Help residents clean up neglected nature conservation area in Silverton
“We need all the help we can get so we can have an area we and our children can relax in, enjoy nature, safely,” says organiser.
Community clean-up organisers of a neglected nature conservation area in Silverton, in the east of Pretoria, say they need more people to get involved.
A group of about 30 Silverton residents have since June been cleaning the bridge and the nature conservation area surrounding the bridge.
One organiser, Marietjie van Deventer, said they started the clean-up because the pedestrian bridge used by learners and residents was dirty and the overgrown grass around became a haven for armed robberies and assaults.
“This is a nature conservation area which has been neglected for several years, placing us as residents in danger,” she said.
She said the group cleaned the area once a month but also after receiving donations, employed four people to do so.
“The clean-ups entail the removal of invasive plants, bushes and trimming of trees.
“We also collect rubbish spread by squatters who sort their rubbish in the area,” Van Deventer said.
Van Deventer said they received support from local businesses that donated working tools.
“Community members also donated money for the salaries of the workers who clean on a daily basis,” she said.
She said the results were already noticeable and “more people visit the site daily to see for themselves”.
Van Deventer said the group needs more residents to get involved in the clean-up, adding “we need all the help we can get to enable us to have an area where we can relax with our children, enjoy nature, be safe.
“This bridge plays a very important role in the communities of Silverton and Meyerspark. It was built in 1983. Silverton high-school learners use the bridge daily to walk to and from school from Meyerspark.”
She said the group met with councillor Ben Chapman and the different departments that approved the clean-up.
Any residents interested in the project can contact Van Deventer on 083 442 4661.
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