Massive five-day clean-up to rehabilitate Ferndale Arboretum Bird Sanctuary
Following years of neglect, the Ferndale Arboretum Bird Sanctuary is being cleaned up and fenced for residents to enjoy again.
There was a sigh of relief for residents in Ferndale and nearby areas as city entities came together for a massive five-day clean-up of the Ferndale Arboretum Bird Sanctuary on May 18.
Read more: Police clean up Windsor
The sanctuary has seen a sharp influx of vagrants and recyclers in recent years, who have constructed makeshift dwellings inside. What was once a safe space for residents to enjoy and for birds to flourish turned into an unsafe space full of waste. The waste pickers used the green belt for their collections and left the area filthy. The waste was everywhere and also affecting the river.
After putting pressure on the city, residents and Ward 104 councillor Emi Koekemoer are hoping the area will be back to what it used to be. The constructed dwellings have been taken down; waste is being collected, and the sanctuary looks better than it was before.
Urban inspector for Ward 104 and clean-up coordinator Nokthula Ngobese praised all the stakeholders involved for their work so far.
Also read: Councillor teams up with ASEZ volunteers to clean up Bromhof
“We started with the demolitions and litter picking on day one. We had about 28 loads of rubbish that were taken out. So far good as well on day two. We are continuing with the work, and we hope that by Friday we will be finished. We are pushing hard, we have a tractor-loader-backhoe from City Parks, which is helping a lot, and residents have sponsored with two truckloads as well.”
The waste pickers took over the space after Johannesburg Water had broken the fence on Rocky Street, designed to protect the bird sanctuary and greenbelt by reducing human impact, to do a sewage repair, and left the sanctuary open and exposed.
Beaming with excitement, Koekemoer thanked the community members for not giving up on their green belt by constantly reporting to the city. “Thank you to the community for many letters and emails to the city manager. We finally got the city to respond with a massive clean-up. Thank you to the member who has sponsored having the fence fixed and trucks to get the waste out.”
A local company, Vale Constructions, sponsored the clean-up with two truckloads. Stakeholders involved include JMPD, SAPS, City Parks, Beagle Watch, Group Citizen Relationship and Urban Management.
Follow us on our Whatsapp channel, Facebook, X, Instagram, and TikTok for the latest updates and inspiration!
