Organisation plays active role in conservation
Ensuring the area's environment remains pristine and visitors and residents can enjoy the variety of plant and animal life is a big job. But it's one that the Marlothii Conservancy's members take great pride in.
MARLOTH PARK – The Marlothii Conservancy was founded in 2005 and was the first in the province to be registered with the Mpumalanga Parks Board as an urban conservancy. It aims to generate interest and active participation by registered landowners, accredited residents and the business community in the conservation of indigenous and endemic fauna and flora and the protection of the environment in the area based on scientific principles of nature conservation and sustainable utilization of the area’s natural resources.
They have now been registered at the National Conservancies Stewardship South Africa and are the first conservancy in Mpumalanga to be registered nationally as well.
Some of the conservancy’s concerns include minimising noise and light pollution, as well as the human footprint.
They also strive to remove all alien plants within the area and encourage the planting of indigenous trees and shrubs. Alien plants within Marloth Park include Parthenium, Christ thorn, potato creeper, queen of the night, triffid weed, lantana, and prickly pear.
Their conservation efforts also include the protection of the area’s animals, and they often join forces with other local organisations on projects and drives.
The conservancy undertakes a variety of projects as part of their conservation efforts. One of their previous projects was the establishment of Gruispan.
Many years ago a gravel pit was established along Olifant Drive to provide decomposed granite for road building. The resultant excavation was left in a neglected and unsightly state. In 2010, Fenja ter Horst, a founding member of Marlothii Conservancy, initiated a project to rehabilitate this dormant depression in the open veld.
With permission of the Nkomazi Municipality, a waterhole for the benefit of Marloth Park game and birds was established.
Recently, moves have been made to upgrade the facility. Viewing benches have been placed at strategic points. The next proposed project was the prevention of erosion by laying stone barriers in the run-off gullies to slow water flow. Two boreholes have been sunk to top up the water level in dry seasons.
As one of Marlothii Conservancy’s main aims is to educate locals and visitors on the area’s nature life, they also conduct nature walks and talks and birding. These activities take place every third Saturday of the month at 06:00 in summer and 07:00 in winter for approximately two hours, followed by a breakfast at one of the lodges. Three times a year, a day-long talk on various subjects concerning the animal world are held.
For more information on the conservancy, their projects and activities as well as the area’s plants and animals, contact Derrick Bruins-Lich on 082-687-0530.
