KNYSNA NEWS - The Brenton Ratepayers Association (BRA) has come together with the Knysna Municipality, BioWise Knynsa and the Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) in a show of unity and affection for the environment.
In keeping with the spirit of World Wetlands Day 2018, celebrated on 2 February, the community has declared this month as the time for action to be finally taken along the wetlands area adjacent to the Brenton Community Hall.
“Many years ago this place was a refuse dump, and thereafter it became a green dump meant only for garden rubbish.
"But over the years people have been dumping building rubble, clothes, tyres and even car parts,” explained Judy Harrison of BRA.
“We've waited several months for this type of intervention”.
She mentioned that Knysna residents, and in particular the Brenton community, refer to the area as 'before the fires' and 'after the fires'.
“The fires obviously devastated this area, but we are slowly overcoming it and putting it in our past.
"We don't know if we'll ever get it back to the green lush area it once was, but we are certainly trying”.
On 2 February about 40 people gathered at the wetlands area, made up of residents, municipal workers and members of BioWise and EPWP.
About 40 people gathered at the wetlands area in Brenton last Friday, where they collectively cleared the area of rubble, and picked up glass, rubbish, and concrete slabs.
They collectively cleared the area of rubble, and picked up glass, rubbish, and concrete slabs.
“Thanks largely to BioWise, we only filled half a skip bin of rubbish. The rest of the items were sorted according to what could be re-used and recycled”.
The area is now looking clean and clear, and indicative of a vibrant and lively bird life population.
Exactly one week later, on 9 February, again about 40 people gathered at the wetlands.
“This time we divided ourselves into groups, and inspected the area for invasive and alien plants.
"These were categorised according to level 1, 2 and 3, and everyone was briefed on what is to be removed. We thereafter walked the area and pulled out these plants”.
Harrison said that the project undertaken by BRA, with the support from other stakeholders, will continue for the rest of February as a much larger scale project is being planned for the rest of the year.
“This Friday, on 16 February, we will be planting about 100 trees which have been donated to us”.
And the following Friday, on 23 February, alien and invasive plant species will be removed from all the verges and other parts of Brenton, before the same is done in the immediate surrounds of Brenton.
Harrison warned against any members of the public returning the area to a dumping site.
“We are in the process of installing infra-red cameras in strategic positions to monitor any illegal dumping activity in this area, and perpetrators will be dealt with accordingly”.
ARTICLE: YASEEN GAFFAR, KNYSNA-PLETT HERALD JOURNALIST
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