Today 18 July 2023, residents from the surrounding area joined the City of Cape Town’s Biodiversity Management branch at the Bothasig Fynbos Nature Reserve to volunteer their time to planting 1 900 indigenous plants in celebration of Mandela Day. Read more below:
The participating residents and nature reserve team planted over 1 900 indigenous seedling plants at the Bothasig Fynbos Nature Reserve today.
‘We are encouraged by our helpful and friendly neighbours who volunteered their time and effort at the Bothasig Nature Reserve today as we celebrated Mandela Day, one plant at a time. Preserving our natural environment for future generations is an important act of love and care. Today these volunteers contributed to our efforts in restoring the natural heritage of the Bothasig Fynbos Nature Reserve. These residents contributed their time to make their natural environment more liveable for all residents in the area,’ said the City’s Deputy Mayor and Mayoral Committee Member for Spatial Planning and Environment, Alderman Eddie Andrews.
The plant species that was planted today included Serruria aemula (critically endangered), Serruria trilopha (critically endangered), Serruria fasciflora (near threatened), Salvia aurea, Lampranthus bicolor, Leucadendron salignum, Lampranthus reptans (near threatened), Plecostachys serpyllifolia, Passerina corymbosa, and Metalasia muricata.
Some of the restoration activities included:
- the sowing of indigenous vegetation seeds
- planting of different locally indigenous plant species grown from seed or cuttings at the restoration facility at Westlake
The plants originated from the Bothasig Fynbos Nature Reserve itself, the N1/N7 interchange and Fort Ikapa; these are donor sites from where vegetation material is sourced and selected to ensure the genetic integrity of the local plant populations at the reserve.
More about the Bothasig Fynbos Nature Reserve:
It is a 10 hectare gem located within the corners of Bosmansdam Road and Potsdam Road in Bothasig, and is managed by the City’s Biodiversity Management Branch. The management includes implementing restoration methods to improve the condition of the Critically Endangered Cape Flats Sand Fynbos vegetation found at the reserve.
The reserve is proclaimed as a Nature Reserve under the National Protected Areas Act.
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