Beachwood Mangroves Reserve welcomes new ‘claw’some murals
The mural under the bridge at the entrance to the reserve features two fiddler crabs found at the reserve and was completed by artists Giffy and Cyan Eyez.
THIS year’s Earth Day provided the backdrop for a collaborative effort to not only clean-up Beachwood Mangroves Nature Reserve beach but also to give the reserve entrance a stunning mural makeover.
The mural under the bridge at the entrance to the reserve features two fiddler crabs found at the reserve and was completed by artists Giffy and Cyan Eyez. It also focused on how plastic is affecting the flora and fauna found at the reserve.
During the clean-up, Green Steps Group, a global climate-tech sustainability pioneer, partnered with Durban North non-profit organisation (NPO) Adopt-A-River founded by Janet Simpkins.
In all, 511 kilograms of ocean waste was removed by volunteers who attended the #CleanBlueLagoon Earth Day beach clean-up.
In total Green Steps Group sponsored and the teams collected a further 2520.45 kilograms totalling of 3031.45 kilograms.
Simpkins extended her thanks to all the role-players and volunteers who were involved in the project.
“We often have monthly clean-ups at the Mangroves Beach and have a team dedicated to cleaning up along the uMngeni River and the reserve itself. This Earth Day initiative saw us collaborate, and the Green Steps Group took it a step further by getting the artists involved. They also sponsored the paint for the mural project, while I got hold of Basil Pather, the reserve manager, and we facilitated the permission and the clean-up of the wall to get it prepped.
“If people remember, there was an old mural showing how we are all connected to the environment and especially to the mangroves reserve. I will say, however, it was probably time for an upgrade, and the new murals are breathtaking. They are two amazing artists who have such heart for the environment, and they’ve left a legacy for any visitor to see. I think the murals featuring fiddler crabs also highlight the plastic items in their claws, and the items in grey should not be found in the environment,” she said.
Simpkins said she looks forward to further collaborations with the eco company.
She added that this clean-up also allowed her team to go into great detail on the items found on the beach.
Michelle Tyson, operations and marketing manager from Green Steps Group, also touched on some of the items found at the clean-up.
“Every kilogram of plastic was documented and photographed. The waste was sorted per type, weighed per bag and viewed on our Green Steps online portals-verification maps. During the clean-up, we found a variety of shocking items, including car tyres, a bumper, electronic parts, irons, plastic chairs, shoes, textiles, ropes, bags of polystyrene, plastic stationery, lighters, straws, bulbs, paint cans, deodorant roll-ons, personal care bottles, glass jars, condoms, sanitary products, diapers, pipes, plastic bags, PET bottles, rubber pieces, toothbrushes, earbuds, wrappers and toys.
“We give a heartfelt thank you to the dynamic ocean warriors who joined in the Green Steps Group and Adopt-a-River joint movement in restoring and protecting our beautiful beaches, oceans, rivers, biodiversity and mangrove forests. As custodians of the environment, we commend you all for making a wave of positive change and leading the way for a better tomorrow. We are also grateful to Giffy and Cyan Eyez who worked their mural magic, transforming the wall under the bridge into a plastic-pollution awareness drive masterpiece,” she said.
About the murals
Cyan Eyez drew inspiration from the often-overlooked beauty of the Beachwood Mangrove forests beneath the M4 bridge. Despite being home to hundreds of thousands of crabs and a diverse array of life, this habitat is increasingly threatened by plastic and waste intrusion.
Giffy’s piece focuses upon plastic pollution in the mangrove area. On one of his visits, inspiring his Earth Day Awareness project, it centred around a plastic Grogu (popularly known as Baby Yoda) head he found on the beach.
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