Pigeon Valley UIP launches greening initiative
The greening initiative is being referred to as the Glenwood Gateway Garden.
CINDY-MAY Wang, an active member of the Pigeon Valley Urban Improvement Precinct, is flag-shipping a gardening initiative, located at the corner of Lena Arhens and Alan Paton Road.
The greening initiative is being referred to as the Glenwood Gateway Garden and, in partnership with various local collaborators, Wang has cleared a spot of land in the local park and has planted various indigenous plants to spruce up the area.
“Pigeon Valley UIP has been forging relationships with the eThekwini Parks Department and Roads Department to clear branches and garden refuse from the road gutter. Some community members have been cleaning up the area, as well, and the Parks Department have been helping to collect that debris and rubbish. And through those relationships, we have embarked on an Adopta-Spot project, our application is in and we are trying to place some plants, which were provided to us by the Parks Department, in this particular spot that we are still in the process of adopting,” said Wang.
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Wang says they have also partnered with public speaker, landscape designer and editor of The Gardener Magazine, Tanya Visser. “We have received a lot of help and support from Tanya Visser – she helped with the plant list, as well as the design and rollout management.”
Wang says they have been planting hardy indigenous, lowgrowing plants, so they keep the visibility clear for drivers coming around corners and the visibility clear in the park for pedestrians.
“We have started at the corner of the park, but the idea is to plant all the way through the park to make a path for pedestrians. Andrew Plint was part of the collaboration, as well, and he runs a landscaping and tree-pruning business. He prepped the ground for us originally – he and his team volunteered their time and eff orts to assist,” said Wang.
The initiative is also aiming to help the SAVF, a local organisation that provides housing for the elderly and youth and renders welfare and welfarerelated services.
“The SAVF and Jeanette Smit have also partnered with us by giving us water, and we are discussing their crime issues with them and how to best help prevent the ongoing theft they deal with in James Henderson Road. That means this transformation of the area will also be beneficial for their security,” concluded Wang.
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The Pigeon Valley UIP, has been running on volunteer donations from its inception last year, and will become a Special Rated Area form 1 July 2023, when the funding will come from residents as part of their rates bill.
The PV-UIP is currently focussing identifying premises for an office and putting together Terms of reference for personnel and contractors., Community members can go to the website (https://www.pigeonvalleyuip.durban/ ) for the news or join the WhatsApp group for regular updates and communication https://chat.whatsapp.com/DC7xxkAyR9NADDLKHyi9aI
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