For many people in Cape Town, Table Mountain is part of the city’s everyday landscape. Behind the familiar views, however, conservation teams and volunteers are doing ongoing work to protect the park’s natural vegetation.
Picture: Spaxido Spaxido / Pexels
Table Mountain National Park (TMNP) has renewed permits for 29 volunteer groups, allowing them to continue clearing invasive alien plants in the park for another three years.
The renewal comes after volunteers recorded a significant amount of conservation work over the past year, contributing an estimated 7 500 person-days and treating more than one million invasive alien plants across the park.
Why invasive plants remain a concern
Invasive alien vegetation can put pressure on the indigenous fynbos that forms part of the park’s natural environment.
SANParks identifies species including pine, eucalyptus, hakea and wattle as invasive plants that compete with indigenous vegetation for space, water and nutrients. Their spread can also affect ecosystem functioning and place additional pressure on water resources.
Another concern is fire.
According to SANParks, dense areas of invasive vegetation can create additional fuel loads, potentially contributing to hotter and more intense fires. This presents a risk to the park’s ecosystems as well as neighbouring communities.
ALSO READ:
Volunteer groups remain central to the work
The renewed permits mean volunteer organisations can continue their clearing operations across TMNP.
Among the groups recognised by SANParks are the Friends of Elsie’s Peak, Friends of Silvermine, Newlands Conservation Group and Boyes Drive Clearing Group. The Sugarbird Trust also coordinates 13 clearing groups involved in the programme.
The programme is also expanding, with three new groups joining the conservation effort: FynForce from Kommetjie, Project Noordhoeked from Noordhoek and an additional Sugarbird Trust team operating in the Silvermine Valley.
More than a million plants treated
The scale of the work is reflected in the figures released by SANParks.
Over the past year, volunteers collectively contributed around 7 500 person-days of work and treated more than one million invasive alien plants throughout the park.
For TMNP, the continued involvement of volunteer groups forms part of its wider efforts to protect indigenous biodiversity, ecosystem functioning and water resources.
SANParks has also highlighted the role of these groups in protecting the Outstanding Universal Value of the Cape Floral Region Protected Areas World Heritage Site.
With the permits now renewed for another three years, the volunteer groups will continue their work removing invasive vegetation and supporting conservation efforts across Table Mountain National Park.
Article previously shared by Cape Etc.
Follow us on social media for more travel news, inspiration, and guides. You can also tag us to be featured.
Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | Spotify
ALSO READ:
Uganda launches 10-year partnership to protect Ishasha and its famous tree-climbing lions
