Redford Conservancy SANPARKS Alien Clearing Project
Redford Conservancy and Sanparks have started an alien clearing project which, if successful, could lead to permanent jobs in The Crags .
This started with a visit from Maretha Alant, Chief Planner of Sanparks for the Garden Route. She attended one of our committee meetings and walked with us along a conservation corridor which was an ongoing project. She was also taken to various sites near the Whiskey Creek National Park to assess infiltration of alien vegetation.
As a result of this liason with Sanparks, we were given the opportunity of starting a project with them to clear certain private properties of alien vegetation. It was decided to start with properties bordering on Whiskey Creek, as the preservation of water in the Creek is being dangerously compromised by the infiltration of wattles, pines, blue gums and blackwoods.
Joseph Mapondo identified twenty workers, some of whom had previously been trained by Work for Water, but who were presently unemployed.. After several meetings with Nonhle Ntuli of Sanparks and the workers, arrangements were made for induction training of the teams in Blaauwkrans and Harkerville. A few additional workers were included in the training in case anyone should fall out. Nonhle Ntuli was appointed to oversee the whole operation, survey the private properties and and draw up a working plan. She started off by walking the boundaries and estimating how much work was to be done.
When the induction training had been completed, the teams were issued with work apparel and equipment. Two teams under contractors Jakobus Plaatjies and Priscilla Kilani started work on The Broome.. When this is completed, the teams will move onto the neighbouring farm, The Hope.
This initial project will come to an end on 31 March, and then an assessment will be made on the success of the operation. We are hoping that this will be positive and lead to permanent jobs starting in April.
Colleen Noble
We would like to thank the Bitou Municipality for its assistance in obtaining excellent aerial maps of the individual properties in the Redford Conservancy
View the Redford Conservancy listing.