The weather conditions did not deter these avid birdwatchers from joining in the walk which was led by environmentalist Stan Madden.
Stan is one of the people responsible for turning the Marievale Bird Sanctuary into what it is today.
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“I became interested in this piece of land in 1948, when it was used as hunting grounds,” he says.
In 1968, Stan arranged for the land to be donated to the state for the protection of its bird species.
“In the 1970s, the area became known as a Ramsar site,” Stan says.
He adds that they do still have many problems at the site but that they are working hard to find solutions.
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“We have an unbelievable amount of discharged water in the system.
“Water from as far as Kempton Park drains into this area.”
The pipes along the Blesbokspruit are blocked, causing some of the water to lie stagnant instead of flowing.
“The pipes need to be unblocked and some of the reeds removed to enable the water to flow,” says Stan.
