At the end of 2017, nine EPWP workers were deployed to Princess Vlei under the supervision of the manager, Denisha Anand. The workers have added huge value to the site through clearing aliens, removing litter, preparing soil for planting and helping with the restoration of fynbos. They have also prepared the ground for the planting projects by local school learners and other community members - including the spiral Healing Garden.

At the end of their time at Princess Vlei, the Princess Vlei Forum held a workshop with the workers to tell them about the history of the Princess Vlei campaign, and to ask them to share their insights gained by their work on the site, and explore their ideas of what they would like to see at Princess Vlei to make it a fabulous park for nature and the community.

​Their ideas included an amphitheatre, gym park, a mini-golf course, more spiral gardens, and a walkway around the vlei. Watch the video below to see their report back to the group on their ideas.
The Forum would like to thank  Shane Wilkinson, Fernando Petersen, Shafiek Louw, Clayton Mampies, Claudette Smith, Carl Oppelt, Sydney Clavert, Quintin Adams and Neville De Koker. We hope that they will come to enjoy Princess Vlei with their families, and will get an opportunity to work with us again in the future. 

Members of the Lotus Princess Guardians Eco-club, and other Lotus High learners, have been growing their wings.
 
Over the past month, the learners have been meeting regularly to create wings for bird puppets to feature in our Flight of Dreams Parade on September 15. The parade is organized every year by the Princess Vlei Forum, with the help of the Peter Clarke Art Centre and Jungle Theatre. The parade aims to raise awareness of the beautiful birdlife at Princess Vlei and other wetlands in the region, and to showcase the amazing talent of young people in the area.

The Lotus learners have been studying the wing structure and colouring of eight wetland bird species found at Princess Vlei: the Great White Pelican, the Flamingo, Grey Heron, Sacred Ibis, Blacksmith Lapwing, Crested Grebe, Red-knobbed coot, and the Pied Kingfisher.
They have then been working together to draw and paint the feathers and cut the giant wings out of fabric.
 
The third workshop was held at the Peter Clarke Centre, giving learners the opportunity to look at the wonderful art on display at the Centre.
 
In the next term, there will be a number of events leading up to the parade, including a teachers workshop on using puppet making in the intermediate and senior phase science and arts curricula; further puppet making workshops  for other schools; an art exhibition and performance by the Lotus High eco-club.
 
We encourage all community members to join in these activities, and to join the spectacular parade on September 15. For more information email [email protected]; or phone Bridget 0824621308.
Thanks to Fabian Hartzenburg of the PCAC, and to the Hans Hoheisen Charitable Trust managed by Nedbank Private Wealth for sponsoring our citizen conservation project.