Over the past months, the dream of a wetland where communities can meet and boundaries disappear is slowly taking shape.

Over the past two weeks, nearly 150 tons of building rubble were removed, and on Friday, an extraordinary turnout was seen for the third clean-up campaign launched from the Brown Street entrance to the wetland.

In a collaborative effort, Kohobotjha NPC, Ngwathe Local Municipality, local community members, and Wetland Park committee members collected 195 bags of refuse, once again raising the issue of the misuse of natural spaces as dumping grounds.

With the final two sections of the rail trail also completed now, this will ensure a seamless, safe, and dry route for the hundreds of pedestrians and cyclists moving through the wetland area daily.

One of the Parys Wetland Park NPC’s objectives is also to control invasive species such as the Eucalyptus introduced in the late 1930s near the railway and old station, while Eucalyptus plantations were established in multiple areas, such as today’s Saligna neighbourhood, which still bears the name.
The Bankenveld Biome, our native and increasingly threatened grassland habitat, is characterised by rocky granite outcrops and overlapping savannah grasslands with sparse tree cover, which makes Eucalyptus a very useful commodity, says Danie Venter.

However, Eucalyptus has escaped rapidly into riparian habitats and wetlands due to its fast growth rate and resistance to decay and no natural enemies, forming dense monoculture stands along the Vaal River banks and islands.

Specifically, Eucalyptus camaldulensis has proven to be the most successful species in the area, despite being vulnerable in its native range. Left unchecked, Eucalyptus can deplete wetland water reservoirs and lay them dry while creating dense canopies that alter soil chemistry, hindering native vegetation growth, Venter said. Furthermore, the volatile oils in Eucalyptus leaves pose a significant fire hazard due to their extreme flammability.

The Parys Wetland Park NPC’s strategy involves preserving majestic old planted giants for their historical value while removing new saplings and replacing them with indigenous trees.

The initiative to rehabilitate the neglected natural wetland area in the centre of Parys, stretching from Tumahole down to the bottom of the Mimosa Gardens, not only brought people together but has proven to be a classroom where children learn the lessons taught by nature, and where a whole community benefits from what the wetland has to offer.

An incredible initiative thanks to the dedication of the volunteers of the Parys Wetland Park NPC, the sponsorship of Sasol, Damlaagte Solar and Ilikwa Solar, and with the support of the Ngwathe Municipality.