KNYSNA NEWS - On 7 December, local gardening club Gardening at Leisure honoured four individuals from Knysna and surrounds who have worked selflessly to better the environment after the fires of June last year.
“They were responsible for clearing invasive species, rehabilitating some areas, and also job creation. These people started off by doing the work themselves, funded the projects out of their own pockets, asked for volunteers to assist, and coordinated the clearing processes,” said Esther Townsend, member of Gardening at Leisure, adding that the public need to know who has really been behind the “miraculous disappearance” of aliens from our hillsides.
To award these green Goliaths, said Townsend, they were treated to a lunch at Totties Farm Kitchen in Rheenendal.
The honoured guests and recipients of the Green Leaders awards were Roger Voysey from Steenbok Nature Reserve, Nanna Joubert from Pledge Nature Reserve, Makkie Botha from Knysna’s Alien Busters, and Clare Miller from Eastford.
Roger Voysey
Voysey has been working on the development of Steenbok Nature Reserve for the last 15 years through various, meticulously planned and completed projects. He worked tirelessly to obtain protected status for the reserve, which has been a long process, but hopefully it will be granted next year.
“His current project, the Kingfisher project, is probably his most challenging to date as it requires the clearing of alien vegetation such as Madeira vine, morning glory, lantana and sword fern. The control of these alien species is extremely difficult to execute due to the density of natural vegetation. What Roger has done for the improvement of Steenbok is remarkable. His legacy will live on in the enjoyment that visitors get from the lovely vistas, the peace and the beauty of this very special place,” Townsend said.
Nanna Joubert from Pledge Nature Reserve.Nanna Joubert
“Joubert’s involvement with Pledge Nature Reserve started a few years ago when Pledge was in dire straits – there was no guidance, leadership nor vision. Her background as a horticulturist specialising in rehabilitation has made a huge difference, but the time of her prominence came after the fires of 2017,” Townsend said.
Joubert launched Weeding Wednesdays to curtail the prolific growth of wattle in the reserve. “This has made a huge difference, as certain parts of the reserve are now relatively free of weeds and the fynbos is coming back, among them some vulnerable species,” Townsend added.
Makkie Botha from Knysna’s Alien Busters.Makkie Botha
The initial clearing of aliens was done by Botha and her family with the help of their gardener. “She soon realised that this task was must bigger than she could cope with and with the help of some friends – known as the Alien Blonds – they formulated a plan of action, trained unemployed workers, and went into the field removing wattle and other invasive species. This initiative has spread from Brenton to parts of Knysna and Rheenendal,” said Townsend.
“Makkie and her team have done wonders to restore the indigenous flora along the Brenton Road. It is wonderful to see the prolific colonies of Selago burchellii and other beautiful indigenous species coming back,” she added.
Clare Miller from Eastford.Clare Miller
After the June 2017 blaze, the emergence of wattle in Eastford coming up in multitudes, spearheaded Miller, her husband Duncan and their two gardeners into action, and soon other volunteers offered their services and great inroads were made. “But Clare, being a creative, enthusiastic, spontaneous, and positive person, had other ideas… She was going to create a park full of beauty where kids can play and the oldies can sit on benches gazing at the views over the lagoon to the Heads,” Townsend explained. And today “Clare’s Park” stands ready for visitors and is still worked on once a week by Clare and one gardener.
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