Steyn City has birds on the brain
STEYN CITY - After helping with the rehabilitation of a spotted eagle owl in February, Steyn City has committed to protecting all species living on the property.
The spotted eagle owl, fondly named Strix by the staff of Steyn City was found at the clubhouse with an injured wing. Strix was treated at FreeMe where he recovered until he was strong enough to return to the estate (FreeMe gives birds wings, week ending 4 April).
With the help of EcoSolutions, a company which has been involved in urban ecological planning for the past 15 years, the owl was moved to an owl pen on the roof of the Steyn City clubhouse. Strix was fed and monitored daily for about three weeks before being released.
CEO of Steyn Properties, Giuseppe Plumari said the company had invested in numerous ecological initiatives with the assistance of EcoSolutions, to ensure that the estate strove towards being ecologically responsible during the construction phase, and remained so upon completion.
One such initiative is EcoSolution’s Owl Box Project, which aims to create safe breeding sites for the spotted eagle owl and the barn owl. Nine spotted eagle owl boxes and six barn owl boxes have been erected around the estate.
Steyn City has also invested in natural pest control mechanisms through 30 artificial perches, and 10 bat hotels at key points within the estate to control rodent and insect populations. These natural pest control methods reduce the need for pesticide usage, and in turn help create a cleaner environment.
