Beachwood Mangroves boardwalk to be replaced

SEVERAL sections of the boardwalk around the Beachwood Mangroves Nature Reserve are set to be replaced. Work started in earnest on Saturday to replace 340 metres of the oldest section of the boardwalk at the 76-hectare nature reserve. Basil Pather, conservation manager at Beachwood, said the work was sorely needed in three sections of the reserve.

“Some of the sections are between 15 and 20 years old and the wood was rotting so badly in places that it was making it unsafe to walk around the reserve. We are now replacing the wood with plastic timber, which has a longer life expectancy and is perfectly suited for the boardwalk. This is all possible thanks to a partnership between Grindrod Bank and Wildlands. The funding for the project was done through the Blue Fund, which was created with a focus on the sustainable development of coastal communities and conservation of coastal marine ecosystems.

“Work is expected to be completed by 1 May. We are so grateful that this is happening, this is a much-needed project. The timber used in the project is made of recycled plastic, which maintains a reduced carbon footprint,” he said.