Alberts Farm gets a clean-up

In lieu of Spruit Day which fell on September 19, Alberts Farm Conservancy held a spruit clean-up on September 18 of Montgomery Spruit, a branch of the Braamfontein Spruit.

The Braamfontein Spruit is said to be the longest stream in Johannesburg flowing through many neighbourhoods from Northcliff all the way to Midrand.

One of the conservancy committee members, Colleen Rood, said on the day, Johannesburg City Parks and Zoo brought a team of 30 people to help clean the spruit. Along with this team, residents, members of the Northcliff Lions, SCP Security and members of the Human Rights Commission were on hand to assist where they could.

The clean-up was very important as there is a lot of litter running into and through the spruit from Alberts Farm. This dirt would float to other communities. “We have to clean up here so that there is less going into the spruit further down,” explained Rood.

She added that a lot of the rubbish that gets into the spruit ends up blocking it. This makes it hard for the river to flow and causes a lot of damage and erosion on the sides of the spruit. The day’s efforts would also help to ensure birdlife and wildlife found along the spruit.

During this clean-up, items such as sponge beds, the front bumper of a car, clothing items and refuse bags full of rubbish were found.

In Roods opinion, the clean-up should be an ongoing process and requires everyone who uses the park to be mindful how they impact it. “It would really just help that if people come to visit the park they carry a plastic bag with them and help by picking up litter,” she said.

The conservancy committee thanked everyone who participated and supported, as well as the sponsors.