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FEATURE

TREEKEEPERS CAPE TOWN

TEXT AND PHOTOS BY CLARE BURGESS, PR L ARCH, CHAIR OF TREEKEEPERS CAPE TOWN

TreeKeepers Cape Town is a citizen-based, voluntary association committed to
conserving the urban forest in Cape Town’s landscape by promoting the value of trees,

empowering South African citizens in their stewardship, and building community.

y journey with TreeKeepers began in (possibly Eucalyptus grandis) and it could have Since the largest number of trees in Cape
2014 when city officials decided to regrown since Gums are known to coppice Town falls under the custodianship of Cape
Mindiscriminately remove a heritage well. However the following winter, the tree Town’s Recreation & Parks Department,
tree from the car park outside Newlands was poisoned and eventually died. This sad our group decided to forge a relationship
Swimming Pool. This iconic, mature specimen story made me realise how little knowledge with them to help safeguard the city’s
had provided shade over a massive area of there is about the ecological functions that urban forest; we are now guided by a
black, heat-absorbing tar since the pool was trees in a city perform and all their benefits to memorandum of understanding, working
opened in the 1960s. I could hardly believe the built environment and to bees. in partnership with the city.
my eyes when I saw it being hacked down
and I immediately decided to intervene, Raising awareness We recognised that managing the trees
preventing further damage to the tree by Following another incident where the in an urban forest is a major undertaking,
parking my car under it and standing next Transport Department removed a huge tree especially when many of them are mature
to the trunk, thereby forcing the chainsaw from an avenue of historic Eucalyptus trees in but we felt strongly that it was important
operator to stop his work. Interestingly, there Claremont, due to concerns regarding sight to protect whatever trees we could.
were no safety measures in place to prevent lines, I was approached by residents to assist The key to this is political will plus good
public access to the area. them with raising awareness about the value arboricultural practice, with adequate
of trees in the urban environment. budgets for horticultural management and
I was asked to move but stood my ground, maintenance.
especially after I was told that the tree was This led to a group being formalised and we
dead, which was clearly untrue since there drew up a Constitution for TreeKeepers Cape Caring for older trees is expensive and
were mounds of branches with green Town in 2015 under the guidance of Cullinan requires a high level of skill and stringent
leaves strewn around the site. After some and Associates - environmental lawyers. As a safety procedures to reduce risk to the
determined actions to find out who had known tree lover and experienced landscape public. Our aim is not to stop removal of
given permission for this historic tree to be architect, I was elected as chairperson to all trees, but rather to ensure that correct
felled, the work stopped and it was allowed the committee, which also included an procedures are followed in deciding what
to remain. The tree was a majestic Blue Gum, arboricultural specialist. type of care the trees require to ensure their

This majestic 30m high Blue Gum tree was hacked
down to a stump by city officials outside Newlands The Fever tree has been targeted for bark harvesting for traditional healing and all trees are now
Swimming Pool in August 2014. being marked with a PVA paint to deter this illegal activity.

20 Landscape SA • Issue 115 2022