Cecilia Alien Clearing Hack

By Muneeba Lamera

Clearing Hack

In March 2021, an alien clearing hack programme was started at Rhodes Memorial in Table Mountain National Park (TMNP).

The aim of the programme was to collectively remove the competitive alien plants found in the area and allow the indigenous vegetation to thrive while encouraging biodiversity.

Keen volunteers from the Newlands Forest Conservation Group, students of Rondebosch Boys High and Herschel Girls School and their parents, with the assistance of SANParks rangers of TMNP, helped tackle the alien plant problem that was rather widespread in the area.

Due to the Rhodes fire breaking out on 18 April 2021, the hacking group had to be moved to another priority area in need of alien clearing. On 22 May 2021, the group partook in yet another alien clearing hack programme, but this time at Lower Cecilia, near the car park.

The programme started off with a brief introduction by the Newlands Section Ranger, Chamell Pluim, regarding the background of Cecilia. In 2005, SANParks was assigned to manage the Tokai and Cecilia plantations located on the eastern slopes of TMNP.

The Tokai/Cecilia Management Framework was thus formed and incorporates the perspectives of various stakeholders in the transition of the land for the benefit of all.

These views include eco-tourism, heritage, sustainable harvesting, recreation and the protection of biodiversity. Prior to the management of SANParks, Cecilia Forest vastly consisted of invasive alien gum, pine and wattle species; however, it has sufficient land for the restoration of the endangered Granite fynbos.

Due to this, it is crucial to control the alien species and allow indigenous biodiversity to thrive. To address this need, one of the aims of the Management Framework is to rehabilitate areas where commercial trees have been harvested.

One of the ways this was carried out is through the Silver Tree project, whereby more than 1 000 indigenous Silver Trees (Leucadendron argenteum) were planted in the Cecilia area. This project has shown to be successful as many of the mature trees have developed fruit and dispersed their seeds, giving rise to new little seedlings.