Kensington B park battles invasive alien plants
FERNDALE – The Kenbrink Resident's Association is concerned about the invasive alien plant situation at the Kensington B Park.
The Kenbrink Residents Association is concerned about invasive alien plants surrounding Kensington B Park.
Invasive plants such as bugweed, black wattle and lantana can be found in large numbers surrounding the park.
According to Sandy Heidstra of the association, she contacted City Parks numerous times since the end of last year to get the issue resolved, but to no avail.
READ: City Parks fights off alien plants
“We need somebody to address this problem for us…,” she said. “A lot of people look at the plants and think that they are not a problem as they often look quite pretty, but as we know, alien plants are not good for the natural ecosystem.
“City Parks vowed at the end of last year to sort the problem out citywide, yet nothing has been done about the problem in our park. We simply cannot afford to sort out this problem ourselves, and we are still waiting for a response from the City.”
Jenny Moodley, the spokesperson for Johannesburg City Parks and Zoo, responded by saying, “A team from Johannesburg City Parks and Zoo visited the site last week to investigate… but found no alien invasive species on site.
“However, invasive species were found growing through the fence of the swimming pool, which falls under the responsibility of [the Department of] Sports and Recreation. The play areas have been weeded and maintained, the horticulturist will provide flowerbeds at a later stage and the grass cutting will be scheduled for maintenance in due course.”
According to information issued by City Parks, there are more than 200 plant species in South Africa that are regarded as invasive.
Many of these species are particularly prominent on river banks and their spread results in native species loss, increased biomass, fire intensity, consequent erosion as well as decreased river flows.
Alien invasive plants are usually characterised by rapid growth, excessive flowering and produce a lot of seeds. They are able to grow in a wide range of habitats.
The plants out-compete the indigenous flora for natural resources such as water, sunlight, oxygen and minerals from the soil.
They are also resistant to grazing as well as pests and diseases. They are able to multiply because of the absence of natural enemies.
Details: www.jhbcityparks.com
Register your complaints about alien plants on 011 375 5555
