in partnership with Johannesburg City Parks and Zoo (JCPZ) Region E team and the University of Johannesburg’s Faculty of College of Business and and Economics (UJ CBE) which saw 50 Olanier and Afrikaner (25 each) trees planted in a heated Sandton CBD.
Cultivating a Greener Urban Oasis
The joint environmental initiative brought together dedicated volunteers, youth advocates, scholars and municipal conservationists to enrich Sandton’s premier green lung. Located on Daisy Street, the Mushroom Farm Park serves as a vital ecological and recreational sanctuary amidst high-rise developments.
In the true spirit of collaborative action, members of ASEZ and ASEZ WAO worked side-by-side with the JCPZ and UJ to plan and successfully execute the tree planting event, which saw close to 100 participants braving the heat of the day to dig, plant, and water the trees. The newly planted trees will expand the local canopy, helping to absorb carbon emissions, mitigate urban heat island effects, and stabilize the soil along the park’s natural water streams.
The event underscored the power of youth-led volunteerism in maintaining public spaces and fostering a culture of environmental stewardship.
The tree planting event was elevated by the presence of guest speakers in the morning who were thankful for the volunteer work being carried out by ASEZ and ASEZ WAO. Complimenting the well maintained park in the heart of Sandton is the popular and highly rated Truffles On The Park Restaurant.
Carmen Graham from Truffles on the park spoke about how they play an important part in maintaining the park. “We have a permanent team that works in the park on a daily basis to beautify not only the garden and the space, but the focus is really on the wetlands and keeping the rivers clean. In the last 2 years we have upgraded the children’s play area, installed new public bathrooms and we maintain and look after that. Through our collaboration with Joburg City Parks, we have managed to make the park a really beautiful space in Sandton for everybody. We are proud to be a part of the initiative today. Tree planting is so significant and symbolises the future of our planet and environment. To have the youth so invested in something so important is really promising to see”.
Accounting Professor and Community Engagement Leader of the Faculty of College Professor Erica Derbyshire highlighted the need for organisations such as ASEZ and ASEZ WAO in communities and broader society. “It’s not just important to volunteer. I do think that many young people do want to get involved in volunteering but they don’t know where to start. They are afraid of coming up with initiatives themselves and think that it is impossible due to the challenges they might face. Then we have institutions such as ASEZ that actually show that it really is not that bad. If we have more initiatives like this with partnerships with ASEZ leading such opportunities we will see how volunteerism will grow. It is so important for young people to know that they have the power to change not only their lives but also to make sure that we leave behind a beautiful environment for future generations”.
JCPZ Region E Horticulturist Neo Susan Mathunyane explained the role that they play in the city in relation to the trees and took a moment to highlight the challenges they face in communities. “What we do is that we manage the trees in the city and take care of them. We cut, prune, plant and water them. We take care of the green spaces and the parks. Certain areas are not taken care of by the communities. There is a big littering problem in communities and also some of the trees that we plant get removed by people in some communities. They don’t understand how important it is to take care of our trees. This great initiative from ASEZ WAO is a message of hope that is giving and showing and telling the community at large how important it is for us to be a community that works together to protect our future generations, our greenlands and our environment. We are grateful and we are thankful.”
Johannesburg has over 10 million trees, making it the largest man-made urban forest in the world. The tree planting initiative meets the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals 13 which is climate action, 15 which is life on land and 17 which is partnerships for these goals. South Africa is bracing for a potentially strong El Nino weather event expected to peak between late 2026 and early 2027. The expected effects from the El Nino are higher than normal temperatures fuelled by persistent heatwaves and below normal rainfall which may affect agriculture, food security and the economy at large.
ASEZ and ASEZ WAO strive to plant 8 billion trees globally under a project titled Mother’s Forest which seeks to plant a tree for each person on earth to fight climate change and bring communities together.
ASEZ (university students) and ASEZ WAO (young adult workers) are international volunteer networks established by the World Mission Society Church of God, operating across more than 7,500 locations in over 175 countries. Both groups base their community and environmental service on the selfless care associated with a mother’s love, aiming to support the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
ASEZ Stands for “Save the Earth from A to Z,” representing university students taking responsibility to change the world while ASEZ WAO stands for “Save the Earth from A to Z” combined with “We Are One Family”. For more information, please visit:
asez.org
asezwao.org
watv.org
