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PROJECT


           Restoring local ecology            setting will start a new movement in how
           Targeting the Net Zero Ecology certification   we approach and think about landscaping.
           offers independent verification of the   Much of what Newinbosch is doing is truly
           ecological gains made by Newinbosch,   innovative.”
           emphasising the importance of biodiversity.   Including locally indigenous plant species
           Brom  says: “It’s  really  impressive  for  a  high-  is crucially important because it supports the
           density residential project to achieve   rebuilding of the local gene pool, which in
           something like this and important that   turn supports local wildlife, birds and insects.
           verification is made to ensure the validity of   “In a fragmented landscape, birds and insects
           the claims, which is what the certification   expend a great deal of energy reaching
           system  does.  When  a  project  goes  to  this   resource patches, and then even more when
           much effort, they really deserve to be able to   confronted with exotic species of flowers that
           sing about it.”                    don’t quite read ‘right’,” explains Brom.
            Achieving the certification requires   Newinbosch is situated on a slice of
           developing a baseline for the ecology on the   naturally  occurring  Swartland  Shale
           existing site at project inception, and then   Renosterveld (SSR). Most of the propagated
           demonstrating how the new landscaping   species will be from the SSR biome, with
           strategies  increase  the  amount  of  some  additional  ones  that  naturally  occur
           biodiversity on the site after construction is   within two kilometres of the site. SSR
           complete. “We targeted a post-construction   vegetation includes a diverse structural
           land cover of ‘regenerative endemic habitat’,”   palette of open habitat, shrubland and
           says Brom. Prior to development, the site was   olive-wood forests which will contribute to
           a vineyard monoculture with small pockets   a varied aesthetic. Some larger tree species
           of ruderal and invasive species at the farm   from  forests  that  occur  across  the Western
           fringe. “We hope that the precedent they are   Cape region will also be included.

                                                                                 The urban farm has a practical and an educational
                                                                                 purpose. Produce will be grown using sustainable
                                                                                 organic methods and sold to the on-site
                                                                                 restaurants to create a closed loop system

                                                                                 Planting pocket forests
                                                                                 The pocket forest concept at Newinbosch
                                                                                 has been loosely based on the Miyawaki
                                                                                 method,  which  is  a way of  cultivating  fast-
                                                                                 growing groves of native vegetation that
                                                                                 mimic a small forest with trees planted close
                                                                                 together.  “The trees reach up towards the
                                                                                 light, growing taller, faster,” explains Tanya de
                                                                                 Villiers from CNDV Landscape Architects. The
                                                                                 method requires a large variety  of species,
                                                                                 some of which are not commercially available
                                                                                 or in the huge quantities required. Therefore,
                                                                                 a specialist grower, who owns an indigenous
                                                                                 forest, has been growing thousands of
           Saplings being grown for the pocket forests. They are being cultivated at an on-site nursery, where they   saplings for Newinbosch.  They are being
           can be grown to a mix of sizes and adapt to the new site conditions before final planting  cultivated at an on-site nursery where they
                                                                                 can grow to a mix of sizes, and also adapt to
                                                                                 the new site conditions before final planting.
                                                                                   The pocket forest concept is not something
                                                                                 that is well-measured within the Green Star
                                                                                 Sustainable Precincts tool and it also goes
                                                                                 over and above the requirements of the Net
                                                                                 Zero Ecology certification. Brom explains
                                                                                 that the team will target an extra innovation
                                                                                 point at project completion to reward the
                                                                                 pioneering thinking behind it. De Villiers adds:
                                                                                 “We are not aware of another project in South
                                                                                 Africa where pocket forests have been done
                                                                                 on this scale, so it is really experimental and
                                                                                 we are excited to see how the mini forests
                                                                                 mature.”
                                                                                 Sustainable farming with a socio-
                                                                                 economic benefit
                                                                                 The project will feature an urban  farm
                                                                                 which has both an educational and
                                                                                 a practical purpose.  The produce will
           An aerial render showing shared amenities, the urban farm and pocket forests which will be cultivated   be grown using sustainable, organic
           throughout the neighbourhood                                          methods.  “The farm will be run as an

           Check us out www.salandscape.co.za                                               Landscape SA • Issue 141  2024    9
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