FERNCLIFFE CATCHMENT CONSERVANCY

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Corey Jefferson
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1 FERNCLIFFE CATCHMENT CONSERVANCY ADOPT-A-STREAM PROJECT RIVERINE REHABILITATION July 2012

2 ADOPT-A-STREAM PROJECT Rehabilitation of the riparian zones in the Ferncliffe Catchment Conservancy INFORMATION FOR RESIDENTS AIMS The aims of residents adopting a stream is the improvement of the ecological and aesthetic value of the environment. This they will achieve by removing undesirable weeds and rehabilitating the stream according to acceptable standards. By doing so they will; 1 Extend and beautify the environmental surrounds of their property, 2 Develop beneficial ecological processes of riparian areas, 3 Increase safety from floods, 4 Improve the safe recreational and educational use of riparian areas, 5 Stabilize eroded areas, especially streambanks, 6 Purifying water, 7 Providing a habitat for a wide range of plant and animal species, and 8 Establish a continuity or pathway of natural vegetation for the movement of indigenous fauna and flora from the Ferncliffe Forest at the head of the catchment, to the Acacia woodland above the Liberty Midlands Mall at the foot of the catchment. Procedures to follow when adopting a stream The implementation of the project should follow progressive steps. It is first necessary to acknowledge that the land and riparian areas belong to the residents of Pietermaritzburg and are managed by the Municipality. Any action that takes place must meet with the approval of both bodies. 1 Residents should contact the Parks Department of the Municipality and discuss their intentions of adopting a riparian area. 2 Contact the Chairman of the Ferncliffe Catchment Association so that the adopted area can be mapped and recorded as part of the network of areas being restored. They will then also be assisted with advice from ecologists on the FCC committee. Steps to follow in the process of rehabilitating a stream Step 1 : Remove all alien weeds taking great care not to disturb the soil and expose it to the forces of soil erosion. Step 2 : Plant a grass cover on any areas where the soil has been exposed.

3 Step 4 : Plant trees, shrubs and herbaceous plants in the appropriate zones. Step 5 : Maintain adopted area by controlling weed invasion. This will be a constant activity. Note : It is essential to recognise the zones of the stream before planting can be done, and the plant species which can be planted in each of the zones. Definitions of stream zones Figure 1 : The zones of the riparian area Zone 1 : The permanently wet zone : This will fluctuate to a certain extent depending on the flow of the stream, but refers to the main watercourse and its immediate edge which is permanently wet or semipermanently wet. It may be referred to as the stream bed. This zone should support vegetation that will not hinder the flow during floods. These are herbaceous plants with spreading growth forms, that is, plants with rhizomes or stolons. Plants that are extremely flexible can be included as they will present no resistance to flood waters. It is best to let nature take its course these plants will arrive naturally once the weed thicey has been removed. Zone 2 : The seasonally wet zone : This zone is adjacent to Zone 1 and includes the lower bank of the stream that is usually moist and frequently waterlogged during the wet season. This zone should be planted with vegetation that prefers moist conditions and that will provide little resistance to floods, while being able to withstand occasionally wet conditions. They must be strongly rooted to prevent removal by floods and to protect the bank against erosion. NB : No trees should be planted in Zones 1 and 2 as they will impeded the flow of flood waters, will cause swirling of flood waters and thus erosion and collapse of stream banks. It is possible that certain

4 trees whose roots assist in preventing erosion of the stream bank can be planted in this Zone. Please seek advice before planting. Zone 3 : The temporally wet zone : This zone lies on the bank top and is usually only wet or inundated by flood water for short periods during the wet season. Zone 4 : Exceptional flood zone : This zone will only be flooded during exceptional floods and will become dry in a short period of time. It is the area where indigenous trees, shrubs and flowers, including medicinal plants can be planted. These plants can be ornamental but vegetation that will add to the species diversity of fauna and flora should be preferred. Wetland A moist or marshy area with permanent or temporary standing water, and which is demarcated by the presence of hygrophilous plants, i.e. those plants which can grow in moist or damp places, and by the presence of hydromorphic soils. No planting should take place in wetlands.

5 ADOPT-A-STREAM PLANTS TREES Tree fuchsia Halleria lucida 1 st tree to plant! Flowers and fruit attract birds River bushwillow Combretum erythrophyllum Can be planted above bank Natal fig Ficus natalensis Fast growing, fruit attracts birds Cabbage tree Cussonia spicata Excellent feature tree Ouhout Leucosidea sericea Can be planted on banks, excellent rugged tree Umdoni Syzygium cordatum Excellent tree, flowers and fruit attract birds River indigo Indigofera jucunda Graceful, beautiful, fast-growing little tree Pompon tree Dais cotinifolia Beautiful clusters of pink flowers in spring Bladdernut Diospyros whyteana Ornamental and fruit attracts birds Blue Guarri Euclea crispa Neat tree, fruit attracts birds Natal guarri Euclea natalensis Compact tree; fruit attracts birds Lavender tree Heteropyxis natalensis Ornamental, flowers attract birds & butterflies Cheesewood Pittosporum viridifolium Glossy, well-shaped masses of yellow flowers Nana-berry Searsia dentata Red fruit in clusters attract birds Koko tree Maytenus undata Glossy green, fruit attracts birds Red currant Searsia chirindensis Fast-growing, neat, fruit attracts birds Silver oak Brachylaena discolor Very fast growing, good screen Large-leaved rock fig Ficus abutilifolia Lovely tree, particularly on bank or rocks White pear Apodytes dimidiata Attractive and fruit excellent for birds Wild pear Dombeya rotundifolia Beautiful white flowers in spring Wild gardenia Rothmannia capensis Lovely flowers White ironwood Vepris lanceolata Dense rounded foliage, fruit attracts birds Wild peach Kiggelaria africana Attractive and attracts birds and butterflies Wild olive Olea europaea Dense crown, attracts birds Sourplum Harpephyllum caffrum Fast-growing, fruit attracts birds Coral tree Erythrina lysistemon Beautiful scarlet flowers in winter Safsaf willow Salix mucronata Indigenous willow tree can plant on banks Outeniqua yellowwood Podocarpus falcatus Reasonably fast-growing yellowwood Splendid thorn Acacia robusta Attractive foliage particularly in spring Wild date palm Phoenix reclinata Good stream, bank stabilizer

6 Shrubs Bush violet Barleria obtusa Dense ground cover with violet flowers Yellow wild iris Dietes bicolor Masses of yellow flowers, tolerates light shade Fairy iris Dietes grandiflora Masses of white-orange-mauve flowers Ribbon bush Hypoestes aristata Excellent understory, mauve flowers in autumn Spurflowers Plectranthus species Wide range of heights for open shade; beautiful Krantz aloe Aloe arborescens Open areas, beautiful red flowers in winter Natal bauhinia Bauhinia natalensis Lovely year round white flowers with red streak Yellowbell bauhinia Bauhinia tomentosa Beautiful in open areas, yellow flowers Wild pomegranate Burchellia bubalina Neat with orange flowers that attract birds Crossberry Grewia occidentalis Excellent in the mix, mauve flowers Leonotis Leonotis leonurus Beautiful winter orange flowers attract sunbirds Forest bells Mackaya bella In shade, lovely sprays of white/mauve in spring Mickey Mouse bush Ochna serrulata Yellow flowers, red bracts, black fruit = birds Plumbago Plumbago auriculata Continuous white or blue flowers Purple broom Polygala virgata Tall, slender with purple flowers Cape honeysuckle Tecoma capensis Scrambling, flowers orange, yellow or salmon Sage Buddleja salviifolia Fast-growing screen, white/mauve flowers Weeping sage Buddleja auriculata Glossy leaves, masses of sweet-smelling flowers Bluebush Diospyros lycioides rounded shrub, fruit eaten by birds Puzzle bush Ehretia rigida Good in the mix, fruit attracts birds Black birdberry Psychotria capensis Masses of yellow flowers, red/black berries. Dogwood Rhamnus prinoides Fast-growing, dense, shiny dark leaves Bell gardenia Rothmannia globosa Masses of lovely creamy-pink flowers Camphor bush Tarconanthus camphoratus Fast-growing screen African dog-rose Xylotheca kraussiana Beautiful large, open white flowers

7 Herbaceous plants and ground covers Gazania Gazania krebsiana Needs full sun Red-hot pokers Kniphofia species Wide range of colours, magnificent when massed together, species range from wetland to dryland Paintbrush Scadoxus puniceus Beautiful, plant in shade of trees Bush lily Veltheimia bracteata Lovely red flowers, plant in shade of trees Watsonia Watsonia species Massed in open areas, many colours Agapanthus Agapanthus praecox Large heads of blue or white flowers Clivia Clivia miniata Orange flower heads, plant in open shade Falling stars Crocosmia aurea Orange flowers in sprays in full sun Creeping foxglove Asystasia gangetica White flowers, can be invasive Spur flower Plectranthus species Low growing, excellent ground cover.

(This document is to be read in conjunction with the Environmental Management Plan for Individual Landowners compiled by Eco Assessments)

Rev 02 19/10/2009 SECTION 1 (This document is to be read in conjunction with the Environmental Management Plan for Individual Landowners compiled by Eco Assessments) 1. RESPONSIBILITIES The responsibilities