‘I’ve been living in the area for eight years, and never knew what was on my doorstep’.

This was a comment by one of the Elfindale residents who attended the guided walk at Princess Vlei on Saturday March 13. The walk was organised by the Princess Vlei Forum to make local residents and others aware of some of the botanical riches growing at Princess Vlei, and to inspire residents to participate in our exciting fynbos restoration project.  Amongst the group were members of the Kristenbosch botanical Society, who have been assisting the Forum with the 
         Thirty-two people of all ages came together for the four kilometre walk, which set off from Briana Crescent.  Addressing the group, fynbos consultant Alex Lansdowne explained that the Princess Vlei conservation area is rich in biodiversity, and contains three of Cape Town’s most threatened vegetation types. It has been degraded for 200 years, and chronically underfunded for decades, but the community is working to bring back the biodiversity, plant by plant. 

      Lansdowne spoke about coming to Princess Vlei with his grandfather as a child. His grandfather harvested many medicinal plants, such as geranium incanum, which he used in a tea for stomach complaints.  Lansdowne said that the original Khoe inhabitants of the area sustained themselves on the rich bulbs that characterise this vegetation type.  
       Lansdowne pointed out the plants from three of the four aromatic plant families found in fynbos - the daisies, the mint family, the pelargoniums and citrus family. People were surprised to discover that buchu is from the citrus family. This is the only family not currently growing at Princess Vlei.
    He explained that that characteristic red colour of many fynbos plants is the plant’s survival mechanism for the dry summers - towards the end of the summer, they slow down their photosynthesis by flooding the leaves with red pigment, to conserve their resources. 
       Lansdowne said that there are three endangered vegetation types that could grow at Princess Vlei    — Dune Strandveld, Freshwater aquatic systems, and Cape Flats Sand Fynbos. This last vegetation type is very rich in biodiversity, but has been almost eradicated by development, with 14 species going extinct in the last ten years. Princess Vlei has a substantial area of pristine Dune Strandveld, near the Retreat Civic. The restoration project is proposing to restore 5 to 10 Ha of Dune strandveld and Cape Flats Sand Fynbos.
      Princess Vlei has been badly neglected, mainly as a result of apartheid spatial planning, which means that the authorities have not invested the kind of resources needed that would have been invested in similar sites in traditionally white areas.
     However, Forum raises over R500 000 per annum to spend on project managers, consultants, restoration, and environmental education programmes with local schools. This community investment has encouraged the City of Cape Town to invest in improving  the infrastructure and management of the site, and Cllr Southgate invests a portion of the ward budget each year.
       The City has upgraded braai areas, provided a play area, and is in the process of installing a 5km walkway around the vlei. This will considerably improve access to the vlei for hikers, joggers and family groups, and will make it much easier to police. 
        Lansdowne said that it was important to make all parts of the vlei accessible to the community, in order to increase community understanding of the value of the biodiversity and natural beauty of the site. 
         Denisha Anand, currently employed by the Forum to help the City manage the site, said that before white settlers came, the indigenous people were the custodians, and knew how to care for their environment. Their rich knowledge and value systems were marginalised by the colonial authorities, but now it was important to draw on this traditional knowledge, and to work with Khoe groups in the community in restoring and protecting  the ecology of the area.
         Lansdowne showed new proteas coming up from seed in the areas already under restoration - the first proteas growing at the vlei in fifty years. Amongst these is the serruria foeniculea, or strawberry spider head. This plant was last seen at Princess Vlei in 2010. A specimen was found in Grassy Park in 1970 by Howard Langley, who propagated it at Rondevlei. The plant has a small habitat range of only 5 km2. Princess vlei has the right conditions to host the biggest population of this critically endangered species.
        The Forum is currently preparing a 120m2 restoration site near Briana crescent by removing alien grasses. This restoration will re-establish Cape Flats Sand Fynbos in the area, including species such as serruria foeniculae and erica verticillata, which is extinct in the wild. 
          In May, community members will be invited to assist with planting seedlings specially propagated for the site.  Some of these were ‘rescued’ from nearby areas that were being cleared for development.
​         The Forum would like to thank all who attended the walk, and invite all local community members to get involved in this wonderful project to restore the rich natural life and beautiful plants of Princess Vlei. 

On Halloween, twenty volunteers of all ages gave up trick or treating to come to Princess Vlei, to gather seeds for a variety of annual daisies. The seeds will be stored over summer and broadcast in autumn 2021 in the new restoration areas.
Princess Vlei is home to several flowering annuals. Thanks to consistent rainfall this winter - and the City delaying their mowing - this spring has seen a spectacular display of flowers at the Vlei.
     Most spring flowers are annual plants, which only grow for half a year. They reach the peak in their life cycle in late spring, when they flower and dominate landscapes with blushes of white, orange and yellow. Common annual daisies found in the Greater Princess Vlei Conservation Area are the Rain Daisy (Dimorphotheca pluvialis), Veldt Star (Ursinia anthemoides ), African sunsorrel (Heliophila africana) and Sandveld Ragwort (Senecio arenarius).
      As summer approaches these plants die and release vast quantities of seeds. These seeds lie dormant over the harsh summer months and only germinate with the first autumn rains. The seeds are important parcels of genetic material which allow a new generation of plants to grow. The dead plants also serve an important function, insulating shrub seedlings over summer.

     The Princess Vlei Forum conservation team, under the guidance of our manager, is hard at
work collecting massive quantities of seeds for these annuals. PVF volunteers and our specialist restoration team harvest seeds in paper bags. 
     This work has been made possible by the City of Cape Town adjusting their mowing schedule. If the flowers are mowed too early in the season, they have no opportunity to seed. this means in a few years they will die out, and already some species are threatened. The Forum has requested that mowing be suspended between April and November for this reason. 
We hope that with this mowing schedule, and the help of our volunteers to gather and broadcast seeds will help us build up the annual populations until Princess Vlei becomes one of the City's top  spring flower destinations. 

Thanks to all who championed this cause!
The Princess Vlei Forum is delighted with the news that the Greater Princess Vlei Conservation Area has been awarded the status of a Provincial Heritage Site. The Heritage Western Cape Council officially approved the nomination at a meeting yesterday.
Since 2012, concerned communities, represented by the Princess Vlei Forum, have been actively lobbying to bring raise awareness of the cultural, social and ecological value of the area. The first victory was in 2014, when the City of Cape Town agreed to withdraw plans to build a shopping mall on the eastern shore.
Gaining Heritage Status represents another very significant community victory in the drive to win long term protection for this iconic site. 
Although neglected by the authorities, Princess Vlei has long been cherished by the community for its aesthetic, cultural, spiritual, recreational and biodiversity values. Generations of families from all over the Cape Flats have visited for braais and picnics, and hundreds have been baptised there. It is home to three endangered vegetation systems, and several species of birds and other creatures. The legend of the Princess, and archeological evidence of early human occupation, links the area to our city’s Khoe heritage. It is an outdoor classroom for hundreds of school learners each year.
The PVF has been actively promoting these values, by raising funds to employ a full time manager, and to embark on an ambitious five-year plan to restore the indigenous fynbos on site, including over 50 endangered or extinct endemic species. Over 3500 square metres have been restored to date. 
We have also worked with the CoCT to facilitate access and enhance the site’s social and cultural value through improved facilities and safety. 
Since 2012, we have been compiling evidence of the site’s heritage value and community support for its protection through interviews, oral history projects, surveys and workshops. The process took a step forward last year, when Heritage Western Cape appointed Quahnita Samie from Vidamemoria Heritage consultants to facilitate the application. We worked actively with the consultants in providing comment and background information. 
February 25 marked the start of a formal 60-day public participation process to get community feedback on the application for Provincial Heritage Status - originally set to run until 27th April 2020, later extended to June 4. The nationwide lockdown prevented most of our proposed public events to raise awareness, including a display in the library, open day and iNaturalist drive. However, we lobbied our support base through online media, which helped to generate the 199 positive endorsements that were received. The proposal by the consultant to award heritage status was unanimously endorsed by the Heritage Western Cape Inventories, Grading and Interpretation Committee (IGIC) meeting on 7 August 2020.
Thanks to representation by PVF chairperson Gary Stewart, the IGIC resolved further that Interested and Affected Parties such as the PVF and the City of Cape Town should be consulted in the compilation of the Conservation Management Plan. This will be a key priority for the PVF and the Heritage Subcommittee next year.
While the CoCT is now endeavouring to invest resources in the site, thanks in particular to the ongoing commitment by ward councillor Kevin Southgate, the site has suffered severe neglect historically. This is primarily because of its location in low-income neighbourhoods, and because it was declared a “non-white” recreational area during the Apartheid era. Gaining Provincial Heritage status will be another step in bringing the public and private investment and protection merited by this iconic space. 
We would like to thank all those who worked so hard to win this community victory, including members of the Princess Vlei Forum Heritage Subcommittee, community members who gave time and resources to endorse the call, Quahnita Samie and Vidamemoria Heritage Consultants  who worked tirelessly to compile the application, and members of Heritage Western Cape for their endorsement. We would also like to thank the many donors who enabled our investment in this project, in particular the Hans Hoheisen Charitable Trust managed by Nedbank Private Wealth

The Princess Vlei Forum lost a very good friend with the passing of Graham Lashbrooke, who died on Midwinter’s Day, 21st June 2020, at the age of 80. 
From the founding of Princess Vlei Forum in 2012, Graham and his wife Mea were enthusiastic supporters of the campaign to save Princess Vlei from the destructive development of a shopping mall. Mea served on the management committee for several years, and Graham was always a willing participant in all events held by the Forum, including planting, picketing and parades. Graham also assisted as election officer in various Annual General Meetings. 
   Beyond his contribution to the environment, Graham was a passionate educator and understood that education provides the route forward. His field was information technology. For more than four decades, his training school transformed the lives of young people by enabling their careers in the IT industry. 
   Graham’s natural skill at bringing people together, coupled with his passion for education, led him to his role as founding member in 2004 of what today are two vibrant centres for education:  LEAP Maths and Science Schools http://leapschool.org.za/and TSIBA Business School https://www.tsiba.ac.za/ . To enable access to education and skills for students who could not afford the conventional route drove Graham until the end of his life. ​
    We salute Graham for his dedication to improving the lives of others, and for helping to defend our natural world from destruction. 
    We would like to offer our deepest condolences to Mea and family in this sad time. 

 
The Princess Vlei community lost a great stalwart with the passing of Dr Graham Noble in July. Graham was passionate about the environment, and about civic participation. 
    Graham was a  long standing member of the GCTCA, serving as treasurer and secretary at different times. He has spent many years in a spirited engagement with the City about community issues. When the Princess Vlei was threatened by the destructive development of a shopping mall on its banks, the GCTCA was one of the leading organisations to take up the struggle against the City, and Graham didn't hesitate to step in.
    Graham spent long hours gathering information and documents from the City, and was one of the main mobilisers of the early resistance to the mall. Thanks to his efforts and that of other community members, the City's Spatial Development and Land Use Management committee turned down the bid to develop the shopping mall. This decision was then overturned by the provincial Department of Environment, and the community and concerned organisations came together again to form the Princess Vlei Forum. Graham was one of the founding members of the Forum, and was very active in the campaign that followed. His meticulous attention to detail, and persistence in tracking documents, enabled the collection of critical evidence regarding the shopping mall bid, which helped to uncover some serious irregularities and possible fraud. This formed the basis for a case laid by the Forum with the Public Protector, and later for the case laid by Kelvin Cochran with the Hawks. The Forum was building a case against the City, when the City agreed to scrap the mall development. There is no doubt that Graham's dedication played an important part in this community victory. 
   In addition to his work on Princess Vlei, Graham was chairperson of the Scarborough Ratepayers Association, and very active in promoting a harmonious relationship between the human and wild animal community in that area. This included active efforts to save the baboons from extermination and injury by irate residents. 
     The Forum will sorely miss Graham's contributions to the organisation. We would like to pass sincere condolences to his wife and family. 

This Blog post was written by Zoë Chapman Poulsen and commissioned by the Botanical Society of South Africa. It was first published by the Botanical Society at https://botsocblog.wordpress.com/2020/08/03/community-and-partnerships-restoration-planting-at-princess-vlei/.  Photos: Zoë Chapman Poulsen and Bridget Pitt

​Thanks to the Botanical Society Kirstenbosch Branch for their generous contribution of funds, expertise and time. Volunteers from the Lions Club and Princess Vlei Forum community also assisted.   

On Saturday 25 July the Princess Vlei Forum (PVF), in partnership with the Botanical Society of South Africa Kirstenbosch Branch, held a planting event at The Greater Princess Vlei conservation area in Cape Town. More than 3 000 plants were planted on the day. The extinct in the wild Whorled Heath (Erica verticillata) and critically endangered Serruria foeniculacea were reintroduced for the first time. This event forms part of the ongoing pioneering ecological restoration taking place at the vlei, with multiple stakeholders, specialists and international partners. 
   Located on the Cape Flats near the suburbs of Fairways, Southfield, Heathfield, Grassy Park, and Retreat, Princess Vlei forms the gateway to the wetlands system of the False Bay Ecology Park, encompassing Rondevlei, Zeekoevlei and Zandvlei. This extensive wetland reserve forms an important community and heritage space, as well as habitat for birds and the endangered Western Leopard Toad. 

The Covid19 Lockdowns have put a temporary brake on our community and school planting. However, plants need to be put in the ground early in the rainy season, and sadly we can't wait until lock down is lifted and our young and old nature guardians are able to come and help us again. 

Alex Lansdowne has been hard at work preparing and smoking the seeds that have been collected especially for restoration from Princess Vlei and nearby sites. 

On June 1, as soon as Level 3 was declared, volunteers from the Kirstenbosch Botanical Society, including the chairperson Keith Kirsten, and Chris Moir, and the Princess Vlei Forum, joined  City of Cape Town officials, Alex Lansdown, Elzanne Singel,  and the manager Denisha Anand in putting seeds and bulbs in the ground. The seeds of about 30 species of ephemeral Strandveld and Cape Flats Sand Fynbos species were broadcast, and about 60 Pelargonium triste bulbs were planted. In addition, Keith and Chris each planted a Serruria foeniculacea - the critically endangered Rondevlei Spiderhead which we are reintroducing to Princess Vlei this year. 

We are extremely grateful to the Kirstenbosch Botanical Society for their very generous donation of R20 000 to assist with the restoration project. 

For the rest of the urgent restoration work, including clearing aliens and rubble as well as planting, Alex is working with a team of specialised workers. The workers will receive training in restoration while they do the work. Through these means, we are keeping the project on track. Our young nature guardians and community volunteers will be able to help us with monitoring the progress of the new plants later in the year. 

​Just before the lockdown was declared, 30 young scientists and nature guardians from Levana Primary Harmony Primary came to Princess Vlei to find out about all the species that make up a wetland family.
 
Before setting out, Forum members reminded the learners to treat all the creatures they encountered with great respect, and to ensure that none were harmed in the process of studying them. The learners then went out in teams with data sheets to note down observations of what they found.
 
A number of creatures were observed, but for many the highlight of the visit was finding a cluster of young Western Leopard toadlets hiding under a rock. The rock was in the magic spiral garden which school learners planted two years ago, and which is now really starting to flourish.
 
Several other creatures were observed, including Blacksmith lapwings, Redbilled Teals, butterflies, bees, ladybirds, grasshoppers, dragon flies and fish.
 
This was to be the first of two sessions – in the following week, the learners were due to create dream catchers representing the web of life that is found in a thriving wetland. Unfortunately, the lockdown prevented this from taking place, but we look forward to the day when we can complete this process.
 

To the dragonfly nymph of Princess Vlei, thank you for allow us to visit your eco-system. You make me feel as if I have a duty to keep your environment safe. I promise to respect your habitat (water) and protect it from pollution, whenever I see someone polluting it - Damica Fortuin Lotus High school
 
To the butterfly of Princess Vlei Thank you for standing out so beautifully. You make me feel happy when I catch a tiny sight of your beautiful wings. I promise I won’t destroy any flowers - Caithlin Davids Zeekovlei High School
 
These messages were written by learners to express their gratitude to the creatures of Princess Vlei, during the World Wetlands Day event on February 3. Nearly 200 learners from Lotus High and Zeekovlei High attended the event, which was hosted jointly by the Princess Vlei Forum (PVF) and the Western Cape Wetlands Forum (WCWF).

The international theme for the day this year was Wetlands and Biodiversity – highly relevant as our planet is faces catastrophic loss of biodiversity due to Climate Change, plastic waste, industrial pollution and habitat loss. Wetlands, which support a wide range of species, and serve as nurseries for fish, amphibians and other aquatic animals, are the most threatened ecosystems.  
 
The Greater Princess Vlei Conservation Area is one of many important urban wetlands in Cape Town. An important part of the Princess Vlei Forum’s mission is to foster a love of the wetland and nature amongst our younger residents. The day offered learners many opportunities to experience the biodiversity at the vlei.
 
The Western Cape Wetlands Forum is devoted to sharing information and expertise for the protection, management and restoration of wetlands in the Western Cape. It is supported by the Departments of Environmental Affairs and Water and Sanitation; Cape Nature, City of Cape Town, among others.
 
Learner were welcomed by Margo Adonis, the Miss Earth South African Ambassador. Adonis told learners that the older generation had failed them by failing to take proper care of the environment. The children were also welcomed by Denisha Anand (Princes Vlei Forum) and Kate Snaddon (Western Cape Wetlands Forum).
 
The learners were divided into groups, and rotated between six activity stations, which each gave them a different way of experiencing the wetlands.
 
A highlight for all the learners was the opportunity for a short canoe ride – this was provided by Gravity Adventures. After kitting up in life jackets and learning some principles of paddling, the children set out for a short paddle on the water – for many their first experience of being on a boat.

​Noloyiso Dlamini and other CapeNature educators used various filtration mediums to show how wetlands act effectively as filters to clean water.

The Cape Bird Club introduced the feathered members of the Princess Vlei community. Children were given an identification chart, and ciscussed the importance of birds in a wetland ecosystem. The children learnt how to use binoculars, and the birdclub members helped them to spot and identify birds from the charts. “The children showed great excitement when they could use the binoculars properly, but spent quite a lot of time looking at things not related to birds!! Fortunately others got very excited about the birds as well,” said Gillian Barnes of the CBC. 36 Species were spotted on the water or flying past, including Red-knobbed Coot, Egyptian Goose, Greater Crested Grebe, Common Moorhen, Great White Pelicans, Jackal Buzzards, Gulls, Herons, Cormorants and Terns and smaller birds that live in the reeds surrounding the vlei.

​The Cape Town Environmental Education Trust got the kids moving with a “Race to save the earth”. “Our aim was to make learners aware of the function of wetlands as habitats. Learners were also made aware of the human impacts and the possible solutions to not just wetlands but the environment as a whole. Learners enjoyed this game as it also opened their mind to other environmental issues.” Said Nondumiso Myataza. She was helped Phindile Gazu

​After a busy morning, the leaners were happy to sit under the trees and enjoy the Jungle Theatre’s performance of  the Python and the Qunube Tree.  Based on an African folktale, the story tells of  how the little tortoise saves the animals by breaking the cycle of the drought and freeing the Qunube berries for all the animals to eat. The play featured puppets, hilarious animal masks and beautiful singing, and was performed by Vincent Meyburgh, Siyawandisa Badi and Naledi Tlailane.

Children were given a burger from Abenaki Spur Steak Ranch  and a stationery pack from Shoprite before leaving.

​Speaking afterwards, Shafiek Isaacs of Lotus High School said, ‘The learners really loved the event – it was a great way to give them an experience of Princess Vlei and to learn something about the wetlands. So many of them now want to sign up with our eco-club.”
 
Sponsors for the event include the WWF-SA; Hans Hoheisen Charitable Trust, managed by Nedbank Private Wealth,  which funds the Princess Vlei Forum’s educational program;  Abenaki Spur Steak Ranch and the Grassy Park Spar. Shoprite donated stationery packs to participants.
 
Huge thanks to Shaddai Daniel-Harris & Phillip Frenzel for initiating and co-ordinating the event with the Princess Vlei Forum. Thanks also to all the many other volunteers who helped with the event.