Joburg Zoo and Zoo Lake Users Committee united for the Lake’s 121st birthday
The Zoo Lake Users Committee is a non-profit organisation managed by residents and other concerned citizens of Johannesburg.
In a joint effort to celebrate Zoo Lake’s 121st birthday, the Zoo Lake Users Committee (ZLUC) and Johannesburg Zoo team came together on May 4 and celebrated with a variety of activities, which included a clean-up, fun walk and watching an owl show.
Read more: Joburg Zoo’s 2024 highlights: Celebrating 120 years of wildlife wonder
The Zoo Lake Users Committee is a non-profit organisation managed by local residents and other concerned citizens of Johannesburg, who have taken on the mission of restoring it and developing it to become a world-class city park as a sustainable recreational facility for the people of Johannesburg and beyond.
The committee raise funds to assist with the various projects with the upkeep of Zoo Lake and has been in office since April 2015.
Johannesburg Zoo executive manager Louise Gordon said the celebration of Zoo Lake’s birthday was a result of having common values of preserving the site.
“Can you imagine coming to a park like this without involvement, anybody’s interest and any sponsorship or investment for green spaces? I would like to thank the Zoo Lake Users Committee; they have done a remarkable job and raised a lot of funds, and put in many hours to get the lake to this point. I would also like to thank Sapra, Forest Town Residents Association, as well as Alton and his team, who are responsible for keeping the park clean.”
The Junior MMC of Environment and Infrastructure Libhongolethu Ngonyama added it was admirable to see the community in numbers celebrating Zoo Lake’s 121st birthday.
She noted that taking care of the planet was important. “Doing park clean-ups, recycling, gardening and doing other environmental activities is not only important but makes a difference, no matter how small it is.”
Also read: Zoo Lake Users Committee reflects on a year of community success and transformation
Fibre Circle CEO Edith Leeuta explained that Fibre Circle was a government-recognised producer responsibility organisation (organisation that collectively manages the obligations of multiple producers to manage end-of-life products). It manages extended producer responsibility programmes to keep paper and paper packaging, which are renewable and recyclable products, out of South Africa’s landfills.
“Most of our landfills are still near townships or adjacent to townships and are full. The reality is that we do the work we do because we are responsible for educating and informing the public accurately about the reality of a looming waste crisis in landfills if we don’t change our behaviour soon. We must remember that our behaviours in terms of waste impact places like Zoo Lake, which is why we have to separate our waste at home.”
Over the past 10 years ZLUC has:
- Upgraded, planted and rehabilitated the banks around the lake with indigenous plants, compost and soil generously donated by the community, residents and users of the park.
- It has also stabilised the banks with gabion baskets and geocell webbing with the assistance and sponsorship of engineering companies.
- It has also erected berms on the west side of Zoo Lake to assist with excess water coming down from Parkview, kindly donated by a resident engineer.
Paving around all the benches and the selfie frame has been laid. - Indigenous trees have been planted, and as part of the 121st birthday of Zoo Lake, another 121 indigenous trees will be planted.
- All the benches around the lake have been upgraded with our ‘memorial adopt a bench project’ – 17 benches were upgraded.
- Our basketball courts have been upgraded with the help of Hennessy and other generous donors.
- We have just completed the capping of the stormwater system on the north side of the lake, thanks to generous donations from the community and Jan Celliers Laerskool.
- Our hardworking garden committee works most Thursdays in the gardens, weeding, planting and keeping the flowerbeds neat. Thanks to them, our gardens are pristine.
- A waste management project has been installed to assist with the excess litter and recycling, and all the recycling items are sold, and the funds go to the upkeep of Zoo Lake.
- A selfie frame was erected, and recycled table and bench sets were donated.
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