The Cape Bird Club
Invasive vegetation removal - "hacking".
This is a working relationship with the City and the Cape Bird Club.
We need more volunteers to help, as a number of regulars have had to move on for various reasons.
Alan Morris (who initiated the hacks at
Zandvlei in the 1970s when he was Chairman of the CBC),
David Osborne and Una Hartley - Wildwood Island 05/12/2004.
Una Hartley a non - CBC member, has hacked and cleared litter continuously for more than 25 years at Zandvlei. A big thank you to Una for all the dedicated effort, time, enthusiasm, hard work and friendship you have given.
What are you to help conserve the birding habitat at the Zandvlei Nature Reserve?
Where
The Cape Bird Club has a long history at Zandvlei, and has had monthly
'hacks' started by
Alan Morris in 1978. He initiated the practise for the Cape Bird
Club when he was Chairman. Alan grew up in Muizenberg and knew the area well.
Bill Rudings took over as leader in 1985 and subsequently Gavin Lawson in 1991.
In 2006 the Wildwood Bird Sanctuary changed dramatically to be called the Greater Zandvlei Estuary Nature Reserve. It is now a local authority nature reserve, whereas it had no legal status before. It has changed from 24 hectares to 96 hectares, and includes all the water surface of Zandvlei to the mouth and a number of terrestrial areas surrounding the vlei, including Bokmakierie Park in Bath Road. This process took about 6 years to achieve by the 'local interest groups' with the City.
We work in an adjacent Sandplain Fynbos area called Grysbok Park. Currently we are clearing a remaining biodiversity corridor from Muizenberg to Zandvlei across Old Boyes Drive to help connect the coastal strip from the Table Mountain pennisula to the Koegelberg Biosphere. This area is made up of Granite Fynbos which has introduced new plant and other species to the Reserve.
When
The 'rehabilitation' takes place every, 2nd Saturday afternoon of the month at 14h00.
Contact Gavin Lawson
021 705
5224.
Why
The idea is to remove these species, so that the biodiversity of indigenous plant species may be encouraged. This also promotes the diversity of other living species, which make up or are part of habitats and ecosystems.
The exotic invasive vegetation often dominates areas, where it grows and therefore suppresses the indigenous plants. The exotic plants grow very quickly, removing large amounts of water from the soil and creating a shade covering
canopy. This canopy prevents the sunlight reaching the ground, where the low growing ground covers and seedlings struggle to grow.
The invasive plants can and some do alter the soil characteristic by adding
nitrogen to it. The fynbos vegetation usually grows in nitrogen poor soils.
This is an opportunity to "give back" with some of your time and effort. You can also learn and see more of the surrounding Nature Reserve, where we as CBC members enjoy regular outings, and have done so for many years.
December 2011. updated 22/12/2011.
A day of all the seasons, cool rainy in the morning clearing and then threatening to rain again and eventually clearing up completely.
The plan was to cut the Australian myrtle, but it had been mostly cut down by the Reserve staff. So we went into the southern boundary area, which is like a jungle. We cut branches of gum trees, manatoka trees and hacked pathways through the very dense vegeation of garden escapee plants. Prickly pear, euphorbias, plactranthas, Cape honeysuckle and numerous other species. The slope is very steep where we were working.
Catherine is amazed at the density of the growth in the area. It is like a jungle.
Milan almost in his backyard.
Bowen sawing the trunk of a Manatoka tree.
Susan trimming branches so we can get in at the base of the stems.
Surveying the prickly pear escapee.
Bert topping up with herbicide.
Sue contemplating the prickly pear .....and not her navel.
Sue and Bowen tackling the young seedlings on the slope above Cap Michel Close.
The last hack for 2011, well done to the dedicated participants throughout the year,
thank you and may you be back next year, to continue the battle.
August 2011.
An overcast day and drizzling weather at times, pleasant to work in. The view from where we were working.
I checked on the plants which the Mountain Men and the Reserve Staff planted on
Mandela
Day, they are all doing very well even with the very dry weather for mid winter. We continued in the top area, Bert had the gum trees in his sights and tackled them. The trees were copsed from a previous cutting. On the steep slope there is sisal, prickly pear plants growing which need to be treated. A neighbour is concerned about unwanted persons climbing over his boundary fence in this area. A possible solution is planting aloes as a security device along side his fence. The aloes would supply the bees with pollen and nectar in the winter.
Sue knocked over a garden refuse dumped yucca plant.
Chris cutting a port jackson sappling. An example of sisal plants which need taking care of.
Bert chopping the gum trees copsed branches off, previously cut trees which had regrown.
Susan lopping branches off rooikrans and brazilian pepper trees.
The only wildlife present today. There were a few Dotted Border butterflies flying about.
The sun appeared near home time. Chris climbing up the slope.
July 2011.
The biodiversity corridor from the Reserve across Boyes Drive to Muizenberg.
The view over the Reserve area where we are working. The Chasmanthae are in flower.
Bert has cut down a rooikrans tree.
Chris dragging branches away so they may be collected.
Sue cutting branches away from the stem so the cutters can get in close to the ground.
May 2011.
More butterflies this month. Cape Autumn Widows were in flight over the grass areas near the intersection of Old Boyes Drive and Main Road. The weather was unusual as far as work days for hacking, it was a very pleasant, grey overcast cool day, with no wind. Seldom is there no wind on the slopes of the mountain.
Bert has cut down a Port Jackson on this steep slope.
We cut down a number of Rooikrans, Port Jackson and Manatoka trees opening up more areas for light and air movement. A very large Leucospermum conocarpodendron (Pincushion) was found and we cleared 3 large Rooikrans trees away from the eastern side, which had stunted its growth. The invassives blocked out the sunlight with their towering canopies. Bert also went back to the corner on Old Boyes Drive and cut down 3 remaining Spanish or Yellow Broom plants.
Bowen about to cut down a Port Jackson tree.
Bowen saw what he identified as a Chinspot Batis. He had brief views with binoculars while it was flitting from shrub top to top, and by its actions was a male displaying. Another suggestion, it was a Cape Batis or could it have been a Bar throated Apalis? Anyway the sighting was a first for us in 2 years working this site. The others present could only see it without binoculars. Catherine found a Koppie Foam Grasshopper crawling around where she was working. Also a large pupae case of some unknown insect.
Koppie Foam Grasshopper.
Catherine dosing a Port Jackson stump after cutting
it down.
There is evidence of numerous bulbs species starting their winter growth. It will be interesting to see what they develop into. We came across another small shrub not seen on this site before covered in cream coloured berries.
Old Boyes Drive, April 2011.
We decided to work the big trees on the steep slope today. A number of large and small trees were cut down. There were a variety of butterflies flying around all afternoon in the area where we were working.
Catherine Burnett trimming branches to be able to get to the base of the Port Jackson tree.
Bert Bron and Catherine about to tackle this tree, also a Port Jackson.
Bert chopping down another.
Bowen Boshier cutting down a large Port Jackson tree......
....and timber, down it comes.
March 2011.
This was the view of the Zandvlei estuary from the site we were working in March 2011.
January 2011.
On a very hot day (+30 degrees) we decided to work in the area we call "the forest" - it was a thicket of 3 to 4 metre tall Port Jacksons last year. It now has many seedlings and a few copsed stumps we did not do properly. Between the 3 of us we managed to pull out hundreds of potential invasive trees, a job well done.
It is not difficult work and only 2 hours of your time once a month. We need consistant, regular, community effort from the team of dedicated and enthusiastic workers. Training and information is provided. This work assists the Nature Reserve staff who do not have enough hands to do the work.
Phone me if you are interested in helping with this project 021 705 5224 or Gavin Lawson.
There are many interesting things you can learn about nature and the area while we are working.
Sue Wishart sheltering under a tree pulling seedlings. Bert Bron moving dead branches to get
at the seedlings below.
Seedlings sprouting in groups. They are at a
These daisy type flowers are in bloom presently.
managable size at present.
A pretty pea type mauve flower on a slender stem. There is all sorts of life on the hillside, this orb web
spider is present to keep the balance of insects.
A Koppie Foam Grasshoper in search of
An attractive pale blue flower on a thin stemmed plant.
Milkweed plants.
