Locals clean up Seaton Park
Eight tons of rubbish collected by local residents in park clean-up.
THE Seaton Park Nature Reserve is home to a variety of plants and birds as well as a number of running trails that cover the six-hectare conservation site. However, in recent years, illegal dumping and littering have become common occurrences at the park. Volunteers who regularly clean the park find anything from chairs to old television sets to toilets to sheets of glass to lawnmowers.
Last week, residents of Lothian Road and a local business, SA Asphalt, begun a clean-up operation to uplift the park. More than 30 black bags filled to the brim were filled in just a few hours. Eight tons of rubbish in total was collected in Thursday’s clean-up alone.
The clean-up project, spearheaded by local resident, Derek van Rensburg, takes place every few months.
“It’s part community upliftment, part social responsibility. What we’ve seen in recent years is that people dump in the thick undergrowth, either from Lothian Road or from Logan Place up at the top of the reserve. They go through all this trouble to get rid of their rubbish and, when it rains heavily, the rubbish floods to the bottom of the park.
“The fence surrounding the reserve has also been stolen in places, which leaves the reserve easily accessible to dumpers. It’s such a beautiful spot with wildlife in its abundance, it’s just a huge shame to see such a mess. Four years ago I decided something needed to be done and we begun this clean-up campaign,” he said.
Conservationist, Steven Entwistle who also took part in the clean-up said that the scarcity of bins in the park contributed to the dumping.
“There’s no bins along Lothian Road, which is a major problem. That contributes to the littering and illegal dumping. It’s amazing how much rubbish is located deep in the reserve.
“People go through so much trouble to conceal it when its easier to take the rubbish to the city dump located nearby,” he explained.
The Van Rensburg family has asked the municipality if they could support Adopt-A-Spot, but there has been no response.
“The municipality’s Parks Department does help out, but I feel we could help out more. It’s a beautiful spot and the park is well-frequented by children and picnickers, and we would like to contribute to the cleanliness of it,” he said.
