Page 19 - Waterfall City Issue 3 March 2023

Harpochloa falx Pogonarthria squarrosa Feather Redd Grass

Controlled burning The greenbelt team busy weeding and seeding

Erosion control measures The greenbelt team’s dedicated vehicle

• Inter-seeding – After weeds are mowed every second year. It is an Due to the V-shaped land, severe
removed, new Egoli granite mix effective way to break seeding cycles rains result in many erosion areas.
grasses are inter-seeded in the space and is beneficial to wild grasses. We did fantastic work last season in
left behind. When mowing occurs, a dedicated addressing this problem and will move
• Invasive tree removal – safely staff member assists the operator in forward with the same momentum.
removing any invasive trees. checking for any wildlife. We must Erosion can be detrimental to the
• Controlled burning – Controlled emphasise the importance of graze environment, and having a team fully
burning is a highly effective way to mowing: this method makes up dedicated to this will assist in the
control thatch, destroy some invasive 50% of biennial mowing. It assists sustainability of the greenbelts and
weeds and rejuvenate a greenbelt. in inaccessible areas and stimulates the Jukskei flood line. Our approach
It is executed in winter every three livestock grazing. is to use effective structures such as
years according to a plan designed to gabion baskets at the base of the
spread the burns across the various During the first eight months of this eroded areas, and to cover the areas
estates to ensure that the wildlife Greenbelt Rehabilitation Project, the with vegetation naturally occurring in
always has a greenbelt nearby for main objective is to gain control over our greenbelts.
shelter. the excessive weeds, spray Kikuyu
• Interplanting – There is a big drive to areas and plant trees. This enables us These pristine greenbelts in the middle
do monthly interplanting of trees and to get our desired wild grasses ready of this smart city are yet another
seeding with new varieties. to harvest in October, when the rainy feather in award-winning Waterfall
• Biennial mow – Each greenbelt is season starts. City’s cap.

Waterfall City Issue 3 2023 17