KUBiC initiative continues to thrive

KLIPRIVER Drive in West Turffontein was spruced up on Wednesday, September 23, as the community and various stakeholders worked together to plant trees and paint the walls.

The Klipriver Urban Biodiversity Corridor (KUBiC) initiative is in its fourth year. It began three years ago with a purpose to establish a 12km biodiversity corridor along Klipriver Drive and create an environment which is visually pleasing to travellers. Klipriver Drive is the main arterial road which links the north to the south and where some of the key tourism opportunities are based in the South of Johannesburg.

The initial launch involved the introduction of the corridor, its objectives, focus and presentation of the design framework. Trees were planted to inaugurate the initiative. During the second year, indigenous seedlings were propagated to start a local nursery for the project. Pledges towards trees were also made to raise funds. In the third year, the launch of a sustainable clean-up drive was implemented by SOJO in partnership with city authorities. The drive included a roll-out of education and physical cleaning in the hope of involving the local communities and to encourage accountability for lawlessness.

This year the initiative is capitalising on some of the sustainable opportunities which were implemented last year and organisers hope to take this forward on an ongoing basis. Four key factors were implemented on the day:

1. Illegal signage and advertisements were removed from a designated area of a peripheral wall. Fifty children from Forest Hill Primary painted biodiversity artwork.

2. Illegal dumping was removed by authorities, business people, residents and other interested community representatives.

3. Fifty trees were planted inside the walls of the council owned flats. The children from Forest Hill Primary will take care of the trees as some of them reside in these premises.

4. Pikitup, Environmental Health, Social and City Parks Education Departments engaged with local residents. Upcycle engaged with the locals to introduce a model for the unemployed residents by showing them how to use their refuse to start up a self-sustained businesses and earn money.

Role-players and stakeholders on the day: SOJO Business and Tourism, KlipSA, Upcycle, Pretoria University students, Thaba Eco Hotel, Aspen Hills Home Owners and Development Association, Miss Earth SA ambassador, Kironia Environmental, city council: Region F, Pikitup, City Parks, CRUM (Citizen Relations Urban Management), law enforcement agencies, local ward councilors , local schools, local businesses and other NGOs.