Friends of Sandspruit

29 September 2016

The Friends of Sandspruit committee has been hard at work organising beneficial environmental changes along our section of the Sandspruit River.

Three men, Neva, Musa & Godfrey have been employed to do this work under Claude’s supervision. You might have seen them watering the recently planted trees by hand, trimming branches and clearing litter.

Many alien species of trees like black wattle, bugweed and some willows have been removed. Over 120 indigenous trees have been planted. Friends of Sandspruit has committed to planting 2 indigenous trees for ever large alien tree removed. Alien trees and branches and roots that act as litter traps have been removed from the river’s edge. Indigenous species like stinkwood and river bushwillow that have been struggling to grow because of the amount of alien species on the river banks, will hopefully soon flourish when the rains come.

City Parks is responsible for removing all the cut branches and cleared vegetation and has committed to doing so, albeit a tad slowly! The committee is in communication with them about this as well as the donation of large trees. If this happens, then removal of the remaining large alien trees will happen.

It is also hoped to make the north-eastern sliver of the park, fronting on Murray and Lynton Roads an exclusion zone. This is necessary to ensure wildlife has a small area to live, nest and reproduce without threats from dogs and people. In summer the area is boggy and not suitable for walking but is popular with herons, hadedas, egrets and geese.