School pride, teamwork and a little healthy competition came alive in Monteseel this Arbour Month when learners from five KwaZulu-Natal schools swapped their classrooms for the great outdoors. Their mission? To plant fruit trees that will help establish a space for ongoing community engagement, personal development and learning, with opportunities for training in tree propagation and caring for the land, all while competing for the title in the annual Husqvarna South Africa Schools Challenge.

Hosted at Greenheart Organics in partnership with Food & Trees for Africa, the 2026 event brought together teams from Durban High School, Weston Agricultural College, Glenwood High School, Westville Boys’ High School and Hillcrest High School for an afternoon that tested their teamwork, speed, efficiency and tree-planting skills.

In the previous two editions, teams competed to dig holes for the trees. This time, they took on the full planting process, from digging and adding compost to planting, mulching and watering. Ground preparation made the soil softer to work with, but the additional tasks demanded more coordination and care from each team.

While there could only be one winner, the purpose went beyond school honours. For learners, it was a chance to contribute something practical while learning what it takes to give a newly planted tree a good start.

After a fiercely contested challenge, Weston Agricultural College was crowned the 2026 champion, taking home a Husqvarna blower and a R5,000 voucher to redeem at Husqvarna’s online store. Durban High School secured second place and a R5,000 voucher, while Hillcrest High School finished third and received a R2,500 voucher.

Every participating school also went home with a fruit tree to plant on its grounds, allowing learners to put their new skills into practice beyond the competition.

Kathy Boast, an educator at Weston Agricultural College, said the team was incredibly proud to take the title. “The learners really threw themselves into the challenge and worked exceptionally well as a team. Of course, as previous winners and runners-up, they came here wanting to win. But what made the experience particularly special was knowing that they were also contributing to something that will have an impact long after today.”

Husqvarna South Africa Marketing Manager Timothy Isabirye said the event's evolution reflects the company’s desire to make its annual Arbour Month initiative more meaningful.

“Every year, we ask ourselves how we can build on what we did before and give learners more to take away from the experience,” he explained. “This is about giving young people the chance to get outside, put their hands in the soil and realise that planting and caring for trees is something we can all take part in.”

And the partnership with Food & Trees for Africa connects the event to an organisation that works across South Africa through tree-planting, food-security and environmental programmes.

“These fruit trees have been planted to benefit the community,” Isabirye noted. “But reaching that point takes time, suitable growing conditions and ongoing care. Planting day is the start, and we want learners to see that looking after a tree matters just as much as getting it into the ground.”

“The trophy and the competition are the fun part,” he added. “We hope learners leave proud of what they’ve done, with a new practical skill and an understanding of how they can contribute to making their world a better place.”