Portman Park thriving
Portman Park in Westville is still thriving three years since its inception.
ABOUT a year ago, the Highway Mail told a story of the volunteers from the Friends of Dawncliffe Park’s section of Westville Conservancy who had been reviving Portman Park in Westville since 2021. Today, the park is a recreational spot in the community.
In 2021, the park was mown extensively, and Invasive Alien Plants were out of control. In 2023, the natural grassland, wetland and riverine forest areas were allowed to flourish, and the park offered a walking trail and a shady picnic area, becoming a place for families, nature lovers and dog walkers to enjoy.
Also read: Discover trees at Portman Park
A year later, the park has seen even better advancement, including beautiful plantations that you can learn more about from their barcode system.
Most recently, the Westville Conservancy reported on huge advancement on the park, such as the notice board.
“Portman Park has a new notice board where we have started to post information about the different habitats, birds and plant species, etc, in the park. We will also have a regular poster highlighting specific plants, insects, birds, etc, that are prevalent at the time.
“Next time you visit the park, look out for the updates, and more importantly, explore our nature trail and see what interesting things you can find! Notice all the Mannikins and other seed-eating birds enjoying the grass seeds at the Rewilded entrance and throughout the natural grassland areas in the park,” wrote the conservancy.
Thank you to Rustic Structures for the roof and to Desmond for putting the whole notice board together for us. Another add-on in the park is the owl box which is located in the forest of the park. According to the conservancy, they have positioned it in the forest, off the beaten track, to minimise the disturbance to the owls.
“It often takes a year or two for owls to settle into a new nesting box, but we hope that either a Wood Owl or a Spotted Eagle Owl will find the spot attractive,” they added.
Also read: Bongani helps keep Clifton Park clean
Furthermore, on December 12, committee members and a few volunteers from Portman Park planted a tree in memory of Warren Friedman who died in July 2023.
“Warren was a well-known environmentalist, particularly associated with the Palmiet Nature Reserve, but he was also active in Portman Park when we first started rehabilitation work in 2021. Warren was an inspiration to us all, always offering advice, support and encouragement. Sadly, Warren passed away in July 2023 after a battle with cancer, but his memory will live on in Portman Park with the wonderful Harpephyllum caffrum – the Natal plum – which was planted in his honour.”
The team enjoys developing the area and watching the community who come to enjoy a stroll in nature.
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