Fisantekraal Community Plant Indigenous Trees to Rehabilitate River

Volunteers from the Fisantekraal community have planted indigenous trees on the banks of the Mosselbank River.

Despite the rain on Saturday, volunteers in Fisantekraal, a township about ten kilometres northeast of Durbanville, came out to plant over 100 indigenous trees along the Mosselbank River.

The plantings are for Earth Day (22 April) and form part of a project started in 2017 by the Mosselbank River Conservation Team (MRCT) to rehabilitate the Mosselbank River Wetlands. The river is a non-perennial tributary to the Diep River.

Video: Ashraf Hendricks

Danielle Cronje, director and co-founder of the MRCT, said the organisation started with just five volunteers and has now grown to about 35 volunteers.

“When we started here, there were no trees at all. We wanted this to be a space where kids can interact,” said Cronje.

She said the tree-planting event also serves to educate the children of Fisantekraal about the environment.

Anne Baard and Antoinette Seronne are residents who often volunteer for Mosselbank River Conservation Team projects.

On Saturday, several indigenous tree species were planted: Syzygium cordatum, Olea Africana, Buddleja saligna, and Acacia galpinii.

Antoinette Seronne, who runs a soup kitchen in the community, says she has often helped to set up and run vegetable gardens for schools and also people’s homes in Fisantekraal.

“We want to make a change in our community … I believe we must be hands-on to make our community look pretty and clean.”

Maria Harris from the Mosselbank River Conservation Team said green space is of great benefit to the community.

Fisantekraal resident and MRCT volunteer Maria Harris said the clean green area along the river “benefits the community a lot”. Before it was established, people were restricted by bushes and there was also a lot of litter.

She described the MRCT spring walk along the river last year. “It’s very lovely to come see what new plants, what new trees have come out, what new insects and goggas you get here at the Mosselbank River.”

Plants donated included 100 trees from the Buchu Farm, 35 trees from City of Cape Town Parks and Recreation, and 200 wetland and dryland indigenous plants from VULA Environmental Services. The Lions Club also supported the event.

Despite the rain on Saturday, many children came out to help with the planting, while also finding time to play in the rain.

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