Progress seen in controlling alien invaders despite lockdown delay

Lockdown certainly caused a significant delay in the controlling of alien invaders around Parys with progress not being as expected in all areas. Though, various teams, managed by GreenThorn Environmental Solutions on behalf of Natural Resource Management of Department of Environmental Affairs, are still working on terrestrial and aquatic invaders and bush encroachment not only around Parys, but also in Potchefstroom, Klerksdorp and Hoopstad.

Progress seen on the Parys Golf and Country Estate is quite good, as the team responsible for cleaning the dam supplying water for the golf course, managed to remove 100% of the Water hyacinth plants from the dam. As for the Terrestrial work on this land, about 80% of the planned work is completed, where the focus was mainly on Blue gum trees and Bankrupt bush. This team is also busy cleaning alien invaders on the riparian of the island. At this part of the work the progress is also good with the river now visible in some areas. Progress of the work of the other 2 teams working on Aquatic plants are visible. Currently they do follow-up work between golf island and the sewerage plant downstream of the river. The plan is to control small Blue gum trees on the island where access is possible. Apart from controlling Aquatic plants on the river, there are also teams working on farms around Parys, controlling alien invaders on the riparian of the river, but also Bankrupt bush on farms away from the river. Although progress is slow on the riparian, due to difficult access and other challenges, progress on controlling Bankrupt bush is good. Work on other areas with Bankrupt bush will continue.

Although the overall budget for the project was reduced, the project planned to add some teams on certain areas. Currently they are busy training new people to prepare for the next season. Apart from the work around Parys, the project is also working on the following areas: Boskop just outside Potchefstroom, where two teams completed 50% of the planned work. In Klerksdorp, where two teams on terrestrial completed about 40% of the work, while one team working on Aquatics, manage to clean four sites on Schoonspruit. Currently they will work on two other sites on the spruit, while follow-up on the other sites would also be included in the work program. Lastly there are 5 teams working on Sandveld Nature Reserve between Hoopstad and Bloemhof. Work on these sites are about 80% completed.