The City of Cape Town’s Recreation and Parks Department joined hands with community-based groups and volunteers to facilitate habitat restoration and sustainability initiatives.
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This comes as the department facilitated three events to commemorate the occasion, which took place on 5 June.
On Friday, the department was joined by the Biodiversity Management Branch and volunteers at the Batavia Street Public Open Space (POS) in Bothasig to reintroduce Protea species that have become extinct locally.
The Batavia Street POS was chosen by community members who observed rare and endangered Cape Flats Sand Fynbos species.
Community members took the initiative to ensure that the POS is managed to protect these unique species and to improve the overall conservation of the space.
Species planted included the critically endangered strawberry spiderhead (Serrura aemula), the endangered sunshine conebush (Leucadendron salignum) and the thistle sugarbush (Protea scolymocephala).
On Monday, the Recreation and Parks Ecological Management Team, volunteers, residents of Penhill, along with the Ikamva group from Eerste River and the Buzani Kubawo Inyanga Association group from Mfuleni, planted various fynbos species and scattered seeds from more than 20 plant species at Penhill Conservation area in Eerste River. These include thistle protea, bakkerbos, cancer bush, blue African sage, padsabos and others.
Then yesterday, the department was joined by community members in sowing and scattering seeds of local fynbos species at the Jack Muller Park in Bellville.
‘Parks and public open spaces in our urban environment are important community assets and foster an appreciation of nature, right on our doorsteps,’ said Mayco member Patricia Ross.
‘Through these community-driven initiatives, we contribute to the ecological improvement of parks and other public open spaces, while also fostering a sense of ownership and a co-responsibility to protect and maintain these spaces.’
‘These initiatives enable communities to take pride in their parks and create a lasting legacy.’
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Also read:
City plants 300 plants to Bellville park for World Environment Day
Picture: Supplied / CoCT