A SMALL group of concerned Highway residents who are determined to preserve plants endangered by property development joined forces to form CREW, the Custodians of Rare and Endangered Wildflowers.
At present, CREW’s focus is on a stretch of open grassland beside Minerva Drive in Gillitts. This site is part of the Gillitts Conservancy in eThekwini’s Outer West and as part of the DMoss system established by the old Durban municipality several decades ago.
“It contains many indigenous plants, among which are several endangered wildflowers. Originally designated a site for a future school, the grassland covers perhaps about 4.5 hectares of ground, and is surrounded by private residences,” said CREW’s Yolande Hay-Buchanan.
CREW and the local conservancy members meet once each fortnight to identify a few of the threatened wild flowers and continue to add to the ever-growing list of species that has been built up by the conservancy since 2006. They also seek to identify threats to those plants from invasive aliens.
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“Unfortunately, some householders in the area do not share this concern. Conservancy members have identified cases of dumping garden waste in the grassland, as well as evidence of uprooting indigenous plants,” she said.
The conservancy members work in tandem with a team of municipal employees who are tasked to take care of the areas designated as DMoss corridors. The teams intend to preserve indigenous areas within the municipal boundaries. The team noted the removal of aliens was a major task for all concerned.
“If you are interested in the work of conservation and you would like more information you can contact us directly,” said Hay-Buchanan.
Contact Yolande Hay-Buchanan via email at yolande@isibindi.co.za or email Gill Browne at gillbrowne@gmail.com.
Caxton Local Media Covid-19 reporting
