Edith Stephens

7/3/14

Today I went on a field trip the Edith Stephen’s Wetlands Reserve Park. Along with my core group of companions, we were accompanied with student interns of the Conservation Research Center. This was a neat experience because it was 96 acre estate located between two highways and two really bad neighborhoods. The land was owned by Botanist Edith Stephens back in the early 1900’s. She purchased the land as she noticed a population increase in the area. As farms and homes began popping up in these flat marshlands, her land remained untouched and became a sanctuary for birds, reptiles, and the native plants. In fact, the prehistoric Isoetes capensis (below) is only merely extinct and only found in the back corner of this property. It’s not very showy, but it’s a relic.

We didn’t actually do anything when we ventured to the park but stand on a viewpoint, freezing cold in the drizzling rain, while listening to Luzanne (conservationist) talk about the history and importance of the reserve. But it was really important for us to be on top of that amphitheater overlooking the marsh. But before I tell you why, I need to explain a little observational experiment you must do if you ever partake in the same experience as I did. 

If you ever go to Cape Town, drive or take a cab from Kirstenbosch out to Edith Stephens. You may notice two things: 1. The closer you are to the mountain, the richer the residents are. 2. As you venture farther from the mountain and wealth, you will see less and less vegetation and landscapes. Fun fact, Kirstenbosch’s neighboring area known as Bishopscourt is amongst the wealthiest places to live in all of South Africa. Anyways, these two observations you make will be more and more evident as you go over highway passes. These highways were purposefully designed this way to section off different social classes. Segregation was practically built into the infrastructure of the area back when urbanization took place. So the communities surrounding the reserve have other priorities than education and awareness of their natural surroundings. The locals would rather see the reserve be turned into a farm for food than protecting puny little plants. With that said, rule number one of conservation work, know your audience. Keep that in mind.

Anyways, the message I received from Luzanne was that conservation work was merely half the work that her establishment had to conduct. The other half was getting to know their surroundings and raising awareness through educational programs. Now they have whole classes walking down the highway on a regular basis to gain knowledge on biological life, a resource no longer available within close proximity. Just last week, a class was in out catching catching frogs and they found the leopard spotted toad, a species thought to be diminished from the premises. How cool is that? But the locals just don’t understand the importance, they see the wetland park as a pile of waste. In fact, as we stood there looking out over the marsh, we watched a dump truck release its load onto the back of the property. Apparently, this is a fairly common occurrence.

In the end, it seems as if Luzanne is making a prominent impact on the community through Edith Stephen’s Wetland Reserve. Species are being protected, programs are reaching the community, and she claims the park has become a neutral zone between the gangs in the area. Apparently the police have even conducted peace talks with the local gangs at their venue. Neat take on conservation and community cooperation.