Friends of Tokai Park & Euromonitor International Plant Hack
John-Basil Bezuidenhout
Business Analyst | Project Manager | Process Improver | Movie Lover
Myself and some of our Cape Town office’s team members recently volunteered with Friends of Tokai Park (FoTP) and Sugarbird Project on a joint ‘plant hack’ in aid of conservation efforts for Tokai forest’s rich biodiversity.
What did the hack involve?
After introductions and an interesting share of Tokai Forest’s deep history from Tony Rebelo , chairperson from FoTP, we broke off into two teams. Our mission: to ‘hack’ the invasive long-leaf wattle and maintain the Arboretum by clearing a new path for better access to the forest.
Tony also led each team on a short hike along the Elephant’s Eye Trail to observe and record details about the forest, using iNaturalist. This vital task helps build a knowledge base and log of the area's flora and fauna, which is crucial for tracking changes over time and supporting future conservation efforts
Spending a Tuesday morning in nature was a refreshing change of pace for our group. The fresh forest air, accompanied by the peaceful sounds of chirping birds and rustling leaves, was rejuvenating and truly “filled our cups.” The conservation work was physically demanding but deeply rewarding—a great workout, with the added satisfaction of seeing the immediate positive impact of just a few hours of effort on such a beautiful, historic area (and recognizing how much more work remains for decades to come).
Why do we need to get rid of invasive species?
Alien invasive trees?threaten the Western Cape economy, biodiversity and water security. Compared to Fynbos, they?use more water,?increase fire risk, do not necessarily improve?carbon sequestration?and?devastate biodiversity.
Friends of Tokai Park work towards and promotes:
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