Cleaning the Parys Wetland Park – community’s input needed on Friday
Community members, local waste pickers, recyclers and buy-back centres' input are much needed for the cleaning campaign of the Parys Wetland Park. Please attend this important meeting.
In an effort to involve the community, local waste pickers, recyclers and buy-back centres in an initiative to clean the Parys Wetland Park area, key points of the cleaning campaign will be discussed with community members and all mentioned parties on Friday October 17.
Please meet at 10:00 c/o Fourth Avenue & End Street. Your input will be highly appreciated.
Discussion points
- Protecting our natural environment and biodiversity
- Recycling initiatives and strategies to stop illegal dumping
- A plan for the collection of recyclables
- First phase of the Parys Wetland Park cleaning campaign.
All are welcome and invited to attend by Ngwathe Municipality’s office for Community Services..
More information
Visit www.paryswetlands.co.za for more information, the latest news, project updates and how to become part of the project team.
Why the need to conserve wetlands?
Wetlands in South Africa cover 2.4% of the country’s surface, but 48% of wetland ecosystem types are critically endangered. As a result, the country has lost approximately 50% of its original wetland area.
Parys Wetland area
An initiative to rehabilitate the neglected natural wetland area in the center of Parys, to transform the underutilized area into a sustainable wetland ecosystem that will be accessible and safe for all communities, was launched a while ago with the first phase of the project to be completed within the next three years.
The wetland offers enormous tourism potential with cross-country and cycling routes being developed here, and will also be used by schools as a conservation and educational site.
The wetland area stretches from Tumahole down to the bottom of the Mimosa Gardens, and starts at a natural fountain behind the Viva Filling Station in Parys’ industrial area, says Leida Schuman, one of the volunteers involved in the project. She explains that the wetland is also a main pedestrian route for people walking daily between Tumahole, Schonkenville and Parys. It connects schools, the industrial area of Parys and residential areas.
This area has been polluted over the years by people dumping household waste and building rubble here, invasive plant species, and sewage pollution.
