MRCT celebrates World Wetlands Day with community clean-up of river

A total of 122kg of litter was diverted from the Mosselbank River and season wetland in Fisantekraal in a recent community clean-up by the Mosselbank River Conservation Team (MRCT).

The clean-up on Saturday 31 January was presented in celebration of World Wetlands Day, celebrated annually on 2 February.

With 55 volunteers from the local community, MRCT members and members of Fairmont High School’s Wildlife Society, they managed to collect 46 bags of litter.

“The Mosselbank Wetlands in Greenville in Fisantekraal plays a vital role for humans, other ecosystems and the climate, providing essential ecosystem services such as water regulation, including flood control and water purification,” says Danielle Cronje, one of the directors of the MRCT.

“Wetlands are critical to people and nature, given the intrinsic value of these ecosystems, and their benefits and services — including their environmental, climate, ecological, social, economic, scientific, educational, cultural, recreational and aesthetic contributions to sustainable development and human wellbeing,” she says.

This powerful message was at the heart of World Wetlands Day 2026. This year’s global theme, “Wetlands and traditional knowledge: Celebrating cultural heritage,” highlighted the enduring role of traditional knowledge in protecting wetland ecosystems and preserving cultural identity across generations, Cronje says.

Mosselbank River facts

• The Mosselbank River system provides ecologically significant seasonal wetland habitat that is still hydrologically and geomorphologically intact, especially with the ongoing habitat rehabilitation;
• The river and its associated valley-bottom wetland act as an important corridor for fauna and/or flora within a largely transformed landscape;
• The system fulfils a number of important functional roles within the catchment, mostly associated with erosion control and the dissipation of flood waters.

Grant from City

Adding to these conservation successes, MRCT proudly announced that it has been awarded a grant from the City of Cape Town’s water and sanitation directorate. On 28 January, MRCT representatives attended the official grant-signing event alongside other non-profit organisations working in the water and environmental sector.

“With the City’s support and this new funding, MRCT will be able to expand its impact along the Mosselbank River — removing more waste, planting more indigenous trees and vegetation, and, most importantly, nurturing a growing sense of environmental stewardship within the Fisantekraal community. These efforts are not only restoring ecosystems, but also planting lasting seeds of hope,” Cronje says.

• Visit www.mosselbankriverconservationteam.com for more information.