A band of nature loving community members have embarked on a brilliant idea to help save Toti’s wildlife. Shaun Callaghan, who started the civic organisation Army Saints to clean up Toti, his partner Chanel Geldenhuys, Marc Brazier, the stable manager at Toti Ranch, and Mathew Morton are keen to build a nature reserve with the community’s assistance and maintain it with local businesses and residents who live on the reserve’s outer edges.
“We are focussing on the first of hopefully many reserves and we would like the community’s input. If the community agrees it is a good idea, we would like to raise funds to purchase and install two fence lines, equipment to setup up the reserve and some funding to keep it secure,” said Shaun. “This green belt is a highway for crime. The houses along it are getting robbed by criminals a lot, as are we at the stables. We get hit about three times a week and I’m sick of it,” said Marc. “It has become a highway for criminals for use and it is just getting more and more dangerous.”
The D’Moss area they are focussing on for now is between Adams Road, Bengu Road, Cato Cresent, Horseshoe Close and Kingfisher Road. “Buck used to graze on our property and porcupine and hedgehogs were often spotted. Now you don’t see any wildlife, because there is a lot of poaching and we hear the packs of hunting dogs in the bush every Sunday. In the three years I have been here, I haven’t seen one duiker. There is also a lot of pollution in the river, which runs into the Toti River.”
The idea is to close off the three entrances to the D’Moss area – at the bridge over Adams Road, Horseshoe Close and a church situated on Kingfisher Road – with clear view fence. “By closing off the three entrances, the whole area can be protected and the wildlife will return. We won’t be able to completely stop the traffic, but we will be on it. We can then sort out the sewage in the river.”
The group estimate they will need about 400m of fencing to secure the vulnerable area. Once the fence is up, they want to install a second one with about a three-metre gap between the two, which can then be utilised for horse outrides, mountain bike enthusiasts, bird watchers, runners, walkers and the public to walk their dogs. This can also be used to patrol the area and set up CCTV cameras.
“We don’t want to build any fence on someone’s property – we want them to have a backyard to a nature reserve,” said Shaun.“In the long-term we want to connect this D’Moss area to Ilanda Wilds.” The group will eradicate alien vegetation and plant trees and bushes to re-introduce bees into the area. The plan is to design the fence so that the movement of wildlife is not restricted inbetween the green areas.
They also want to build natural filtration systems to clean up the water in and around the surrounding areas. The Toti public can help by donating funds or shade cloth, hay, pangas, pepperspray, cameras, radios, sensors and personal protection. “This idea is in the best interests of the surrounding properties. We want to work with the municipality, ward 97 councillor, Andre Beetge and the tribal authority to make this a reality,” said the group.
To comment on the idea, donate or for more information, email info@growwwild.com or visit the website .
