Every year the "Green Charity" of Comrades sets an even bigger target than the year before. It started with planting 13 000 trees in 3 days in 2009 (one for every runner). In 2010, it was 22 000, this year the innovative Hilton-based NGO, Wildlands Conservation Trust, is committing to planting 30 000 trees in honour of the Ultimate Human Race. All trees are grown by community members who are making a better life for themselves and contributing to greening the 'City of Choice', where the finish line will be at this year's Comrades.

"This is the first time we'll be planting the trees in the uMgungundlovu district. We're working on restoring degraded forest and greening pockets of Pietermaritzburg, starting with the 30 000 tree's we're planting as part of our Comrades ReLeaf campaign this year," said Strategic Manager for Ecosystem Restoration, Mr Andrew Whitley. The last two years the trees were planted in the 780 ha buffer area around the Buffelsdraai Landfill Site, near Verulam, as part of the eThekwini Municipality's Greening Durban 2010 and Municipal Climate Protection Programmes', mitigating the carbon emissions in the greater Durban area.

All the trees are grown by 'tree-preneurs'. These 'tree-preneurs are individuals are identified through community networks and schools as some of the most vulnerable members in the community. Facilitators, who are employed from the community, provide the tree-preneurs with starter packs, and mentor them until their trees are ready for barter. Wildlands focus on providing livelihoods and educational support through the 'Green Futures Stores" and tree-preneurs barter their trees for goods such as food, clothes, building materials, and water tanks. School and university fees are also paid for in this way. There are now more than 4000 tree-preneurs in 23 communities around KZN, Mpumalanga, Gauteng and the Western Cape.

The 30 000 trees planted as part of this year's comrades campaign will form part of the soon-to-be-launched KZN Integrated Greening Initiative - a partnership between Wildlands and the KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Government. "The Programme aims to develop and implement a wide range of community-based greening activities. These will stimulate local economic development whilst nurturing the establishment of vibrant, self motivated communities that are clean, green and driven by inspired 'green-preneurs'," said Wildlands CEO, Dr Andrew Venter. This includes the tree-preneurs, as well as a network of 'waste-preneurs' who collect and recycle waste through the same barter system. These waste-preneurs and tree-preneurs are then nurtured into 'green entrepreneurs' who will provide a range of community based environmental services, including the provision of bicycles, water tanks and alternative energy solutions. Through this initiative 1 million indigenous and fruit trees will be planted over the next 5 years! Bonitas Medical Fund is an anchor partner of this initiative.

Bonitas Medical Fund, have supported Wildlands for 4 years now. Mike Macamo, Acting Marketing General Manager of Bonitas Medical Fund, explained the partnership: "Lifelong good health is not possible without a healthy, sustainable natural environment. Wildlands is taking giant steps to achieve this and at the same time supporting the development of green entrepreneurs who are taking charge of their lives and livelihoods".

All funds raised by the campaign and Wildlands "Green Champs" (runners who campaign to raise funds for Wildlands before the event) go towards supporting a network of green entrepreneurs around South Africa.