Everton Conservancy August 2019
Thank you to all the supporters of Everton Conservancy. We live in a very beautiful area and the Conservancy committee tries to ensure that those aspects of Everton which make our suburb unique and special are cared for.
The Conservancy looks after two parks in Everton. These parks are primarily Kwazulu-natal sandstone sourveld, which is an endangered subtropical grassland type. The Conservancy also maintains over seven kilometres of trails through the indigenous forest along the Molweni river. Those of you who frequent the park and use the trails will know how fortunate we are to have these wild areas on our doorstep.
In addition to the work done by the committee members, Everton Conservancy employs two men, three days per week to look after our trails and parks. Their main function is to remove alien vegetation, keep the trails open and mow the park for the benefit of walkers. The men also pick up rubbish on our roadsides. It is sad to see the huge amount of rubbish that is dumped or thrown out of car windows. Every week two bags full of rubbish are picked up from Acutts Drive. In addition we have collected rubbish that has been traced to transporters for a large furniture store, a medical waste disposal company and national newspaper group. Recently we collected two bags of bottles which had been thrown into the grasslands of Everton Park over a period of time by people using the park for gatherings. We appeal to all users of the parks to respect the environment, take away their rubbish and please clean up after their dogs so that the paths are free of dog droppings.
The Conservancy is monitoring wildlife in the area with camera traps. We are fortunate to have spotted Bushbuck, Grey Duiker, Blue Duiker, Bushpigs, Bushbabies, Porcupine, various mongooses, Genets, Caracal and Hyraxes. It is very sad to find an animal that has been killed by careless motorists driving too fast on our narrow roads. We constantly check game trails for snares. We are concerned to see dogs running free in our wild areas at night – they have been seen on the camera traps. If the dogs hunt in Ezemvelo territory they stand a chance of being shot and there is a good chance that the dogs will be caught in snares. Please ensure that you dogs do not go hunting.
The Conservancy also monitors developments in the area which might impact the water quality of the streams or affect natural areas. There are considerable planned developments in the Hillcrest and Waterfall area which will bring more people into the general area of the Upper Highway with the consequent impact on traffic, sewage, waste disposal and pressure on our natural areas. We work closely with other Conservancies in our area to ensure that developments take place within the structures of the environmental regulations and by-laws.
One of the benefits of the Conservancy’s work is increased security in Everton. The patrols monitoring wildlife, our men working in the parks and on trails, our work parties and camera traps, means that we have more ‘eyes and ears’ keeping a watch on what goes on.
All this work costs the Conservancy in the region of R5000 per month and we rely entirely on donations to cover these costs. Thank you to those residents who do contribute to the Conservancy, via SESK, as much of our funding comes from these monthly contributions. However, is still is not enough to cover our running costs. We would be very grateful if residents would consider increasing their monthly contribution to the conservancy via SESK, as every little bit helps.
A very big thank you to the many people who have made generous once-off donations and those who contribute via Zapper as well as to those of you who support our functions, walks and talks. Without the support of the Everton community we would not be able to look after this beautiful suburb.
The Everton park is being managed by the Everton Conservancy. The grassland is an example of critically endangered KwaZulu Natal sandstone sourveld grass land. You will have noticed a fair amount of clearance has taken place and some alien vegetation has been sprayed.
As part of the maintenance we will be burning some piles of cut material and portions of the grassland. We ask for your cooperation and hope that you will not be inconvenienced by our management actions.
Yours in conservation,
Everton Conservacy.