Water Pump Donated by Friends Group will Assist City in Fighting Veld Fires

This donation followed a fire above Kanonberg on 18 November when fire crews from Bellville Fire & Rescue Services and the Nature Conservation Branch struggled to contain the rapidly spreading flames on Tygerberg Hill. Several skid units and fire engines were on the scene with the Working on Fire helicopter bombing the higher slopes.

The City of Cape Town's Tygerberg Nature Reserve conserves one of the last remnants of the highly endangered renosterveld vegetation. Less than 3% of this vegetation remains in the world today with Tygerberg conserving approximately 460 different plant species of which 12 species are Red Listed. Renosterveld vegetation of the Cape is a fire driven system with managers often using fire as an important management tool to conserve biodiversity, aid in rejuvenation of mature veld and the recycling of nutrients. Many species are dependant on fire for their survival. Unfortunately fires during the wrong season, too frequent fires and fires on extremely sensitive sites can severely damage and devastate a reserve. This often happens during the summer season when reserves are subject to inadvertent and sometimes intentional fires caused by the public. These unplanned fires more often than none result in severe uncontrolled fires that become extremely difficult to combat and extinguish. Fire crews often have to put their own lives and equipment at risk to save properties and infrastructure surrounding the reserves.

Friends of the Tygerberg Hills are a voluntary group that assists Tygerberg, Durbanville and Bracken Nature Reserves with operational activities. The Friends group has grown substantially over the years and regularly assists the reserve with alien invasive clearing, maintenance of hiking trails, visitor facilities and signage, veld surveys and data collection, as well as educational programmes and presentations. They also organise regular walks and hikes on the reserve each month.

Issued by:
Directorate: Communication and Marketing
City of Cape Town
Tel: 021 400 2201
Fax: 021 957 0023

Media queries:
Jacques Küyler
Reserve Manager - Tygerberg Nature Reserve
Environmental Resource Management Department
City of Cape Town
Tel: 021 913 5695
Fax: 021 913 6268
Email: jacqueskuyler@absamail.co.za

Jurg Zimmermann
Chairperson - Friends of the Tygerberg Hills
Email: jurgz@mweb.co.za