EDITOR – I must commend you on your column last week about the Parks Department and their lack of care or knowledge about alien invasives and indigenous trees.
I have personally seen them cut the verge of grass and ground orchids, only to leave Bug weed trees standing.
I would also like to support the excellent letters written by Shirley Friedman and Maryanne Paxton regarding the Moringa Tree. There are many conservancies in the Highway area that spend their personal time and effort (not to mention raising funding) trying against all odds to get rid of invasive species. We are fighting a losing battle.
We have very little help from government departments, although it is against the law to have listed invasive plants on your property.
There are still many people who have no idea what an ‘invasive weed is, or what damage it does, so for example, a small grassland under local care is seeded all the time by neighbouring houses that grow invasive weeds… hence our problem.
We are understandably very nervous about having thousands of Moringa trees planted, and these people need to be mindful of our concerns, this is not personal in any way.
No one is saying they can’t plant the tree, but under the current circumstances, a proper EIA,and consultation with experts must take place first.
The same would apply if you had to plant thousands of one species of indigenous tree, obviously, this would also become a problem, and threat to other indigenous species, and you would then end up with a plantation.
Elaine Kool
Gillitts
