“Because we love the earth and the waters, we pledge to protect and preserve Princess Vlei, to honour its natural beauty, to safeguard its wildlife and to ensure it remains a sanctuary for future generations. We pledge care, respect and sustainable practices. We commit to nurturing this vital ecosystem.” 

With these words, learners from Levana Primary School took the pledge to become guardians of their local nature reserve – a meaningful gesture, considering the years of restoration work invested to ensure the protection of Princess Vlei for future generations. 

The pledge was taken during the launch ceremony of a floating sculpture in 2024. The sculpture – created in honour of the Khoe princess who gave Princess Vlei its name – aims to raise awareness of the history of the site, and of the indigenous wisdom of our Khoe and San ancestors who lived harmoniously with the land. 

This ceremony formed part of an ongoing programme to engage community members, young and old, in connecting with and caring for the Greater Princess Vlei Conservation Area (GPVCA). The programme includes field trips, planting, litter clearing, iNaturalist bioblitzes, citizen-science activities and creative projects inspired by nature. 

Ongoing maintenance  

Our restoration sites require maintenance after about two or three years to reduce the impact of encroaching invasive grasses and other alien plant species. As there are no large herbivores on site, we also need to cut back some of the larger indigenous shrubs. Maintenance should be the task of the CoCT, but unfortunately resources here are stretched. While the Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) teams have assisted, they are given only short-term contracts and the lack of supervision from the CoCT has also been a challenge. We have used our own work teams and volunteers for this, but it is heavy work for volunteers. 

Social challenges 

The GPVCA also faces the same challenges as any large natural area in a socio-economically depressed community. These include activities such as illegal sand mining, littering, quad bikes, vagrancy, vandalism, illegal harvesting and fires. In 2024, we experienced more than eight fires between the Greater and Little Princess Vlei conservation areas. These fires may be caused by burning stolen cables to extract copper, people creating temporary shelters, or arsonists. While burns are necessary drivers in the Fynbos Biome, frequently burning Strandveld may result in species decline. These fires have damaged our restoration area along the western shore. 

Looking ahead: Priorities for 2025 

A priority this year is to improve the management of the GPVCA. We believe that the best option is to declare the site a Protected Natural Area and move its administration to the CoCT’s Biodiversity Management Branch. We will continue to work towards this goal.  

We will also resume alien clearing, maintenance of restoration sites, seeding and seed collections and litter clearance. Our specific priorities include: 

Water alien control 

In response to the damage caused by hyacinth operations, the PVF has invested heavily in managing the invasive water hyacinth (Pontederia crassipes) and water primrose (Ludwigia Peruviana). As Category 1a invasive species, their removal is mandatory. With funding from the Hans Hoheisen Charitable Trust, and non-compliance funding channelled through Nature Connect, the PVF has launched a three-boat team to do hand clearing. This team is led by the ‘Princess’: a motorised boat with an innovative attachment to act as a ‘hyacinth plough’. More than 55 truckloads of hyacinth and primrose have been taken from the water and carted away by the CoCT this year – about 30 percent of the vegetation that needs clearing. The work will continue until the Western leopard toad breeding season in July. While the PVF is making significant inroads into the problem, we are now working with the COCT for further input and hopeful that we will obtain an undertaking to sustain hand teams in the long term. 

Construction of the pathway 

On behalf of the local community, the PVF has successfully appealed to the CoCT to construct a walkway around the vlei. While this will be a valuable community asset by making the GPVCA more accessible to hikers and bird lovers, the process of construction needs to be carefully monitored. The PVF is working with the CoCT, planners and contractors to ensure minimal destruction. We also hope to use the landscaping aspect of the engineers’ work to promote restoration of appropriate indigenous species.  

Two faunal restoration projects 

This year, we will create a second seasonal pond for the Cape micro frog (Microbatrachella capensis). The ground water level is close to the surface near the water’s edge, so depressions will fill up with winter rains. By clearing the densely growing buffalo grass and digging out a small area, we will make space for planting Isolepis grass and other vegetation species favoured by the micro frog. These frogs were once plentiful at Princess Vlei, and can be found a few kilometres away at Kenilworth Racecourse Conservation Area. 

We also plan to increase habitat for critically endangered Kedestes butterfly species, such as the Barber’s Cape Flats ranger, by complementing the efforts of the Kedestes Project. To this end we will be planting Imperata cylindrica to expand the existing grass populations, as well as other species to attract this and other endemic butterflies. 

Nurturing young guardians 

Through our work with schools, we will use immersive activities – like overnight camps and canoeing – to involve learners in planting and creative projects around fynbos and the Western leopard toad. We will also implement a ‘source to sea’ project to familiarise learners with the entire river course of the Diep River – from Table Mountain, through Princess Vlei, to the Sandvlei estuary. 

We are always in need of volunteers to help our projects. We will be holding two community planting events – on June 16 and July 19 – as well as alien clearing events to be announced. Additionally, assistance with our school learner programmes is always needed. BOT SOC members who would like to volunteer or stay informed of our events can email princessvlei365@gmail.com to get onto our mailing list.  

The PVF would like to thank the Hans Hoheisen Charitable Trust (managed by Nedbank Private Wealth), the National Lotteries Commission, The CoCT’s Grant in Aid, the Kirstenbosch Branch of the National Botanical Society, and the Rowland and Leta Hill Trust, for their ongoing generosity and support.