Cape Flats Wetland Forum Ecological rehabilitation and public green space projects for social development.

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1 Cape Flats Wetland Forum Kelvin Cochrane Founder, spokesperson and project leader Address: 10 Bottom Road, Grassy Park Mobile: Portfolio of previous and ongoing projects Cape Flats Wetland Forum Ecological rehabilitation and public green space projects for social development. The Cape Flats Wetland Forum is a locally-based organization from Grassy Park, Cape Flats, that carries out ecological rehabilitation projects and drives and supports public green space projects towards social development. It especially uses its earnings to support such projects in our Cape Flats communities. The aim of this portfolio is to demonstrate our ability to achieve successful rehabilitation projects through displaying previous and finalized projects. Through doing this we also show-case the community projects that we support and are part of. We hope this portfolio conveys our experience, skills and knowledge, and our professional and social commitment. For any further questions, please contact us. The Cape Flats Wetland Forum was formed in 2009 as a vehicle to gather the experiences from the successful projects Bottom Road Sanctuary, Last Road and The Ecopark in Grassy Park, which are listed below. Since then we have been busy with the implementation of the community based rehabilitation project at Princess Vlei, and customer ordered projects at Nordhoek, Zandvlei, and Constantia. Through the earnings from the latter projects we have been able to support the maintenance of the community projects. We have also extended the partnerships around these projects, including at present collaborative ties with City Parks, Rondevlei Nature Reserve, South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI), local civil-society association LOGRA, the Greater Cape Town Civic Alliance (GCTCA), and environmental organization WESSA. This includes collaboration with an ongoing social-ecological research project at the African Centre for Cities at University of Cape Town through which both social and ecological assessments are under way to further our understanding of how rehabilitation projects in Cape Town s marginalized and often neglected green spaces can empower and benefit people, plants and animals.

2 PREVIOUS PROJECTS 1. Bottom Road Sanctuary Cape Town s newest community and biodiversity park History and project description: What was once a rubbish dump and referred to as useless land is from 2008 Cape Town s newest biodiversity sanctuary and community park, a thriving place of plants, birds, and people. The project started in 2005 when residents bought land in the area. Stewarded by Kelvin Cochrane every step of the way, a collaborative model was set up in which 12 residents decided to not put up security walls allowing a greater combined area for ecological rehabilitation. Further, in close collaboration with reserve managers at the Rondevlei Nature Reserve a white-paper agreement was signed in which the city and the residents gave up five metres each of their land for the rehabilitation project to work on, accessing the ecologically important shoreline. In the course of merely three years, and in collaboration with workers from the Working for Wetlands project, this site at the Northern shore of Zeekoevlei could go from a rubbish dump to a site that attracts and allows the movement of bumblebees, pollinators, birds, frogs and people alike. For the organization, a first blueprint of what could be accomplished on derelict urban spaces had been proven, together with a first working model of how work with local residents to generate positive social and ecological development. Design: Some plants and 40 different species were planted in the course of the project. Machines were used to landscape certain parts of the site and remove typha. A storm water channel was modified to serve as an important wetland habitat. Bomas, paths and braai/barbeque areas were created so as to facilitate for people to appreciate and use the area. Bottom Road Sanctuary December Ponds were created and planted. Northern shore of Zeekoevlei Size of site: 8000 m 2 Project start: 2005 Project finish: 2008 Current status: Maintenance, which means removal of weeds and some watering. Plant composition: plants in total from 40 different species of plain sand fynbos. These included Restios, Ericas, and Serrurias. Ecological change: Reintroducing fynbos plants, habitats for animals, and reintroduced landscape ecological functions like pollination connecting to other ecological sites in the area. Scientific investigations on their way. Rondevlei Nature Reserve, Working for Wetlands, and 12 local residents households. Homepage:

3 2. Last Road Extending the success of Bottom Road History and project description: Mid-way into the Bottom Road Sanctuary project, other residents along the near-by Last Road were contacted and became interested. Another 5 residents households were added to the project, building on the innovations already in place for Bottom Road: residents agreed upon not having security walls, and Rondevlei Nature Reserve extended their white paper agreement through which residents and the city give up five metres each of their land for the rehabilitation project. Design: Bulldozers and loaders re-shaped some of the area and removed large stands of typha to create more suitable surfaces for restoring wetland fynbos. Some 6000 plain sand fynbos plants were planted. Before Last Road in November After Last Road in December Northern shore of Zeekoevlei along the outlet of XX river. Size of site: 4000 m 2 Project start: Dec 2007 Project finish: 2009 Current status: Maintenance, which means removal of weeds and some watering. Plant composition: 6000 plants in total from species of plain sand fynbos including Restios, Ericas and Serrurias. Ecological change: Reintroduction of fynbos plants and the recreation of habitat for animals, and landscape ecological functions connecting this site to other ecological sites in the area. Scientific investigations on their way. Rondevlei Nature Reserve, Working for Wetlands, and 5 local residents households.

4 3. The Ecopark A green vibrant community square History and project description: In 2008 the Department of City Parks was contacted at the City of Cape Town to ask if the Cape Flats Wetland Forum could work on the derelict and neglected barren piece of land lying between Bottom Road and Last Road. With the City s approval, the Forum created in less than two years a vibrant community square with fynbos plants, grassy areas for football and celebration, and a braai place for everybody to enjoy. From barren and unused land, the square is now host to children s birthday parties and Sunday family braais amongst other things. Design: Some 3000 plain sand fynbos plants and 40 camper trees were planted, both alongside the perimeter of the square and on nearby residents areas. A boma and braai place was created. Ecopark community square in Grassy Park, December Beginning of project. Removing weeds at Ecopark, Dec Ecopark community square in February 2011 Between Bottom Road and Last Road in Grassy Park. Size of site: 3000 m 2 Project start: 2008 Project finish: 2010 Current status: Maintenance, which means removal of weeds and some watering. Plant composition: 3000 plants of plain sand fynbos including Restios, Ericas and Serrurias, and 40 Camper trees. Ecological change: Reintroduction of fynbos plants. Department of City Parks at City of Cape Town.

5 4. Princess Vlei Dressing of the Princess towards ecological, social, and cultural restoration History and project description: After having gained experience at Bottom Road, Last Road and Ecopark, we aimed for a larger-scale rehabilitation project at Princess Vlei. This wetland and public open green space is an important but degraded wetland due to decades of neglect and mismanagement during apartheid and democracy. For many it is also a wetland and green area of intense meaning and of cultural importance, tied in with the Khoi people who used to water their herds here in pre-colonial times, and as recreational space for especially those classified as Coloureds during apartheid. In an effort to rehabilitate not only the fynbos vegetation, but also public open space functions, a memorandum of understanding (MOU) was signed between Cape Flats Wetland Forum, City Parks, and SANBI in In accordance of the Khoi Princess who according to legend was killed by Europeans sailors 500 years ago and whose tears filled the Vlei, we called the project The Dressing of the Princess. When the City in 2009 wanted to allow the building of a shopping mall on this site, several other organizations, schools, residents, and citizens across Cape Town supported the MOU and its project. A decision will come in March Design: The design includes, apart from rehabilitating habitat and fynbos vegetation (ongoing), a Sunset Concert Park for concerts and theatre (in preparation), an Environmental and Heritage Centre to create a platform for learning about urban nature and the many threads of history that run through this place, a Hiking Trail to Elephants Eye Cave, and an Arts and Crafts Market. Princess Vlei is one of the bigger wetlands left of Cape Flats wetland system. Princess Vlei rehabilitation project in October Southeastern corner and main entrance of Princess Vlei along M5. Size of site: m 2 Project start: 2008 Project finish: Current status: Ongoing project. Plant composition: 5000 plain sand fynbos plants including Restios, Ericas and Serrurias, some strandveld, and some 200 trees, including Camper trees. Ecological change: Reintroduction of fynbos plants starting to attract pollinators and other animals. Scientific investigations on their way. The MOU The Dressing of the Princess include Cape Flats Wetland Forum, Department of City Parks (City of Cape Town), and the South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI). Extended supporters include 5 local schools that have adopted-a-plot to plant and care for, local social development organization LOGRA, the city-wide

6 environmental organization the Greater Cape Town Civic Alliance, the national environmental organization WESSA, and other organization. 5. Zandvlei housing development project Replanting fynbos at newly built housing units History and project description: When developer Rafik Dawood and Rawson properties built housing at degraded wetland site in Muizenberg they were advised in 2009 by the City of Cape Town to work with the Cape Flats Wetland Forum to restore habitat. Design: Some fynbos plants and 200 trees were planted in the course of 4 months. Between Zandvlei wetland area and False Bay train station. Size of site: 5000 m 2 Project start: Aug 2009 Project finish: Nov 2009 Current status: Finalized. Plant composition: plain sand fynbos plants including Restios, Ericas and Serrurias, and some 200 trees. Ecological change: Rehabilitating locally and regionally important habitat for Leopard toad. Private customer. 6. Noordhoek Leopard toad rehabilitation project Recreating habitat for leopard toads History and project description: Along the Old Cape Farm Road lies the most important breeding grounds for Leopard toads in the world. However, as it was in great danger of being destroyed, the City of Cape Town advised a private property owner to work with the Cape Flats Wetland Forum to rehabilitate this pond and habitat for Leopard toads. Old Cape Farm Road Size of site: 1600 m 2 Project start: May 2010 Project finish: September 2010 Current status: Finalized. Plant composition: 4000 plain sand fynbos plants and 50 trees. Ecological change: Rehabilitating locally and regionally important habitat for Leopard toad. Private customer.

7 7. Constantia rehabilitation project Restoring wetland habitat History and project description: The project aims to recreate a fynbos wetland habitat that had been lost to a residential area. The Cape Flats Wetland Forum was recommended as the suitable partner for this project. Design: Loaders have removed illegal dumping of soil into wetland area and some 300 fynbos plants will be planted. Constantia. Size of site: 300 m 2 Project start: Jan 2011 Project finish: Aug 2011 Current status: Ongoing. Plant composition: 300 fynbos plants. Ecological change: Recreating lost wetland habitat. Private customer. We hope you have enjoyed reading what we have accomplished so far. Do not hesitate to contact us for further queries. For references on work undertaken please refer to; - The City Biodiversity Network Surreta Joy Garmen This document was made based on publicly available texts by Henrik Ernstson at the African Centre for Cities, University of Cape Town, as part of his social-ecological research project on Capetonian urban nature, 27 February 2011 (see The final wording is however by Cape Flats Wetland Forum. Photos by Henrik Ernstson, except overview of Princess Vlei by unknown.