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Arbor Week Planting:
Take Two |
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Due to the very late and
wet winter experienced this year, we were unable to plant
our shrubs bought from Good Hope Nurseries. As we were
digging the holes to put our compost in, the ground water
came rushing in from the sides and in no time the holes were
full of water. We would literally have drowned our plants. A
week later we experienced another storm and the water level
pushed right up to the fence line on Otto du Plessis Drive.
We expect our hardwearing indigenous plants to be able to
withstand a flood from time to time, but not straight after
planting. Koos Retief, our Conservation Officer will
organize better compost to be delivered on site and we will
use Port Jackson mulch as covering on the ground to help
prevent drying around the plants. |
The sun is getting warmer and we look forward to a beautiful
morning next time we attempt to plant, so bring along
refreshments and your garden tools to the Model Aircraft
Flying Club gate on Otto du Plessis Drive on SATURDAY 13TH
OCTOBER FROM 8A.M. TO 11A.M.
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The Cape of Storms |
During the past month our coastline
was once again lashed by massive waves and we noted how
vulnerable we are against the forces of nature. Developments
at the Lagoon mouth were fortunate to escape with minimum
damage because they adhered to the setback buffer line
behind the primary dunes. Rietvlei's coastal frontage with
its high dunes is still in good shape as all the energy of
the wave is absorbed before it reaches the vegetation on the
dune. Unfortunately some Quad bikers from Sunset Beach think
our dunes are a great place to ride their bikes and we ask
that anyone seeing them there phone Big Bay Law Enforcement
immediately on 554-3947. Once an example of impounding these
bikes is made, we should have peace. A suitable place to
ride sand dunes exists at Atlantis.
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Evening Talk: Caring for
our Coastline |
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The coast of South Africa is under pressure from many sides.
Over exploitation of our Marine resources has left our rocky
shores bare and fish populations precarious. Coastal
development threatens much of our remaining coastal areas
and marine pollution takes its toll on our marine life each
year. The Wildlife and Environmental Society is involved in
promoting improved management of our coastline and is
currently with Coastcare: Working for the Coast programme.
Anton Boonzaier from WESSA will be giving us a presentation
on this topic at our next evening meeting. |
EVENING TALK: Caring for our Coastline, by Anton Boonzaier
WHERE?……………MILNERTON AQUATIC CLUB, off Pentz Drive, Table
View
WHEN?…………….. Thursday 11 October 2001 at 19h30 for 20h00
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A FEW REQUESTS TO MEMBERS: |
GATE:
Please could all members who have keys to the gate to the
Milnerton Aquatic Club area ensure that when using the gate
they make sure it is locked behind them. This must be done
on both entering and leaving the Rietvlei area. Having keys
to the gate is a privilege for our members and we do not
want to get blamed for an unlocked gate. |
WEBSITE:
The committee is very keen to get a Friends of Rietvlei
web-page going but none of the committee are experts in this
field. Are there any members out there who could take this
project on???
If you could assist our conservation initiative in this way
please contact Nelis Visagie on
082 777 5708.
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SNIPPETS FROM AROUND RIETVLEI: |
| Model Aircraft Flying at Rietvlei: |
| Over the years concern has been expressed by some of our
members at the flying of model aircraft by the Cape Radio
Flyers (CRF) at Rietvlei. More recently, the use of planes
with floats landing on the flooded pans near their runway
has caused more concern. |
| Koos Retief, Environmental Site Officer for Rietvlei has
forwarded a letter from CRF in which we are advised that the
club will not be flying at Rietvlei whilst the runways are
flooded and that no float planes will be used. |
This is good news from CRF!
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| Signage: |
| The Municipality has been putting more regulatory signage up
around Rietvlei. The pictograms have also been updated in
areas. |
| Alien Vegetation clearing: By the end of June this year most
of the Rooikrans and Port Jackson trees had been removed
from the Lagoon area up to Racecourse Bridge. Municipal
staff have used the sunny days through winter to clear
around the Milnerton Aquatic Club and SANCCOB areas. The
next area to be tackled is the coastal section from Sunset
Beach to Dolphin Beach. A report by botanist Nick Helme will
guide this work, so as not to expose large tracts of bare
sand-dune to the summer southeasterly winds. |
Water hyacinth was largely washed away during the good
winter floods but unfortunately there are still some
fragments left in the Diep River. The Municipality plans to
employ some contract labour to start clearing this away
before the summer heat encourages the rapid growth of the
hyacinth.
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| Expansion of Potsdam Sewage Treatment
Works: |
| The Draft Scoping Report, by Ninham Shand, for this project
is now available at Table View or Milnerton libraries, or
electronically at the consultants website
www.web.shands.co.za\enviro\proj\current.htm. An Open
Day/Public Meeting will be held on Wed 17 October 2001 at
Milnerton Library, Pienaar Rd, Milnerton from 16h00 to
19h30. Please attend this meeting and find out what doubling
the Sewage Treatment Works will do to Rietvlei. This
expansion could affect flooding, water hyacinth, dust, reed
growth, water quality, etc. Contact Dr Andrew Spinks or
Milicent Solomoms on tel 424 5544 for queries. Your input is
needed.
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