A successful year for the Westville Conservancy

THE year has wrapped up well for the Westville Conservancy as they highlighted their successes during the year. Among many other projects, the conservancy has been hard at work rehabilitating seven parks in the area. Three of the seven parks have been rehabilitated since August 2021. Fyfe, Sunnybrae and Duncan, and the Kingfisher Stream Catchment are maintained by Rob and his team and supported by Friends of Westville North Parks.

According to the conservancy, the seven parks are serving different purposes and have seen more community members get involved.

Susan Smith of the organisation said, “The rehabilitation of the Westville North parks started in August 2021, and to date, the Invasive Alien Plant (IAP) problem is fully under control, and the wetlands are protected from vehicles, mowing and brush-cutting activities, and protected by adequate buffer zones. The areas previously manicured into virtual green deserts, as a result of excessive and indiscriminate mowing and brush-cutting, have been greatly reduced, allowing the restoration of grassland and providing legally required buffer zones.”

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Smith said this year alone, the team worked a total of 33 man-days and in addition to treating the IAPs, removed nine black bags of litter and sent two sacks of glass and cans for recycling.

“Residents came out on a Saturday afternoon in July and again in November to help tidy up Duncan Park. It is always great when the community gets involved,” said Smith.
The conservancy listed the park and the work that is being done to maintain them.

Friends of Dawncliffe Parks
Portman Park has seen a major transformation over the year with all work being carried out by our wonderful team of volunteers from Friends of Dawncliffe Parks, who meet for a couple of hours every Wednesday morning. The hours worked were equivalent to 60 man-days.

Our aim was to restore the natural grassland, woodland, wetland and riverine forest habitats by removing and controlling Invasive Alien Plants and allowing the natural vegetation to flourish. A low, single, rail fence was erected along Portman Drive, which serves as a boundary for the park and demarcates the area for the verge brush-cutters. Inside the fence, a small indigenous garden has been planted up, and the natural grasses have been allowed to grow, transforming what was once bare soil.

Pathways have been demarcated through the natural areas, and these trails are very popular with nature lovers and dog walkers. Steps have been put in steeper sections to help prevent erosion and ‘stepping logs’ positioned in the muddy wetland section. The highlight is the wooden footbridge, which was completed in October and joins the paths on each side of the stream, so there is more to explore! Parks and Gardens have put up swings and a seesaw near one of the picnic tables, so the park has something for everyone.

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Jubilee Park
Jubilee Park is a rare example of a Coastal Swamp Forest and continues to be looked after and maintained by John and Marion and some of the residents who live around the perimeter of the park. As with all our parks and open spaces, keeping IAPs at bay is an ongoing process, but this park offers a wonderful trail along boardwalks where one encounters a wide variety of indigenous plants and trees and abundant birdlife.

Westville Dog Park
The Westville Dog Park continues to attract numerous dogs (and their owners) from far and wide across Durban, with up to 60 dogs joining in the fun over the weekends! Dogs can run free in the large grassy area, but there are also paths that can be followed through the natural areas. Westville Conservancy continues to maintain the forest and wetland areas, and this year saw some magnificent new steps built by the Early Morning Dog Walkers.

Eco Trail
The ever-popular Eco Trail in the heart of Westville offers nature walks and mountain-biking trails through lush indigenous vegetation. The trail suffered substantial damage and sewage contamination during the April floods, but thanks to the amazing work put in by the Westville Country Club, the trail has been restored. Siyanda from the Conservancy assists once a week, helping to remove and control the IAPs.

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Mkhula Park
Our newest project in the Dawncliffe area is the open space on Mkhula Road behind the Westville Athletics Club. This area has been very neglected and is comprised of about 90% invasive alien plants, but it has huge potential to be transformed into a safe and exciting park for the community to enjoy. We have started removing the large infestation of Mexican sunflower, but there is much to do, so watch this space for developments during 2023. Scarp Forest Work in a 14-acre section of the Umbilo Scarp Forest, running parallel to Cotswold Drive, started in mid-2020. The dense infestation of Litsea dominated the landscape, but this year, we finally reached the Umbilo River, and all large and medium trees have been treated. The resulting sunlight, combined with the heavy rains experienced during the year, gave an opportunity for seeds lying in the ground to germinate, and this led to more IAPs. So follow-up work continues, and gradually, indigenous trees and understory plants are becoming established, and this small section of the important corridor for nature, which joins with the Paradise Valley and Roosfontein nature reserves, is being rehabilitated.

The Westville Conservancy extended their gratitude to their volunteers whom they said have worked tirelessly, clearing IAPs and donating and planting indigenous plants in parks and gardens.
“We applaud you for your dedication and commitment. We also thank Plants-A-Plenty and Garden Waste Services, who have donated compost and mulch for our projects, and to Durban West Tourism for their donation towards the rehabilitation of our parks.”