Play your part in protecting our wetlands

Johannesburg City Parks and Zoo in collaboration with Rand Water and Birdlife SA ushered in the annual Flufftail Festival through a virtual discussion on World Wetlands Day on 2 February.

Melissa Whitecross of the Dunkeld West-based Birdlife SA welcomed community members to the first virtual Flufftail Festival, highlighting the importance of wetlands in the protection of a number of endangered birds.

Whitecross said that the critically-endangered white-winged flufftail bird, after which the festival is named, is estimated to have only 250 birds remaining.

The elusive bird occurs only in high-altitude peak-based wetlands in the Eastern African region. According to Whitecross, it is estimated that just 55 breeding pairs of this bird remain in Ethiopia due to wetland drainage. In South Africa, fewer than 50 of these birds are estimated to exist.

Whitecross explained that the Flufftail Festival was launched in 2015 to raise awareness about the white-winged flufftail and educate the public about the importance of preserving wetlands, where these birds live.

While the format of the festival has changed from being shopping-centre based in the early years to being located at the Johannesburg Zoo in the latter years and online during 2021, the message of the event has remained the same.

WaterWise coordinator and researcher Samanta Stelli expressed her concern that in South Africa, over 70 per cent of our wetlands have no protection at all. She said that while there are 300 000 remaining wetlands in the country, many are threatened.

Stelli explained that wetlands are an important source of fresh water on the planet, providing many essential goods and services.

Local residents are encouraged to play their part in protecting wetlands by using water wisely, supporting local wetland conservation initiatives, visiting local wetlands, starting wetland clean-ups, refraining from littering and illegal dumping and planting indigenous plants to save water.

Bioaquatics specialist at Johannesburg City Parks and Zoo Mulalo Mbedzi said that some of the most serious threats facing wetlands in the City of Joburg include: acid mine drainage, illegal dumping of rubble and household waste, sewage spills, removal of vegetation for construction and disregard for City by-laws.

Visit Birdlife SA or World Wetlands Day to find out more.

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