Friends of Table Mountain volunteers joined MedX and Rondebosch Boys’ High School in Silvermine for a Mandela Day conservation effort on Thursday, 16 July.
The volunteers removed Port Jackson, an invasive alien plant from Australia, as part of the Sugarbird Project’s efforts to restore fynbos and protect the Cape Floral Kingdom.
Protecting water and biodiversity
Glen Mabekha, a Friends of Table Mountain volunteer, said invasive alien plants threaten the region’s water supply, biodiversity and wildlife.
“The Cape Floral Kingdom is the smallest of the world’s six floral kingdoms, yet it contains about 9 000 plant species. Around 70% of these species occur nowhere else,” he said.
“Many of these plants face growing threats from invasive alien plants, including Port Jackson.”
The Cape Floral Kingdom includes fynbos, Afromontane forest and renosterveld. Invasive plants spread quickly and compete with native vegetation for water, space and nutrients.
Mabekha said alien trees can use significantly more water than fynbos. Removing them helps protect water resources and gives indigenous plants space to recover.
Restoring habitat for birds
The Sugarbird Project also aims to restore habitat for pollinators and nectar-feeding birds, including the Cape sugarbird and orange-breasted sunbird.
“These birds depend on nectar from proteas and ericas,” Mabekha said. “When invasive plants take over, those nectar sources disappear. By clearing alien vegetation, we can restore fynbos and bring back the flowers and birds.”
Fynbos supports unique plant and animal species. Invasive plants can alter the soil, shade indigenous vegetation and increase wildfire intensity.
The Sugarbird Project’s approach is straightforward: remove invasive plants, restore fynbos, protect water and create safer habitats for biodiversity.
“It is not just weeding,” Mabekha said. “It is ecosystem restoration that protects water, reduces fire risk and safeguards the Cape Floral Kingdom for future generations.”
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