Biodiversity thrives at Kyalami Business Park
KYALAMI- According to Kyalami Business Park estate manager, Eddie Crous the estate has undergone a major green initiative and has changed the ways it deals with eco solutions.
Although Crous has only been the estate manager for two years, he has introduced new and fascinating concepts to tackle the bio-diversity and wildlife of the estate. Crous noted there were more than 205 businesses located in the estate and all have contributed to the eco-awareness programme.
“I told my team we have to lead by example, we need to show them [businesses] what to do and how to do it, and restore the park’s green life to its natural form,” said Crous. He introduced a ‘take out, give back’ programme which sees some plants and trees being removed and transplanted to other parts of the estate where they will be able to thrive.
Additionally Crous has reduced the costs and upkeep of the flora by producing his own compost and ‘crown lifting’ operation, which entails the removal of dead trees and troublesome alien plantation.
The wood chips and wood are taken to a nearby township and given to the community to use.
Crous stressed that the estate’s biodiversity needed to be looked after. However, he has run into some problems, “Some residents were feeding the ducks bread which have made their homes in the dams,” he said. “This is a problem because the yeast in the bread causes a bacterial fungus in the ducks and they die.”
Crous rectified the problem by educating business owners and their employees about the issue.
He said only succulents and plants that were hardy were planted in the estate. “The dessert-type plantation requires little water, which is great so we do not need to use litres of water to maintain them bringing the costs significantly down,” added Crous.
He said there were further plans to increase the biodiversity of the estate.
