Hi, I'm Mia ♡

Mia's Roots

Trees · People · Wildlife · A greener tomorrow.

A youth-led initiative planting indigenous trees in Durban to create healthier, greener spaces for people, wildlife and future generations.

R250 = 1 tree100% indigenousYouth-led in DurbanPart of SA's One Billion Trees movement

Small actions, big change ♡

Mia's Story

A deep love for the bush

I’m Mia, a 17-year-old from Durban, and I’ve always had a deep love for the bush. Every holiday I could, I was in nature: exploring, hiking, and feeling at home among the trees and wildlife. That love for the outdoors and my passion for the environment has always been a huge part of who I am.

I wanted to do something that wouldn’t only benefit me, but also the people and the environment around me. I want to leave my mark on this city, something that will be here for years to come.

So I'm starting with what I know best. Trees.

My Vision

A greener Durban where people and wildlife thrive together

I want to create a greener Durban where people and wildlife can thrive together. A city with more trees, more green spaces, and more opportunities for communities to get involved and make a difference.

Someday, I hope this can grow into something bigger: a place where people, nature and wildlife are always connected.

Healthy trees = healthy people = a healthier planet ♡

The What, How & Why

What?

I plant indigenous trees in local areas of Durban. Trees help restore green spaces, support wildlife and make our city healthier and more beautiful.

How?

People donate money, and I use those contributions to buy indigenous tree saplings. Then I plant them in my local area with the support of the community group On the Verge.

Why?

I grew up loving the bush, and my passion for the environment and wildlife has always been part of who I am. I want to give back to the city I call home, create spaces where people can come together, and help wildlife thrive. This is about leaving a legacy.

Trees. People. Wildlife.

This isn’t just about planting trees. It’s about building a stronger, greener, more connected community. When we plant indigenous trees, we’re not just helping the environment. We’re creating a home for wildlife, a cleaner city, and a space for people to come together.

TreesCleaner air and greener spaces

PeopleStronger communities

WildlifeBiodiversity and healthier habitats

Roots that outlast me

I finish school at the end of 2027. Mia’s Roots is built to keep growing after that.

Sep 2026 – Mar 2027

Seed

Launch the website and crowdfunding campaign. First planting day with On the Verge, in time for the summer rains.

2027 · matric year

Root

Regular planting days each rainy season. Bring school friends and other schools in. Report every tree on the Tree Tracker.

2028 onwards

Grow

Youth ambassadors take on planting days while I stay on as founder. Businesses adopt their own groves.

The long view

Canopy

Today’s saplings become shade, fruit and nesting trees. A living forest Durban can walk under for decades.

Greening Durban

Right tree, right place

We plant trees that grow naturally in Greater Durban first, then across KwaZulu-Natal. A Cape tree is not a Durban tree. Indigenous trees evolved here. They feed local birds, bees and butterflies, cope with our climate, and use water more gently than many invasive species. Some invasive trees draw heavily on groundwater and crowd out the plants our wildlife depends on. Replacing them with indigenous trees helps rebuild a natural ecosystem, one sapling at a time.

Trees we plant

Indigenous to Greater Durban first, then the rest of KwaZulu-Natal. Final choice depends on each site.

Bird magnet

Coral tree

Erythrina lysistemon

Bright red winter flowers full of nectar for sunbirds.

Street & park

Wild plum

Harpephyllum caffrum

Evergreen shade tree with fruit that birds and monkeys love.

Wet areas

Water berry

Syzygium cordatum

Grows along streams and wetlands and helps hold riverbanks together.

Big shade

Natal & forest mahogany

Trichilia emetica & T. dregeana

Wide, dark-green canopy; seeds feed many birds. Forest mahogany grows wild in Krantzkloof.

Coastal

Coastal red milkwood

Mimusops caffra

Tough against wind and salt spray; ideal near the coast and dunes.

Small spaces

Pompon tree

Dais cotinifolia

Small tree with pink flower balls, perfect for verges and gardens.

What we help replace

Common invasive species around Durban.

Invasive

Syringa

Melia azedarach

Spreads fast along roads and rivers and its berries are poisonous.

Invasive

Brazilian pepper tree

Schinus terebinthifolius

Forms dense thickets that shade out indigenous plants.

Thirsty

Gum & wattle

Eucalyptus & Acacia spp.

Use large amounts of water, lowering water tables and stream flow.

Large invasive trees are only removed with the right permissions and by trained teams. Our volunteers focus on planting and on pulling up invasive seedlings.

A national movement

Durban's trees, South Africa's billion

In April 2026 South Africa launched the Presidential One Billion Trees campaign: one billion trees in five years, as part of the National Greening Programme. President Cyril Ramaphosa has described it as a response to “the spatial inequality created by apartheid-era urban planning”, where some suburbs were given tree-lined streets and others were left bare. The campaign puts indigenous trees first and targets invasive species that drain surface water. That’s exactly what Mia’s Roots does, one Durban street at a time.

“Together, we can achieve our goal of planting one-billion trees across South Africa over the next five years.”President Cyril Ramaphosa, October 2026

1 billion

trees to be planted across South Africa in five years

7.1 million+

planted nationally since April 2026

1 million+

already planted in KwaZulu-Natal

Every tree

Mia’s Roots plants will be registered with the national programme, with a photo and GPS location

Figures from the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment and the Presidency, September–October 2026. Mia’s Roots is an independent youth project, not affiliated with government.

How a planting day works

You donate

Every rand raised on BackaBuddy goes into the tree fund.

We buy saplings

Indigenous saplings from local nurseries, chosen for each site.

We agree the site

Sites are chosen with On the Verge and, where needed, the municipality.

We plant together

Volunteers clear invasive seedlings, then plant, mulch and stake each tree.

We care for them

A watering rota looks after each tree through its first dry season.

We report back

Every tree is logged with a photo and location on the Tree Tracker.

Tree Tracker

Every tree, counted

Your support, made visible. This page is updated after every planting day.

0trees planted

R0raised

0planting sites

0volunteers

Goal: 500 trees by the end of 20270% of the way

Our first planting day is coming soon.

Every tree we plant also counts towards South Africa's Presidential One Billion Trees campaign.

Grow your own grove

Slide to choose a donation and watch your trees appear.

R250= 1 tree

R50R25,000

Your own tree, logged with a photo and GPS on our Tree Tracker.

Donate R250 on BackaBuddy

On BackaBuddy, enter R250 as your donation.

Where the money goes

Indigenous sapling± R150
Compost, mulch and stake± R60
Watering and aftercare± R40
One tree, planted and cared forR250

Planning estimates. Costs are confirmed with our nursery and shared on this page as we go.

Planting log

Date	Site	Trees	Species
The first planting day will appear here, with photos and locations.

Get Involved

Together we can make Durban greener

Donate

Every little bit helps. Your donation buys indigenous trees and keeps this project growing.

Volunteer

Join planting days and community events with On the Verge. Bring gloves, a hat and a friend.

Adopt a grove

Businesses and schools can sponsor a grove of 20 trees, with recognition here and on planting day.

Spread the word

Follow, share and help bring more people on board. Every share could plant another tree.

A grove grows from one sapling ♡Coral tree · Forest mahogany · Pompon tree: all indigenous to KwaZulu-Natal

Our Plantners

Our Plantners: the partners who plant with us

Every tree goes in the ground thanks to these people.

Community greening partner

On the Verge

A local Durban organisation greening and beautifying our suburbs, one verge at a time. They help choose planting sites, run planting days and bring the volunteers.

Mia's school

Eden Eco Club

The eco club at Mia’s school. Its learners plant alongside Mia and will help carry Mia’s Roots forward as the next generation of youth ambassadors.

Join us

Become a Plantner

Businesses, schools and community groups can sponsor a grove, host a planting day or lend a hand. Let’s grow Durban together.

Contact

Keep up with the journey

I’ll be sharing updates, photos, planting days and the impact your support makes. To volunteer, sponsor a grove or suggest a site that needs trees, email me.

mia@miasroots.co.za