GEORGE NEWS - Kraaibosch Estate has clear management goals for a conservation area that lies within its boundaries and it is in the process of rehabilitating the natural vegetation to the site, according to environmental control officer, Cathy Avierinos from Hilland and Associates Environmental Consultants.
Reacting to concerns of a resident, Avierinos said the estate is subject to an operational environmental management plan approved by the department of environmental affairs and development planning.
"The objective is to change the conservation area back from the years of being managed as a pine plantation (including an eroded donga and alien-invaded valleys) to a fully functional wetland and forest corridor."
The concerned resident, Rein Buisman, lives right next to a vlei where the grass is mowed on a regular basis. He thinks this might affect the bird life and indigenous lilies that are cut regardless of whether they are flowering or not.
Avierinos explained that there has to be a firebreak between the houses and the conservation area, so it is mowed at least once a month.
"Bulbous species like the lilies are not negatively impacted on through occasional mowing. Outside the firebreak the management objectives are to slowly reduce the unnaturally dominant grasses and restore the wetland and surrounding fynbos. The wetland area is restoring well. There are a few alien species which are continually pulled out and the diversity of indigenous vegetation is improving."
Buisman accepted the explanation as well as an invitation to join the estate's conservation management committee so that he is more directly involved in the activities taking place on site and in the decisions relating to the management.
ARTICLE & PHOTO: ALIDA DE BEER, GEORGE HERALD JOURNALIST
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