Post by Denisha Anand

Thirteen Harmony Primary School  learners attended their first camp at Princess Vlei from the 22nd to the 24th November. Learners from Grades 5 to 7 spent 2 nights at the Eco Center, a recreational facility based at Princess Vlei wetland park in Southfield.
      They started off their camp with a walk to the Greater Princess Vlei where they were asked to listen to the sounds of nature, observe ecological relationships at the vlei, note any threats and come up with solutions to deal with those threats. After each walk (2 per day)  learners spent time journaling in the books that we provided for them. They also made drawings of the biodiversity and collected leaves, feathers and stones during their walks.

 The sunbird and fynbos workbook guided the activities that the learners did while on camp and they managed to complete their books by Sunday. They spent some time being creative on Saturday by creating fynbos ecosystem collages for their journal covers. Learners also made sunbird and protea stick puppets and learnt how to use ink and pastel to create beautiful patterns on their birds and flowers.
On Saturday evening they were treated to a night walk at Princess Vlei, escorted by our on site park rangers, they all felt safe enough to explore. The endangered Western Leopard Toads were out and about and the learners were lucky enough to see a few toads, spiders and even a crab!
They also did a listening exercise at night to compare the sounds that they heard during the day to that of the night. On Sunday we closed off with the campaign poster activity in the sunbird and fynbos workbook, where they created beautiful pieces to create awareness about the relationship between sunbirds and various fynbos species and how we can protect and conserve these relationships.
Thanks to the National Lotteries Commission for funding this camp.

Because we love the earth and the waters we pledge to protect and preserve Princess Vlei, to honour its natural beauty, to safeguard its wild life and to ensure it remains a sanctuary for future generations. We pledge  care, respect and sustainable practices. We commit to nurturing this vital eco system.
     This pledge was made by learners from Levana Primary, at the ceremony to launch a floating sculpture at Princess Vlei. The sculpture is intended to honour of the Khoe princess who gave Princess Vlei its name, and to raise awareness of the history of Princess Vlei, and of the indigenous wisdom of our Khoe and San ancestors who live harmoniously with the land.
    Sometimes, all the elements come together to create something truly magical and transcendent, when all the complexity and wonder that makes Princess Vlei can be experienced. This ceremony on 12 October was one such day.
    The waterside ceremony followed a day of celebration by 200 school learners and community members. The group gathered at Retreat Civic earlier in the day, where learners had their faces painted and create headdresses celebrating our wetlands to wear on the procession.

Learners from four Primary schools (Levana. Hillwood, Harmony and Rosmead primary) performed dances inspired by nature at Princess Vlei. Their dances were followed by Captain Kwanda’s Fanplastic Adventures, by the Jungle Theatre Company. The young audience thoroughly enjoyed this lively production, while also learning about the importance of saving the oceans from climate change and plastic pollution.

After the play, the group formed a procession to walk from the Retreat Civic to Princess Vlei. They carried giant bird puppets and mandalas, all created by learners over the years, with messages about fighting climate change, deforestation, pollution,  and living harmoniously with nature. The learners also carried colourful smaller fish puppets and windsock fish that they had created. They wore t-shirts they had tie-dyed themselves.

At the water’s edge, Shihaam Domingo led a ceremony to launch the Princess sculpture. ‘The water connects us, the plants are medicine, the water is medicine. …. I invite learners to think about their mothers, and grandmothers, who brought healing plants to them. This princess would walk here and teach her children about the plants and the animals… I have seen all so many creatures honoured in your dances, snakes and birds and fish… we are all connected. Be like the princess, find that connection again.’

The Ceremony was attended by Zolani Mahola, former lead singer of Pan-African supergroup Freshlyground. Zolani called on ‘the spirit of the Princess, and to the spirit of all our ancestors and all the people who came before us.
‘We are all children here today, we all came from somewhere and we came onto this planet, and we are nature, we are not separate from nature, and so we look after it as we look after ourselves.’

    Several young learners stepped forward to make their own pledge to care for Princess Vlei, for our natural waterways, for Nature. ‘I commit to stand up for every wrong against nature… I pledge to keep all bodies of water clean. I shall not litter in or around the water…. I pledge to protect the mammals, reptiles, insects, amphibians, fish and birds of Princess Vlei…. Earth is my planet and yours. I pledge to teach my community and future generations to do this – to preserve all that was given to us. We pledge to protect what is ours.’
   Denisha Anand read the message of the Floating Princess, captured in a sign by the water's edge.
    Zolani enthralled the gathering by singing Doo be Doo, Freshly Ground’s iconic song about the day that politicians agreed to honour and obey, and give their love away

The wooden sculpture was created by members of the Princess Vlei Forum, the Peter Clarke Art Centre, and learners from Lotus High. It stands on a floating platform planted with indigenous Cape freshwater lowland plants such as restios and Arum lilies. It was towed out by a boat on Friday, and stands approximately 30 meters from the shore. Read about the making of the Floating Princess here.
     This project is a collaborative effort from the Princess Vlei Forum, Jungle Theatre Company, local dance practitioners and local schools. It forms part of the Princess Vlei Forum’s creative education program to generate passion for nature amongst local school learners, and to use the area as a living classroom to raise environmental awareness.
Thanks to the City of Cape Town’s Grant in Aid Funding for making this project possible.

We ordered the materials: pliable center cane and coir stuffing and hessian. Drawings were done, discussed and  circulated, and we created a small maquette out of paper rolled sticks to guide our construction. The arms were initially going to be outstretched, but we didn’t want her to resemble a scarecrow so we decided to go with pliable hessian and wood arms, holding arum lilies in one hand and a stave with the other.

Building began in earnest at the end of September, when Lotus High learners came to the Peter Clarke Art Centre for a two day workshop. Here, we discussed the message of the Princess,  reflecting on how our waterways are all linked, how caring for them is critical for the health of our planet and humanity. We identified threats such as plastic pollution and climate change.
     The learners assisted with constructing the base for the Princess, making stencils and stenciling flower patterns on her skirts, and creating her braided hair. They also worked on creating flying fish windsocks to carry on the procession in her honour.

n a few days, she took shape. Working flat out in the week before the launch, we created the torso, head and arms. Then it was decorative touches. The headdress was created in consultation with Shihaam Domingo, and made with ostrich shells donated by  Shihaam and porcupine quills and a shell from Emma. The seashell connects her to the ocean, the quills and the ostrich shells to the land, and to the first nations who walked this land and used these for adornment.

Friday 11 October was launch day. The Princess was to stand on a floating platform created by Neil Major, who specialises in creating these for natural pools. The hexagonal raft was attached to empty plastic drums for flotation, and one filled with sand to act as a counter weight. The platform was planted out with restios, arums, wild garlic and other plants that form part of the Cape Lowlands freshwater ecosystem.
     A group of fishermen recognised that their day’s fishing would be interrupted, and kindly gave up on fishing and provided extra hands where needed. This included digging a hole for the sign which would explain the message of the floating princess.
     The platform was towed out by boat about thirty metres from shore, and anchored on three corners to stop it drifting or spinning. A central mast was raised and secured to a counter weight beneath. Then it was the turn of the Princess in the boat. The figure was taken out in two sections, which were lifted over the central mast and secured to the platform.

By late afternoon, the work was done. The Floating Princess was ready, and waiting for the ceremony to launch her on the following day.

The team: Design & project management: Fabian Hartzenberg, Bridget Pitt.
The Lotus Team: Tracy Daniels, Mushfeeq Bedford, Hafza Bester, Zia Booysen,  Miekaaiel Buekes, Paige Eden, Enrich Hendricks, Zea Hope, Mickah Jacobs, Skylar Leeman, Erin Leo, Diedre Louw, Lisa Leevan     
Construction and installation: Fabian Hartzenberg, Bridget Pitt, Emma Oliver; Denisha Anand; Andrew Jacobs; Peter Mitchell, Neil Major, Sidney Jacobs, Hanleck Kustom
Platform: Neil Major and Ivan, guided by Sidney Jacobs

Thanks to the City of Cape Town Grant in Aid fund for sponsorship.

Our wish for Princess Vlei is that if anyone has bad intentions, bad dreams and bad wishes for this area that those dream catchers will catch those and only let through the good vibes.” - Ayesha Price, 2012

Ayesha Price was one of the leading inspirational voices in the struggle to save Princess Vlei, and the journey of renewal since then. Her death at the age of 49 has been a great shock to all who worked with her.
Ayesha’s first involvement with the Princess Vlei Forum was her work on the Arts Alive event at Princess Vlei in 2012, when various artists and principals of community arts centres came together to create giant dream catchers with their learners to hang at Princess Vlei.
Ayesha was then Principal of the Children’s Art Centre in Zonnebloem, and one of the key inspirations behind the idea. She continued with this talented team of artists and others to initiate in many artistic interventions in and around Princess Vlei.
These included our first Flight of Dreams Parade, a night time parade in 2013. The energy sparked by this event has inspired the 9 annual parades and processions since then, held every year save for 2020 when it was cancelled due to Covid restrictions.
Ayesha had a wonderful way with children, and inspired many with her guidance. She ran workshops to create masks and puppets for the Princess Vlei Parades, and helped learners to connect with nature through observational drawing at Princess Vlei.

    She also served on the Imagine Princess Vlei committee, which was instrumental in collating the community vision for Princess Vlei, which has served a blue print for the City of Cape Town’s improvements to the area since the plans to build the mall were scrapped. She provided the voice over and commentary to a video we created to explain the Imagine Princess Vlei project.
    In 2013, she created a seven panel  multimedia installation to embody the spirit of Princess Vlei, which she described as “ a wetland in an urban area and a specific site of trauma: haunted by myths, riled with urban legends, inextricably linked to the displacement of people and currently, under real threat of destruction by commercial development.” http://www.princessvlei.org/articles/a-mesmerising-installation
   After leaving the Children’s Art Centre, Ayesha worked as a teacher, volunteer, art facilitator and curator at the District Six Museum. With a personal connection to the trauma of forced removals from District Six through her mother, Ayesha was passionate about using art to help heal the trauma of the past. She facilitated a number of public art projects, working with young and old. One such project was the Flower of Maryam on the wall of the District Six Clinic.  Ayesha described the flower as “a powerful maternal image that speaks to shared indigenous knowledge and a sense of belonging to a community even through migration and displacement.” (Ayesha Price 2019)
Since 2019 she has been teaching undergraduate projects in sculpture at Michaelis School of Fine Art.
In the video below, Ayesha narrates the story of Imagine Princess Vlei

During August and September, over 70 learners at local primary schools have been attending creative workshops as part of the Princess Vlei Forum’s Living Waters Project, funded by the City of Cape Town’s Grant in Aid fund.
    The learners came together to tie-dye T-shirts, and to create colourful fish puppets. They will wear the T-shirts and carry the puppets in a procession on 12 October. The intention is for the procession to create a “river” as it winds through the streets of Retreat and Sassmeer Estate, and onto Princess Vlei.
    In the words of one of the learners, ‘it was very fun to do the tie-dye’. Their pride in their work can be seen in their portraits below. These projects give learners who have limited access to art materials an opportunity to learn skills, and explore their creativity, while also learning the deeper lessons of taking action to safeguard our freshwater and marine ecosystems.

It is with great sadness that we say goodbye to Petrina Roberts, who died on 14 August 2024.
    Petrina was a founder member of the Princess Forum, and served on its first Management Committee for three years. She was a tireless organiser, involved in planting, picketing, and organising a multifaith protest meeting against the proposed shopping mall at Princess Vlei.
     She was an active force in MENNGOS, the Micro Enterprise Network of Non-Governmental organisations, and was devoted to building community networks and  small business initiatives. For several years, she ran an organic and craft market at the Jolly Carp, creating many opportunities for local vegetable growers, crafts people and bakers. Under her tireless guidance, the Jolly Carp became a hub of community activity,hosting coommunity meetings and events and music concerts such as the annual Jazz on the Vlei. She transformed the once-neglected historical site  next to the Vlei, into a beautiful, creative, thriving space, with organic vegetable gardens, children's play structures, and rooms for meetings and workshops.
    She was a devoted animal lover, and took in dogs who needed homes. She was civic-minded and a community builder. She had a passion for developing people, and helping them to acquire skills. She organised food gardens, taught people to grow food in order to become self-sufficient. She was well known in The Eastern Cape where she worked in villages, including Marx village. She taught people to grow food and to raise funds for their communities. She was public relations officer for CAFDA and worked tirelessly to make it well-known  in the Western Cape.
    Petrina was a familiar figure at Princess Vlei, with her small grey dog who came with her to all the plantings. Many of the plants thriving at the vlei today were planted by her. She had a vision of a cohesive and thriving community, and worked hard to ensure that the seeds for that vision were sewn and nurtured. We will miss her.

Post by Choi, Janelle Ye-Lim

From the 20th to the 23rd of September, the Great Southern Bioblitz (GSB) 2024 united people from around the world to spend time in nature and with community. In more than 82 areas across 21 countries in the Southern Hemisphere, thousands of citizen scientists embarked on a mission to record the biodiversity in their regions and outcompete others.  On the morning of the 21st of September, 15 citizen scientists from around Cape Town congregated at the Retreat Civic Centre to observe the species diversity along the southern dunes of Princess Vlei.
   The GSB 2024 event at Princess Vlei was as much about capturing a snapshot of the Vlei’s biodiversity as about connecting with people in the community. The day kicked off with introductions as we went around in a circle sharing our names, professions, and what drew us to the event. We were a group of volunteers, professionals in the environmental management space, six-year-olds, professors, and students, united by our appreciation for nature

As we walked along Toring Road, Princess Vlei Forum’s Biodiversity Project Manager Denisha Anand, shared the history of the land. The land south of Princess Vlei is covered in Cape Flats Dune Strandveld (CFDS) and was the only area deemed worthy of conserving by an Environmental Impact Assessment of Princess Vlei. The CFDS vegetation type is endangered as a result of urban sprawl, sand mining, illegal dumping, and poor management. The Princess Vlei Forum has worked to protect and conserve this area in addition to the remaining 110 hectares that compose the Greater Princess Vlei Conservation Area. With no other similar veld types in Cape Town, the group had an exciting time snapping photos of the many plants, insects, and critters who call the Cape Flats Dune Strandveld home.

Emma Oliver shared instructions on recording observations on iNaturalist, an online platform that allows people to share biodiversity information and learn about nature. By capturing a photo of a wild organism, uploading the geotagged image to iNaturalist, and selecting a best guess for the species of the organism, the observation is shared to the community. Any observation can be uploaded with a guess of the organism’s taxon, but when a species is identified and verified by two out of three identifiers, the observation is upgraded to research grade status.
 Across the Southern Hemisphere, the biological survey that citizens conduct by taking photographs of wildlife provides insight into the range, diversity, and richness of species. The involvement of  citizen scientists in the monitoring of invasive and native species allows organizations and governments to devise more accurate environmental management plans and conservation policy.

Princess Vlei Forum’s GSB 2024 event was a success with 177 observations and 75 different species observed! Downy Drumsticks, Zaluzianskya villosa, a plant endemic to South African and found on the sandy flats and lower slopes of the Western Cape. Participants were excited to see the Strandveld Trumpet Bobbejaantjie, Babiana tubiflora, which is found in the West Cape province of South Africa and has tolerated severe habitat loss. Aided by binoculars, Professor Todd Vision observed birds flying above the water, though they were not identified. The call of a bird was uploaded to iNaturalist and identified as the Helmeted Guineafowl, Numida meleagris. As we made our way back to the Retreat Civic Centre from the banks of the Vlei, the petals of the Blue Afrikaner, Gladiolus carinatus, were spotted. As the group marveled at the beauty of the natural world, shared conversations, and enjoyed some oranges and apples, the event came to a peaceful close.

    In the Greater Princess Vlei Conservation Area community on iNaturalist, 400 species have been observed with over 1,700 total observations. Join the Greater Princess Vlei Conservation Area community on iNaturalist! Anyone with access to a phone can share data to a community of nature lovers and contribute to the growing scientific knowledge of biodiversity. To be counted in the GSB2024 competition, participants have until October 7th to submit all observations!
   The Great Southern Bioblitz effectively engages communities in citizen science with a fun, competitive twist. Currently, Cape Town sits in third for the most observations recorded during the GSB 2024! This annual, international event has a lasting impact as community members end the day equipped with knowledge of how to upload to iNaturalist and continue engaging in the recording of biodiversity. Thank you to all who participated in the GSB 2024, and we look forward to seeing which region comes out on top on October 7th! View the results on the iNaturalist Community: Great Southern Bioblitz 2024 Umbrella!

On Sunday, September 1st, about 15 community members gathered to celebrate the first signs of spring with a walk around the southern shore of Princess Vlei to Little Princess Vlei. People from all walks of life, including their furry friends, came together to explore and appreciate the natural beauty of the Vlei. They met at the braai area, where they shared conversations under a blue sky dotted with scattered clouds and a refreshing, chilly breeze.
The tour, guided by Emma Oliver, Bridget Pitt, and Denisha Anand, members of the Princess Vlei Forum, provided a wealth of information on the ongoing restoration efforts at the site. They also shared intriguing details about the local animal and botanical species.
The walk was attended by Chief Hennie Van Wyk and Jeanette Isaacman of the Gorochouqua House. Chief Hennie is a founding member of the Princess Vlei Forum, and one of the leaders in the fight against the shopping mall. Their presence was a reminder of the rich and complex history of this vlei.

As the sun shone on Princess Vlei, white rain daisies and yellow bietou flowers, both native to South Africa peppered the sandy banks. Among the abundant flowering plants, pops of bright blue and violet could also be spotted as the group walked from the meeting point to Little Princess Vlei. These vibrant flowers belong to the common water hyacinth, Pontederia crassipes, and while beautiful in color are an invasive species. Invasive species are harmful as they outcompete indigenous species for resources and lack natural predators to control population growth. Originally native to South America, the invasive water hyacinth is widespread in freshwater ecosystems throughout South Africa. Additionally, common water hyacinth reproduces rapidly and possesses the ability to double in population in just two weeks. Large amounts of water hyacinth around a wetland can gather in waterways blocking sunlight and lowering oxygen levels.
At the Princess Vlei Forum, alien species clearing has become an integral process in the restoration of native Cape Flats Dune Strandveld, Cape Flats Sand Plain Fynbos, and Cape Freshwater Lowlands. Young children and adults alike wandered around the Vlei clearing common water hyacinth by pulling them out by the roots.

Nearby, thistle sugarbush, or Protea scolymocephala, grew in several patches—an example of a successful restoration project. This sandveld species is endemic to the Western Cape and was classified as endangered in 2019. Several years ago, members of the Princess Vlei Forum scattered seeds in an area lacking native vegetation. Now, in the Greater Princess Vlei Conservation Area, more than ten observations of thistle sugarbush have been recorded on the citizen-science app, iNaturalist.
     Weaving through the sandy dunes, several individuals with trash bags kept an eye out for plastic bags, bottles, and other litter along the walk. As stewards work to protect vulnerable and endangered species around the wetland, litter clearing creates an environment where animals and plants can thrive without disturbance. Among these threatened species is the endangered  Western Leopard Toad, Habitat fragmentation and loss due to urbanization and agricultural expansion have led to the population’s decline.  The group listened for the call of the Western Leopard Toad as they walked around the wetland.
Trekking through to Little Princess Vlei, the group stopped at a small hill that overlooked a field of flowers and indigenous vegetation on one side and a view of the water on the other. Carefully stepping over mounds of loose soil created by the Cape mole-rat, endemic to South Africa, the group breathed in the fresh spring air and relaxed to the joyful chirps of birds circling the Vlei.
     Princess Vlei is a public space meant to be enjoyed by all community members. These spring walks are just one of the ways the Princess Vlei Forum is seeking to create space for community building in an outdoor classroom. A big thank you to all who came out and we hope to see you at our next community event!

This was the challenge for the seventy learners  from primary schools around Princess Vlei who attended the Living Waters field trips in August this year.  
     The two field trips were the first events in the Princess Vlei Forum’s Living Waters Project, funded by the City of Cape Town’s Grant in Aid fund. This is a collaborative creative project aimed at celebrating youth, and focusing on our water bodies, what keeps our water bodies alive, and what threatens their vitality.
    The learners were encouraged to explore the way animals, plants and water moves at Princess Vlei, and to create dances inspired by these movements. Learners were also encouraged to consider how plastic pollution restricts the movement of water; how plastic might trap animals and prevent their movement, or might cause fatal internal blockages in their digestive tract. Learners cleared ten bags of mostly plastic litter during the two field trips.

The damaging impacts of plastic pollution were clearly demonstrated when a leopard toad, startled by the learners, leapt into a plastic bag that had been discarded in the grass, and became trapped.
    The learners came up with creative dances to celebrate the movement of the living waters and ecosystems. Their dances were aided with drumming by Siya and Marvin from the Jungle Theatre Company, and dance instructors Xoli, Lolly and Tariq. The schools involved are Rosmead, Harmony, Hillwood and Levana Primary.

In the coming weeks, learners will be developing their dancing and drumming skills with the instructors. They will perform these at the Living Waters Celebration on October 12. The celebration will include a procession, a performance by the Jungle Theatre Company, and the dances by the learners. There will also be an outdoor art installation at Princess Vlei to raise awareness of the need to look after our water ecosystems.

Thanks to the City of Cape Town Grant in Aid fund for making this project possible