Time spent at the river always brings surprises | uMngeni Estuary Conservancy | SPCA walk/run | International Coastal Clean Up and more...

uMngeni Estuary Green precinct

I am continuously amazed at how much happens in our Conservancy area and its immediate surroundings. As a public green open space (no fencing or hands-off conservation) the area is accessed by anyone and everyone.  Some stay away for fear of crime.  However the space is becoming more public as the general public are drawn in by the cycle track (now all the way to the Umgeni River Bird Park from uShaka Marine). The Umgeni Park Riverside Trail is utilised by mountain bikers who use the trail for off-roading.

Riverside cycle and walking path

Kerry Leigh Rieckardt birding on the north bank

Umgeni River Fun /Trail Walk / Run for SPCA

Sunday 15 September 2013 will see the Riverside Trail utilised as part of a fund raiser for the SPCA.  Those taking part will go beyond the Bird Park all the way to the SPCA in Springfield, a walk or run of 7km or 14km.  See SPCA page for details of event   http://www.spcadbn.org.za/event.asp

Date: Sunday 15 September 2013
TIme: 6.30 am start (registration from 5.30am)
Venue: SPCA cnr Inanda Rd/Willowfield Cres, Springfield Park
Online entries closed

Bring family and friends for a morning of fresh air and exercise along the banks of the picturesque Umgeni River. Lucky draw prizes to be won.

Online entries are now closed, but you can still enter on the day. Please arrive early - registration is from 05h30.

R80 per person (7km) or R100 per person (14km) including free muffin and coffee/juice. Proceeds towards the cost of caring for lost, abandoned and abused animals at the Durban & Coast SPCA.

Questions? Please call Caroline Smith during working hours on 031 579 6535 or email Alison Chadwick at durbantrails@gmail.com.

Afghan Hound in uBabe omncane - a small Setaria

Sprucing up the Space

Nkosinathi Dlamini our stalwart solid pollution cleaner on the river (6 days a week) is working this morning as a final quick sprucing up.  Rasta (Emannuel Dlomo) has been helping these past few weeks with rubbish and also Balloon Vine removal.  Rasta has been part of the poverty alleviation Working for the Coast team so he knows all about invasive plants now.  So we quickly went down this morning to pick up the yellow bags not collected by Parks (must be green bags but these were finished - yellow bags are solid waste not for vegetation such as Balloon vine so were left behind).  Rasta has spent more than 2 weeks now tackling mainly Balloon Vine and hand pulling these.  At the same time we are keeping an eye out for KZN Dwarf chameleons.

Nkosinathi this morning getting the yellow backs off the cycle track - two wooden bollards missing!

Working on Fire

Working on Fire is a high altitude team that in this case is treating Mauritius Hemp, Fucraea foetida, an emerging invasive in our area.  See http://www.durbaninvasives.org.za/

Fucraea foetida  at the Umgeni River Bird park

Team members getting ready to abseil

Senzo Ziqubu and the Working on Fire truck

International Coastal Clean Up 21 September 2013

Please join us for 2 hours on Saturday 21 September from 9.00 – 11.00 to clean up the north bank of the uMngeni Estuary.  We join this international event organised by Ezemvelo KZN-Wildlife and their Honorary Officers of North Durban.

We will meet at the corner of Browns Drift and Riverside Road and move westwards from there up to Connaught where our area stops.  Call Margaret on 0836305380 or 0315731054 or email me on umgeni.estuary.conservancy@gmail.com

Ficus lutea frames the north bank

2010 cleaning evidence