Archive for the ‘Uncategorized’ Category
Peninsula Paddle Video
Thursday, June 9th, 2011More on SUDS
Friday, May 27th, 2011Professor Neil Armitage’s talk on SUDS (Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems) raised so many important points that I want to expand on the topic. In the UK much research has been done, and one very interesting report available on the Internet is the CIRIA report on social impacts of SUDS (http://www.ciria.org.uk/suds/pdf/social_impact_summary.pdf).
They found that new and innovative drainage technologies must be designed to be accepted by the public. Poor public perception of SUDS may be a deterrent for developers in using them at new sites, as it can negatively influence buyers’ decisions to acquire property within the development. In contrast, positive attitudes towards SUDS can attract house-buyers and raise property values in developments where these systems are applied. The report stressed that unlike conventional drainage, SUDS are likely to form part of public open spaces. This promotes interaction between communities and their local environment and can also result in amenity benefits.
The report used a survey questionnaire to determine what people who lived near SUDS sites thought about the systems. Contrary to US results, people in the UK survey (92%) were aware of how their actions influenced catchment pollution, but there was a lack of awareness of SUDS specifically. People were more positive about ponds than swales, stating that “the attraction of wildlifento the ponds, the increase in the amenity and recreational value of the surrounding areas, the improvement of the landscape, and the environmental nature of the drainage methods, all played an important role in achieving positive attitudes towards the systems.” The people in the survey all thought busy roads were more of a danger than a pond, and a pond was considered safer than a river or a landfill. They understood the benefits of SUDS in reducing flood risk, and how SUDS generally improved the landscape.
The recommendations the report makes can be applied to the Liesbeek. People wanted ponds or in our case the river itself, to be as “natural” as possible, with planting of native species on the banks and slopes. The slopes should be gentle and deep water signs should be used. Benches should be introduced and picnic tables, walkways and children’s play areas considered. Land based and aquatic species should be encouraged to colonise the system. Litter and silt removal programmes should be given a high priority and clearing of inlets and outlets should be regularly undertaken. Marginal vegetation should be maintained. The report suggests that educational campaigns should be set up for local communities and interpretation boards should be introduced. These all have been recognised to be important on the Liesbeek, it only needs time and effort to implement – the Friends of the Liesbeek are definitely on the right track!
Maintenance of Bird Hides
Tuesday, April 26th, 2011The Liesbeek maintenance Team and personal from Kenilworth Racecourse Conservation Area recently completed cutting a path in the reeds in front of the bird hide situated in the South African Astronomical Observatory (SAAO) and varnishing of the hide. An additional three perches (dead trees) were also installed to encourage better sightings. This was done in preparation for the upcoming winter months that will see +- 50 bird species visiting the Raapenberg seasonal wetland.
Fig. Team cutting the reeds.
Fig. Team varnishing the hide.
From May 2011 monthly bird counts will be conducted at Raapenberg, the Liesbeek and other surrounding wetlands. If you would like to join us for these counts please contact James Cooper no: (021) 700 1843 or 078 031 6749. Arrangements for groups to visit the hide can also be made, groups may not be larger than 20 people and arrangements must be made at least two weeks in adnavce.
Herbicide application course
Tuesday, April 26th, 2011Herbicide application course
From the 9 – 11 February 2011 the Liesbeek Maintenance Project Team attended a herbicide application course facilitated by Invader Plant Specialist cc at the Environment Centre situated in Valkenberg Hospital. The South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI), who has been working with the Maintenance Project on the control of Purple Loosestrife, kindly covered the costs of the course and provided catering for the three days.
During the course the team learnt about different herbicides, their active ingredients, mixing ratios, methods of application, target species, plant transport systems and health and safety regulations while applying herbicide. All team members, who thoroughly enjoyed the course, passed with flying colours and are now qualified to legally apply herbicide to alien invasive plants found on the Liesbeek. Well done guys.
This will increase the scope of work the team can achieve on the river and will provide them with future job opportunities. Huge thanks to Ernita Van Wyk (SANBI) for organising the course and for the continuous support of the Maintenance Project. We look forward to the partnership with SANBI growing in the future.
Figure from left to right: Malibonwe Mzinanda, Mneceleli Klaas, Ntobeko Dyani, Sivuyile Zwide and David Nyalethele receiving their certificates.
Liesbeek Mud Pollution
Sunday, April 24th, 2011How does this…………………………………………………….
get into the Liesbeek?
The reality is that the storm water drains vent into the Liesbeek and for a long time city engineers have treated the Liesbeek as a storm water drain itself, opting to canalise and channelise the river over a large part of its course.
On 26th March, 2011, a concerned member of the public who had noticed that the river was running brown and murky at Kildare Road Bridge, reported the problem to the city but it was only much later, when the source of the pollution was found, that the problem was addressed.
James Cooper, Friends of the Liesbeek River Warden, along with City officials, discovered that a developer working on a building site on Herschel Close had been pumping mud straight from the building site into the street, to flow down the gutter into the storm water drain.
When we checked on 11th April the damage was already extensive as the storm water drain had still been used to dispose of the mud until 7th April . Under Kildare Bridge, where the storm water drain vents, a layer of mud about 30cm deep was covering the river bed. A mini SASS survey done on 11th April revealed that effectively all life had been smothered in the thick mud, in contrast to the abundant small animals present just metres further upstream and further downstream.
Now the problem was to get the mud removed. What was complicated about simply removing the mud? As we have come to realise, nothing is simple, and here we were faced with what the developer, the city departments and even government bodies saw as needed to be done – mostly in terms of paper being pushed around – before any work could commence.
We held our breaths while a light rain fell on 20th April, washing some mud downstream. Luckily Thursday remained dry and finally pumping could start. It was hoped that the procedure would be completed by Saturday 23rd April without too much mud floating downstream. It has rained again on Sunday and we would appreciate any feedback on mud being washed downstream.
It took almost a month before the pollution was stopped and remedied – is this acceptable? What if the mud was contaminated? Residents walk along the Liesbeek every day, their dogs often enter the water, and it is difficult to keep children out of the enticing shallows. There are a large number of homeless people living on the Liesbeek, for better or worse, and they use the Liesbeek for their ablutions. Homeowners and businesses also pump water from the Liesbeek to water their gardens – they run a serious risk if the water is polluted.
It is very important that the City, under whose responsibility the Liesbeek falls, should have a prompt and effective disaster response plan in place that is well advertised and in working order. The Friends of the Liesbeek urge all residents to demand this.
World Wetlands Day, 2 February 2011
Wednesday, January 26th, 2011
Weedbuster Week
Thursday, October 7th, 2010
It is Weedbuster Week and the Friends of the Liesbeek are supporting the effort to raise awareness about invasive alien plants (IAPs) in our gardens and public areas.
We put together a display at Rondebosch Library to help inform the public about the problem and Assistant Librarian Anita Blignaut stands next to our information board and fresh cuttings of IAPs from our area.
Along the Liesbeek our River Maintenance Team works hard to remove a wide range of invasive plants which threaten to encroach on the river. These include poplar trees, wild ginger, cannas (category 1), and the recent threat, purple loosestrife (also category 1). In the water they are trying different methods to remove the parrot’s feather (a category 1 weed) which chokes the Liesbeek Lake; they skim off the floating duckweed which blocks out the sunlight and remove the well-known water hyacinth (category 1).
WEEDS AND INVASIVE PLANTS
The Conservation of Agricultural Resources Act (CARA) no. 43 of 1983 refers to plants that can be placed into three categories:
Category 1 Declared weeds - prohibited and must be eradicated or be controlled e.g. Crofton weed, Madeira vine, Mothcatcher, Spanish reed, Balloon vine, Spanish Broom, Water Hyacinth, Parrot’s feather, Water lettuce.
Category 2 Declared invaders - may be grown commercially under permit e.g. Honey locust, White and Grey Poplar, Guava, Casteroil plant, Watercress.
Category 3 Declared invaders - can be in gardens but may not be planted or allowed to spread e.g. Loquat, Morning Glory, Jacaranda, Californian and Chinese Privet, Brazilian Peppertree, Tipu tree .
These plants are prohibited within 30m of the 1 in 50 year floodline along watercourses and wetlands.
WHY THESE REGULATIONS?
These invader plants:
1. crowd out indigenous plants and animals
2. increase the damage done by fires
3. use more water than indigenous plants
4. cause erosion and increase flood damage
5. invade agricultural land and compete with food plants.
More information can be found at www.weedbuster@dwaf.gov.za , www.wfw@dwaf.go and at www.wessa.org.za.
International Coastal Cleanup
Tuesday, September 14th, 2010
Jewels of the Liesbeek
Tuesday, August 24th, 2010The theme for the Friends of the Liesbeeks AGM this year was ‘Jewels of the Liesbeek’, a collection of photos from friends and committee members. What follows are just some of the animal and plant ’Jewels’ captured during the daily Maintenance Project activities along the River. Click more to view photos.
Construction of signage alone the Liesbeek trail
Tuesday, July 20th, 2010At the end of 2009 the Liesbeek Maintenance Project team and volunteers from the South African Breweries (SAB) constructed three signs along the Liesbeek trail. The signs were made using rocks from the area, cement and wooden ‘plinths’, which had been cut from fallen Oak trees along the river.
Construction of sign opposite Josephine Mill in Rondebosch
SAB volunteers and David Nyalathele with finished base of sign at Alfred stream in Rondebosch
The idea was to then attach a perspex sleeve to the wooden ‘plinth’ into which laminated signs could be placed and changed at ones discretion. These perpex sleeves were ready and attached at the beggining of 2010.
David Nyalathele attaches perspex sleeve
The finished product
The Liesbeek maintenance Project team will be constructing more signs along the trail from the end of July 2010, and will be looking at other creative ways of doing so.
