About Friends of Westville Parks

Westville Conservancy has an initiative focusing on our parks and open spaces that are often neglected, but which have so much opportunity to enhance biodiversity in our suburb and provide places where the community can enjoy nature in a safe, clean and serene environment.

As a start we have created 2 groups: –

Friends of Westville North Parks, encompassing Duncan, Sunnybrae, Fyfe, Strathay and Ocean Lea Park 

Friends of Dawncliffe Parks, which includes, Portman  and Jubilee Parks, the Umbilo Scarp Forest, the Tyburn Way indigenous forest, the Maryvale/Chiselhurst grassland and the Umkumbaan  stream which starts at Portman Park..

The primary aim is to restore/regenerate our Parks and adjacent areas, which in the case of the Westville North form part of the Palmiet River Valley catchment and Nature Reserve and the New Germany Nature Reserve, whilst the Dawncliffe area feeds into the Umbilo River catchment and is an integral part of the Paradise Valley and Roosfontein Nature Reserves. Our objective is to develop these parks and open areas, in line with the City’s Green Landscaping and other environmental guidelines, so that they again become valuable assets of Westville and the City by protecting the biodiversity of natural areas, streams, riparian zones, wetlands and grasslands, thus providing valuable corridors for nature and a safe and exciting place for families and nature lovers to visit and explore.

The project involves:

*                Removing and controlling invasive alien plants.

*                Demarcating and facilitating the restoration of the wetlands, ensuring the environmental integrity of the drainage lines and streams in and around the parks and ensuring there are adequate buffer zones along streams, riparian zones and wetlands. Wetlands, streams, riverine and riparian zones are protected in terms of our national environmental legislation.

*                Protecting and advancing the biological diversity and ecology of the parks and adjoining areas.

*                Planting locally indigenous plants, particularly rare and endangered species.

*                Encouraging residents to embrace and practice environmentally friendly practices 

Funds received will be used towards the removal and control of alien invasive plants and litter, the purchase of locally indigenous trees and plants, tree labels, educational/information boards, signage and building trails etc.

If you would like to identify with and support this exciting endeavour please email your contact details to info@westvilleconservancy.co.zaand we will give you more information.