Transforming trash to fly our dreams

Transforming trash to fly our dreams

The Junk gatherer uses her bird staff to attract the discarded and reusable detritus of the world. The bird will find uses for these things that other humans love only for a moment...

This is the inspiration behind this year’s Flight of Dream’s Parade, to take place in Grassy Park on Saturday 26 September.

Sixty school children have been giving up their Saturdays to create puppets for the parade, which is organised by the Princess Vlei Forum to create awareness about the birdlife and other natural life at Princess Vlei.

This year the parade also aims to create awareness about pollution, and the litter that clogs the vlei and its surroundings. This pollution is unsightly and poses a major threat to the wildlife at the vlei.

To highlight this issue, the puppets have been created from discarded plastic bottles and other recycled materials, by learners from Lotus High, Hyde Park Primary and John Graham Primary.

The parade will  feature a performance of the Khoi legend “The Great Bird Race” by students from Lotus High. The performance will incorporate puppets, movement and music. The parade will move from LOFOB in first Road, through Grassy Park to Princess Vlei, with performances at the Grassy Park Library (2.30pm), Perth Park (3pm), and Princess Vlei (3.30pm).

After the parade, we will be planting 15 Erica verticillata donated by the City of Cape Town. This plant once abounded in the area, and is the heath after which Heathfield was named, but is now extinct in the wild. Every year in September, Heritage Month, the Centre for Conservation Education concentrates on a different geographical area. This year, it was celebrating the heritage of 28 schools in the area around Princess Vlei. This donation is made on behalf of those schools to celebrate their connection to Princess Vlei, and contributes to 'putting the heath back in Heathfield'.

All are encouraged to follow the parade, watch the performances, and witness the wonderful creative talent of our local school learners. Families are also invited to bring a picnic to enjoy at Princess Vlei after the event.

School children or teachers who would like to take part in the parade can contact us at [email protected].