Along Van Riebeeckshof Road, at the entrance to the suburb, is a large fenced wetland. It is City of Cape Town public open space, managed with the Tygerberg Wetlands Association, and it is part of an aquifer system that flows from Tygerberg through the wetlands to Majik Forest and beyond.
What is happening there
- The wetland is heavily overgrown with invasive grey poplar trees, which consume water and crowd out indigenous species.
- The long-term plan is to remove the poplars progressively and replant with species that occur naturally here.
- The perimeter is electrified, powered from the Oude Westhof retirement village supply, to keep people out of the area.
- Winter storms have repeatedly damaged the fence; repairs follow the City’s removal of fallen trees.
Why the fence matters
A wetland is fragile ground. Trampling, dumping and informal paths destroy the hydrology that the whole system depends on. The fence is not there to keep residents out of a park, it is there to let the wetland recover.
Getting involved
The Tygerberg Wetlands Association includes representatives from the surrounding homeowners’ associations and individual conservation volunteers. The VRH MHOA contributes R10,000 a year and sits on the association. If you want to help with alien clearing or monitoring, ask the managing agent to put you in touch with the environment portfolio.