Youth Day Planting and Clean-up

Princess Vlei was alive with activity on June 16, when over a hundred people gathered  for the Forum’s Youth Day clean up and planting event.
 
First to arrive were members of Church inCreation, a group of Anglican environmental activists. The group gathered for a prayer, led by Bishop Geoff Davies, followed by a silent meditation.

Then the Community Education Environmental Trust arrived with a group of young volunteers, while other community members gathered until there were about a hundred pairs of willing hands – some old, some very young, but all ready for some hard work.
 
The first task was to complete the Garden of Healing, which primary school learners had started the week before. The garden is planted with Dune Strandveld plants indigenous to Princess Vlei, with a particular focus on plants of medicinal or spiritual value to the local Khoi people, past and present. This still needed the inner spiral path to be marked out with river stones and wood chips for a path. We also planted another 300 plants.

While one group was busy with this, another was tackling the invasive water hyacinth which is creeping over the vlei – with volunteers donning body suits to go right into the water. Another group gathered litter. After a break and a snack, the groups swapped around, so that every one had a chance to do some planting.

Kai Bi’a Hennie van Wyk was there to do some planting, and later spoke to the young people there about our cultural heritage.

While community volunteers were busy, music was provided by an informal prayer group which had arrived at the Vlei to play their instruments, sing and pray – apparently a regular activity.

By the end of the morning, volunteers had laid the Garden and path, collected about 30 bags of rubbish, and removed a large pile of Water Hyacinth from the vlei. With community care like this, the Vlei is sure to grow into a beautiful and well-treasured sanctuary for people and nature alike. The Forum would like to thank CTEET for their assistance, and the Hans Hoheisen Charitable Trust, managed by Nedbank Private Wealth, for sponsoring our citizen conservation programme.