The work of a Toti Conservancy member in rehabilitating Toti beaches is showing results.
Corinne Winson has laboured for over three years together with staff from the eThekweni Municipality parks department’s natural resources division, staff from the extended public works programme and local resident Samantha Wilseach.
They used invasive hyacinth cleared from the Toti River and lagoon by the Army Saints in October 2013 and packed it up on the beach to create a natural net to assist the natural process of dune growth.
This is necessary because the natural process of sand flow and the formation of dunes is affected by adjacent developments and abuse by people along the beach.
About a metre, and in some places a metre-and-a-half, of this dune growth has now been built up on the dunes in the vicinity of Toti Lagoon.
They use vegetative material as a source of nutrients which feeds the dune plants, which is then covered by sand as the wind blows. This enables vegetation to grow on the dunes and provides the necessary protective barrier.
They have also closed up short-cuts through the dunes to prevent people from destroying the plants.
Besides an initial R500 from the conservancy towards the project, most of the funding has come from Corinne and Samantha’s own pockets.
They hired two workers to assist them with the labour at a cost of R50 a day.
“We need more poles to better define the boundary of the dunes, but it’s been quite a success,” said Corinne. “People don’t cut across the dunes as much anymore.”
Vandalism however continues to inhibit the project’s success. According to Corinne, fishermen use the boundary poles as firewood and beachgoers often uproot them.
Of the six initial signs warning the public to not walk over the vegetation, only two remain and Corinne has replaced one of these three times.
“We use whatever materials the sea gives us,” said Corinne. A thick ship’s rope that washed up recently is now a boundary demarker. Washed up poles are collected for what Corinne humourously refers to as ‘sacrificial fencing’ to help build the sand up.
The dune facing the lagoon is now a sight to behold with ipomoea, gazania and scaevola stabilising plants well established. Beautiful purple flowers have blossomed on the ipomoea to add to the spectacle.
“Scaevola is difficult to transplant, so to see it taking so well is great. Only after two years did we start to see growth. It makes all the hard work worthwhile to see the dunes now.”
If you can donated one metre poles to assist the project, call Corinne on 084-781-2019.
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