ZBRRA

AIP Training for locals

June 16th, 2009

 

Zinkwazi Ratepayer’s Association and Conservancy work together.
 

Visitors to Zinkwazi will be aware of great activity on the verges. Avenues of indigenous tree are being introduced on verges. This is the Zinkwazi Conservancy’s initiative to ‘rehabilitate’ the village. The dormant Zinkwazi Conservancy was revived in August 08 by the Ratepayer’s Association. Under the management of their Admin manager, Wendy Balcomb, they have embarked on a project to remove alien invader plants from the village and to introduce indigenous substitutes. Wendy Balcomb, who works for the Ratepayers and the Conservancy said “We have employed and trained two staff who clear vacant properties of alien vegetation at the request of environmentally aware owners. We do not make a profit, but merely offer this as a service at cost to the community. Our reward is the emergence of lush bush and trees which for years have been smothered by tangled alien growth. Pioneer plants are not weeded out as their function is to protect the emergence of young saplings”

In order to encourage sound environmental practices in the area, the Ratepayers Association hosted a training course on Monday 23th May at Lagoon Lodge. Local farmers and garden services were invited at no cost.   Chemical advisor Julian Pybus and Vusi Khoza from Silvix Mtunzini gave a comprehensive presentation on identification and treatment of alien plants and a thorough understanding of chemical labeling and the handling of equipment.   There followed a practical in field demonstrations. 

The Ratepayers would like to thank Julian and Vusi for their services and for making the demo. so much fun ………..participants went home reciting botanical plant names filled with enthusiasm to put their new skills into practice. One farmer, Tony van Raalte reported that his employee earmarked several illegal plants in his garden the next day and is insistent that these should be removed !! 

The Ratepayers Association is developing an indigenous nursery in Zinkwazi which will provide residents with endemic shrubs and trees. “These plants will be used to improve the state of our Admiralty and for the rehabilitation of municipal parks. Our mission is to make Zinkwazi a sanctuary for birds and wildlife. We hope to provide our residents and visitors with a selection of bush trails and eco-parks for their recreation, education and enjoyment” Wendy Balcomb said.

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Environmental Officer

June 12th, 2008

 

Observant residents will have noticed a movement of blue amongst the foliage on 52 and 54 Nkwazi drive these past few days. You may notice that these densely overgrown vacant plots reveal some wilting castor oil or limp vines. Closer inspection will reveal at ground level a number of pink stumps. Thandela Ngcobo, in her blue overalls is hard at work. She is our newly employed Environmental Officer. We have employed Thandeka on a three month contract, to remove category 1and 2 alien invader plants.
The identification of badly invaded properties in Zinkwazi is complete. Most of these are vacant plots overgrown with lush vegetation. On closer inspection one sees a wealth of indigenous saplings battling to reach sunlight from beneath smothering vines.   Balloon vine is particularly heavy, and on Panorama, a magnificent tree is totally smothered. Opposite Ocean Reef I saw the leaves of a Trichilea Emetica after its ‘release’ - its leaves were glistening with the good health after five days of sunshine. How many more of these potential giants are labouring under the weight of aliens ?
  
I am encouraged by the positive interest in the Alien Plant Project. Several residents have requested assistance in the rehabilitation of their properties. Thandeka’s training and past experience in the identification of indigenous plants, and control of alien invaders, has equipped her to be selective and show sensitivity even to the most humble indigenous ‘weed’   ……nothing is removed unless it is undesirable and a threat to the endemic vegetation.
 
I would like to urge you to support this worthy indicative by joining concerned residents in returning Zinkwazi to its former beauty. We have a strip of admiralty which could be extended as a green belt to cover the town and afford protection and refuge to an amazing variety of birds and small creatures like porcupine, blue duiker and bushpig. Our lives would be richer for having them.
WB

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Strategy

May 31st, 2008

 

As stated at our AGM  in December 07, Neil Wallace our Chairman promised that our committee would devote a great deal of time and effort to the ‘bigger picture’.  We have started this journey in bringing awareness to the community and are heartened by the interest of residents.  With this in mind, we have employed an envrironmental officer, who is trained in plant id and methods of eradication of invaders.  June will see the beginning of a face lift for Zinkwazi which will only be evident in a couple of months.  The preparation is onerous compared to the execution of the task.  How I wish we could just lurch in, and show you the ‘gems’ under that tangle !!  Here is an outline of our project.
 

30th May 2008
 
Environment Portfolio strategy on Alien Invasive Plants (AIP )
Objective:
1)      To develop a skilled resource within ZinkwaziBeach that can tackle the AIP problem in the village. This is to be achieved through a combination of knowledge transfer, third party training and undertaking eradication and control projects  on a non profit funding basis.
It is envisaged that in time this can become a self standing independent operation
 
    2 )  Action Plan:
 
Employment of Environmental officer
·      Thandeka Ngcobo to start work on Monday 2nd June. She is to work 5 days a week flexi time for ZBRRA . Contract to be written up by WB on advice of Ian Crowther and advice of labour consultant to be sought re UIF. 
·      Her initial contract to be for 3 months trial period.
·      On satisfactory completion of this she will be employed full time by ZBRRA.
·      Her accommodation will be in the staff quarters of Bruce Sawyer, 56 Nkwazi Dr. She will work one day per week for Mr. Sawyer in exchange for this.
·      Training with Mike Butler and exposure to the working methods of Mtunzini Conservancy to be arranged during the initial trial period
 
Tasks to be achieved in the Three month Trial period:
 
·      Affected land to be identified and marked on map of Zinkwazi by T N and WB
·      Municipal. Verge, Municipal Park/Open Space, and Private land to be evaluated as separate target zones. 
·      We will select highly visible municipal areas which are easiest to tackle and develop a plan of action to remove and control AIP. as well as quantify cost involved in doing so. We will share this proposed plan with the councilor, Ward committee representatives and other interested parties represented on the ward area 2 subcommittee with the intention of getting a community based proposal to  KDM to get them to provide funding to execute the work under our supervision. I.e. contract ZBRRA to do the job.
 
Workshop to launch this ZBRRA initiative. By end June.
 
Garden Services – Ocean Echo, Garden Rite, Marie, KDM - Che Gophi and all interested residents be invited to attend a workshop to be held on the verge next to the hotel site on Magai.
Request Mike Butler with assistance of T.N to demonstrate methods of control and removal. Ted Vickers to be invited to give feed back on the work done in March, and to make his services available. 
 
2        Our activities and priorities for the balance of the year will be based on the outcome of this initial action plan .
 

 

 

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