Bridgevale Park and Nature Reserve to feature in conservation festival

BRIDGEVALE Park and Nature Reserve will play host to a few activities at this year’s Trees & Seas Festival.

The annual week-long festival is a way to celebrate and protect our oceans and green spaces as well as to highlight the importance of conservation.

Durban North resident and endurance swimmer, Sarah Ferguson, who runs a non-profit organisation (NPO), Breathe Ocean Conservation, said a number of events are planned for the week.

At Bridgevale, in particular, Breathe, Enviro Fixers Durban North and the Kinship Programme have teamed up for a number of activities, including tree and grassland planting, alien invasive removal and interactive talks.

“We really wanted to show people they do not have to travel to see nature – it is right here on their back door. Bridgevale Park and Nature Reserve is a local park I walk in regularly and love the work Enviro Fixers Durban North does. One of the main features of Trees & Seas is to plant trees, so we thought Enviro Fixers was a perfect fit to try and plant indigenous grasslands and trees. We will be hosting daytime activities at Bridgevale on September 9 and 10 (from 07:00 to 10:00) and most evenings from 18:00,” she said.

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Other evening events include a night walk, stargazing with the Astronomical Society of South Africa, a bat walk, shark dissections and a film screening among other interactive talks/activities.

“Our main venue for the festival is BP Scout Camp in Burman Bush, where every evening event will occur. The events are free for everyone, and they are child-friendly. We want people to bring their whole family. People can find a list of activities on our website (www.breatheconservation.org) from Friday, September 1 to Sunday, September 10. The primary purpose of the Trees & Seas Festival is to engage with local individuals and encourage them to reconnect with nature and hopefully get people to take action on their day-to-day behaviour around disposable plastic and sustainability,” she said.

Enviro Fixers Durban North member Jane Troughton encouraged residents to support the events at Bridgevale Park.

“Over the years of transforming the green space, the one area we felt needed attention was increasing the biodiversity of the grasslands. We hope to improve that so there will be a number of seedlings to plant on the date. We will be planting five species of grass which will attract more insect and bird life. With the significance of Arbour Month, we will also position several hundred plants for people to plant. All they need is to bring their spades. We are honoured to work with Sarah and Breathe, and we really hope to showcase one of the gems of Durban North to all who attend,” Troughton said.

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