School pupils have joined the fight against Delta Park’s purple invaders.
Grade 7 boys of St Stithians College, as well as a few regular volunteers, pulled out a large quantity of the invasive verbena plant in the park.
Delta Park volunteer and publisher of its online newsletter, Shirley Tebbutt said everyone enjoyed the task and half of a large field was now cleared.
She encouraged pupils to spend their required community service hours helping to remove the invasive plant.
The plant has been a cause for concern to Tebbutt and resident manager of the Delta Environmental Centre, Geoff Lockwood.
“The verbena has slowly spread and if it carries on that way the natural grass in some areas in the park will become virtually valueless for the birds we want to conserve,” said Lockwood.
Of the more than 210 species of bird in the park, a significant number including guinea fowl, spurfowl, owls, kites, long-crested eagles, bishops and weavers would have to find other habitats.
Details: Shirley Tebbutt, etebbutt@worldonline.co.za
