Exploring Pigeon Valley: Park management

This is the 35th in an ongoing series that highlights the riches of Pigeon Valley, the urban nature reserve in the heart of Glenwood. The focus of this article will be on management of the park.

I constantly write about the trees, birds, mammals and other species that Pigeon Valley sustains and sometimes people do not know who maintains it. Occasionally someone encounters me in the reserve and finally asks me, ‘Do you own this place?’ to which my response is ‘You are free to come anytime you like!’ Ultimately, it is owned by the people, but the people are represented by the municipality of Durban, which manages it under the policies of the EThekwini Metro.

There are daily tasks involved, such as cleaning and filling bird baths, removing litter (much of which is washed down from the roads in the area above the park), tidying the paved areas. Then there are clearings where grass has to be trimmed; fences have to be checked and sometimes trails have to be cleared of fallen wood. Regularly there are visits from rangers who check in particular on issues of security. Long term changes, such as the replacement of the fence around the park, are undertaken by this division.

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This management is carried out by the Natural Resources Division of the Parks, Recreation and Beaches Department, which is headed by Mr Kenneth Mabila. The role of the Friends of Pigeon Valley is different – this is a grouping of local residents and supporters of the reserve, led presently by Crispin Hemson. The Friends lead monthly walks, publicise the reserve and the species found there, keep records of species, take on alien clearing work, assist with litter removal and generally liaise with management. For example, a group led by Paulo Conde of Stella Athletics Club recently cleared litter from the trails.

Generally, the Friends liaise with management and discuss from time to time issues such as the replacement of fencing and repairs to the main track. The Glenwood Reservoir is on land that was once part of the reserve and is also maintained as a natural area, but is under the management of Durban Water.

Clearly the major concern for users of the park is security. Despite some troubling incidents outside the park – a murder outside the fence in 2018, for example – the security record inside has been mainly good. Of course, there are no guarantees in an insecure society, but I certainly feel much safer in the reserve than I do in streets closer to the city centre.

Crispin Hemson chairs the Friends of Pigeon Valley, a group that undertakes clearing of alien plants, keeps records of bird and mammal sightings and alerts management to any problems.

The Friends have a monthly walk at 7.30am on the second Saturday of each month. Email: friendsofpigeonvalley1@gmail.com.

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