Greater  Zandvlei  Estuary  Nature  Reserve

 In and around the Reserve – January 2009

I've written a brief article below on what I'm busy with and how it is helping the Reserve while I'm away. Louise wanted me to stay with her until Jan 2010 and extend the contract but I feel the need to get back to Zandvlei, I've missed it.
For 2009 we have a new student, Romeo  Paulse is starting this week and Josh Gericke will be back at work. Marisa is still around but her internship ends at end of Feb and then we will see what happens with the post at Muizenberg East. There are also two labour staff working on the new offices under Eddie's guidance who will be there until April.

I'd like to take some more photos of the new offices since I last sent you pics so that the website can be updated. Things are finally happening here and it's exciting. I can't wait to outfit my office!!! I'm sure that the rest of the staff feel the same way.

2009 outlook and how I am going to achieve it

The Greater Zandvlei Estuary Nature Reserve (GZENR) infrastructure, mapping and data collection is going from strength to strength. In October 2008, I was head hunted by Louise Stafford (Invasive Alien Species Co-ordinator) to assist with the role out of the new systems in place to ensure that invasive alien clearing is done correctly and is standardized across the Biodiversity Branch.

This entailed contracting a consultant to draw up MUCPs (management documents) for the reserves profiling which species are found, where they are located and the method that needs to be used to clear them correctly and effectively. It also included a complete GIS map of the management blocks of the Reserve. Zandvlei was left off the list originally, but I later drew up a MUCP for the reserve ensuring that the alien clearing could take place. The MUCP for Zandvlei is very concise and includes the annual weedy species that are becoming problematic such as Vicia (common vetch or wild lentil), Evening Primrose, Lupin etc.

To date: what I am doing and how it is contributing to Zandvlei

An old oil and fuel store in Maitland (head office) was converted to a central herbicide store, cleaned, painted and outfitted with shelves. It comforms to the Working for Water guidelines on herbicide stores. We are currently waiting for the herbicide to come from DWAF (Department of Water Affairs and Forestry) and then we will start issuing.

A herbicide issuing policy was drafted and will be sent to Julia Wood for approval and will then be included into the standard policy and protocol file kept by Adele Pretorius at head office.

A standard quotation document written by Louise Stafford was sent out to all the Reserve Managers. Once completed and sent through to the Procurement Department will ensure that we are no longer using any company that quotes the lowest (and has no clue about alien clearing). The new document now excludes those that cannot produce proof that they have experience in the field of alien clearing. This will ensure that the contractors in the field are people in the know, who have done the work before, and know what a Port Jackson is and how to eradicate it. This is a great change for the Reserves, as it will ensure that the work is done correctly and that less effort and money is spent on follow up.

APOs (Annual Plans of Operation) were a requirement of the Reserve Managers to secure the funding for their contracts. In these documents the Reserve Managers had to use the number of person days allocated to them and distribute them between the months of the rest of the financial year and which management blocks would be cleared and in which order. Assisting the Reserve Managers with the document, issuing to Procurement and following up.

Contractors (many are Exited Expanded Public Works Programme Alien Clearing Contractors from DWAF) are being signed up with the City of Cape Town as vendors. In order to do this, they need to be registered with Tradeworld and have a valid Tax Clearance Certificate. The cream of the crop have been included to ensure that the work is done correctly in the field.

Involvement in the policy of the Mallard Duck strategy and House Crow strategy and implementation.   Initiation of the Guttural Toad project in Constantia including the motivation for a site manager, specifications of the management position, choosing of the candidate and job requirements. This project is going to be implemented from 1st February.

I am getting lots of useful experience and making great contacts in this position and will be bringing all of this back to Zandvlei with me.

Securing of funding for a stand in Manager at Zandvlei (Joshua Gericke) and two labour staff to continue with the building of the new offices. This Dalton Gibbs and I had to bargain for and was the first reason that I was willing to take the short term post, ensuring that the work at Zandvlei could continue and that the building (which is of highest priority this year) would continue to be built. These staff members are contract staff and will be at Zandvlei until the end of April. I had to prepare the motivation for these staff, ensure that the paperwork was in order, send the specifications to procurement and follow up. In January this finally was approved and their work commenced. All three will be getting invaluable experience while working at the Reserve.

While away I have also compiled written motivation for the Bath Road burn in April 2009. This will be sent through to the Fire Department for approval soon.

In 2008 I applied to the City of Cape Town for an internal bursary for my second year of BTech Nature Conservation (2009) through the Cape Peninsula University of Technology. In December I received confirmation of being awarded this bursary. My first year consisted of three subjects: Plant Studies 4; Conservation Management and Business Management, all of which I attained distinctions. I hope to attain similar symbols this year in completion of my BTech. I already have my Masters work outlined for 2010 and beyond which will take place primarily at Zandvlei.

I have officially signed up as a trainee bush bird ringer with Dieter Oschadleus of the ADU. I have been trying to get my license since 2005 but unfortunately was not able to attain enough experience during the years to warrant the license. I have started some adhoc ringing at Zandvlei with Dalton Gibbs and I ring each month at Rondevlei with Dieter and Dalton. Once I have this license it will help towards Zandvlei's data and we will be able to get a better picture of whether the birds are moving between Zandvlei and the surrounding water bodies / natural remnants. This will also give us a better picture of the Karoo Robin project and where the birds have disappeared to.

This year we were given capital budget for two airconditioners for the Environmental Education Centre, a photocopy machine ( was cancelled later) and a new brushcutter to replace the old Husqurvana. Even though I am not at Zandvlei until April, I will still need to ensure that this money is correctly spent and that the paperwork is in, signed off and sent to Belville Payments. Once this has taken place, it will ensure that the chldren will stay cool during the summer months in the EE Centre which can become extremely uncomfortable in high temperatures. We will then also have two brushcutters ensuring that any clearing that needs to take place is twice as fast and much more efficiently done. The old machine was also extremely heavy and unergonomic so this will definitely make work much more comfortable.

Finally I hope to find some time towards the compilation of the Management Plan for Zandvlei.

2008 was a difficult and strenuous year for me at Zandvlei. I am hoping that with some changes at the Reserve and some big changes on my side that things will run smoothly and that 2009 will be a great year for us all!

Kind Regards,
Cassy.