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12 September 2019 | Story Valentino Ndaba | Photo Charl Devenish
Arbor tree plant
To celebrate National Arbor Week the University of the Free State has embarked on a drive to plant 150 trees during the month of September
If you’ve wondered whether Arbor Month was important, you only have to look at the destruction and long-term damage that deforestation causes to the environment and the world’s inhabitants. To observe National Arbor Month, the University of the Free State’s has (UFS) kick-started a drive to plant 150 trees during the month of September.

To launch this initiative, the Rector and Vice-Chancellor, Prof Francis Petersen, alongside members of the rectorate, assisted the University Estates team in planting the first 10 of 100 trees at the Bloemfontein Campus on Wednesday 4 September 2019. A total of 50 trees will be planted on the Qwaqwa Campus.

Towards a sustainable future

“We have gone through periods of drought in the Free State that have severely impacted not only the plants but the trees on our campuses. The idea is to emphasise sustainability, and as a university, we believe that sustainability is important. As an education institution, we have to look at the generations that are still to come to our campuses,” said Prof Petersen.

He urged the Kovsie community to ensure that all practices across the campuses are linked to global standards of sustainability. “As we develop over the next couple of months and years, we will get much closer alignment between what we are doing as a university and the Sustainable Development Goals.”

Drought-resistant man-made forests

Clusters of mini forests across the campuses will be created with a variety of trees including the karee, white karee, white stinkwood, and wild olive. These indigenous trees can adapt well to different soils including those that are poorly drained.

Celebrating Arbor Week

This year’s campaign was held under the theme Forests and Sustainable Cities. As part of the celebration, University Estates made a commitment to the environment by embarking on the green initiative which includes other project such as the upgrade of Red Square on the Bloemfontein Campus.

News Archive

Kovsie Tennis team defends proud USSA record in Cape Town
2015-12-01


In 2014, Kovsies won gold at the USSA Tennis Tournament for the eighth consecutive time. Six players from last year's 12-man squad are in 2015 in Cape Town again available. Photo: Johan Roux

Duke Munro already has six gold medals from the USSA Tennis Tournament in his cupboard, and the Kovsie Tennis team would wish to bid him farewell in a fitting manner during what will probably be his last tournament in Cape Town.

This year's tournament, taking place from 30 November to 4 December 2015, will probably be Munro's last, since he is completing his Master's degree in Quantity Surveying at the University of the Free State (UFS).

He has competed in the USSA Tournament since 2009, and would like to help his team defend its proud record.

UFS aim for ninth consecutive title

Kovsies have won gold at the USSA Tournament for the last eight years. They are the only team who have been able to win the tournament since the combined format was adopted in 2010. In 2007 and 2008, their Women's team won the tournament, and in 2009, their Men's team.

Kovsies will play in group matches against the Universities of Venda and Wits on 30 November 2015, against the University of Cape Town's (UCT's) second team on 1 December 2015, and against UCT's first team on 2 December 2015. The cross and knockout matches will be played on 3 and 4 December 2015.

Other sporting codes

The Sevens Rugby team from the UFS will compete in the USSA Tournament in George on 30 November and 1 December 2015.

For the past two years, the team has won bronze, and will be playing three league matches on 30 November 2015 against the North-West University's Vaal Campus, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University's Port Elizabeth Campus, and the Vaal University of Technology.

Kovsies are the current Varsity Sevens Champions after winning the title in Cape Town in April 2015.

Ten Kovsie swimmers took part in the USSA Tournament in Johannesburg from 28 November to 30 November 2015. Last year, Kovsies came third, but unfortunately some of their leading swimmers were unable to take part this year.

The Kovsie Table tennis team will participate in the USSA Tournament in Kimberley from 30 November to 4 December 2015.

Most of the USSA Tournaments in the other sporting codes were either postponed or cancelled because of the recent nationwide student protests. As a result of the protests, exams were written later, and tournaments would have taken place during the holidays.

Only the tennis, table tennis, Sevens rugby, swimming, and cricket B Division in East London will continue.

The USSA Soccer Tournament, to take place at the UFS and the Central University of Technology in Bloemfontein, was postponed until March 2016.

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