Today we are planting wolves

“Today, we are planting wolves”

This was the message from restoration consultant Alex Lansdowne at the Princess Vlei Forum “Bringing life to the Princess” planting event on 11 June.
 
Speaking to the one hundred and twenty children who had gathered to help with the planting, Alex explained that the difference between a cultivated plant in a garden and a wild plant is like the difference between a dog and a wolf.
 
“There used to be a community of about 500 different plants, and the work that we are doing, and you guys are helping us is real conservation work. You guys are helping to bring the habitat back…. The City of Cape Town has the most biodiversity of any city in the world, and you are helping to conserve that.”
 
The children came from Claremont High, Lotus High, Buck Rd Primary, Kannemeyer Primary, and Levana Primary. There were also a group of home schooled learners. The children enthusiastically followed Alex’s instructions to put more than 700 plants in the ground. Each child wrote their name on a stick to plant with the plants, and was given a thank you letter with colour photo cards of each species that was planted.

The planting was part of the Forum’s environmental education programme, but also an important part of a five-year restoration plant to revive the indigenous fynbos in the area. Lansdowne was contracted by the Forum to draw up the plan.
 
The schools planting event followed a community planting event in May. Between these two events

• More than doubled the area of habitat under active restoration from 699m2 to 2341m2.
• A total of 1025 plant units, and 16 trays were planted.
• 7Kgs of mixed seed were broadcast in the 2019 restoration areas.
• 26 species were planted or broadcast, of which 4 are on the RedList of endangered species.

The forum would like to thank Elzanne Singels and  CTEET volunteers, Nondumiso Myataza. Tevya Lotriet, Princess Mfekayi and Wanda Tshangela for their assistance, as well as all the learners and their teachers for making this a great afternoon. Thanks also to the Hans Hoheisen Charitable Trust, managed by Nedbank Private Wealth, for funding our education programme and restoration work.