An inaugural braai was held on April 11 by the Friends of Marievale, who built a new lapa at the Duiker hide in the nature reserve.

“After many months of collecting funds from supporters and labouring over weekends, the modern lapa is ready for visitors to enjoy with benches, tables and a braai,” said Dee Johnson, one of the members.

“The Friends rely on donations and fundraising events to finance various projects in the reserve, in cooperation with the Gauteng Department of Environment (GDE). These include upgrading of facilities, maintenance and more, all for the benefit of visitors to this bird paradise,” she said.

The Friends are planning more permanent braai facilities and another lapa in the future. They meet monthly on the second Saturday at 09:00 at Marievale to discuss future plans.

“Anyone interested in becoming part of this dedicated group is welcome to join the Friends,” she said.

For more information, messages can be sent to Justin Donaldson on WhatsApp at 072 373 7151 or to Dee on 073 501 6333.

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