Page 20 - Landscape-Issue136(2)

FEATURE

Aerial view of Virginia Bush. Source: Daily Maverick

Children on a forest walk at Virginia Bush Nature Reserve. It is used as a nature venue by Kinship, a local environmental education group, to establish connections
between school children and the forest. Right: Kinship programme supporters remove alien aquatic weeds from a Virginia Bush pond.

and Purple Crested Loerie, amongst others. government to sanction their plan of developments had to be undertaken with
Dwarf mongoose, red and white duiker and developing a luxury ‘eco estate’ on this the necessary approvals and in compliance
spotted genets are also known to inhabit ‘vacant land’. The proposed Northwoods with legal requirements.
the area. ‘eco-estate’ development includes The destruction of this valuable
This urban forest is frequently used as three five-story tower blocks and 200 urban forest asset must be resisted,
a nature venue by a local environmental luxury homes. A clubhouse, restaurant, particularly since it is protected by
education group called Kinship that seeks swimming pool, sports field, tennis law. We urge all readers as concerned
to establish connections between school courts, putting green, gym and other citizens to sign the petition on this link:
children and the forest. The trails are also facilities are also on the cards. This high https://chng.it/8RMJX6VJCY
regularly used by a running club and a impact developmental footprint will
group of concerned citizens, the ‘enviro destroy or degrade up to 70% of the
fixers’, are active in the reserve removing reserve’s protected natural habitat. About the author
alien vegetation and repairing trails. The Despite having been informed in Dr Jonathan Foley is a lecturer,
reserve falls under the guardianship of the writing by the municipality that the area landscape designer, writer and
Durban North conservancy. is a protected ‘no go’ development zone, consultant. He may be contacted on
the consortium has now appealed to the Groundlevellandscaping5@gmail.com
Threat to Virginia Bush – Sign up Department of Forestry, Fisheries and
and let your voice be heard Environment (DFFE) Minister Barbara Photos supplied by Dr Jonathan Foley
The Daily Maverick now reports that this Creecy to intervene, citing the city’s and Michaela Geytenbeek of the
protected area is currently under threat refusal as ‘frustrating.’ Creecy indicated Kinship programme
from a local consortium of developers that developments within a nature reserve
who are pressurising all three levels of “are not necessarily prohibited”, but such n

18 Landscape SA • Issue 135 2024 Check us out www.salandscape.co.za