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As many of you may know, our owl family hunt in a nearby wetland that is on the verge of being turned into another residential complex. While laws in South Africa prevent developments on wetlands, it seems some developers are able to swing decisions to develop on wetlands in their favour.
I will post some BEFORE and AFTER pictures showing you what the wetland looked like before a developer's bulldozer arrived in Jan 2010 to cut down the trees. Alien trees were cut, but stumps left untreated. Felled trees were left in the river bed, and right in the most sensitive area of the wetland. Severe erosion is taking place and it is looking terrible.
The developer plans to continue his application to develop on this wetland, even though he is in receipt of a wetland study delineating over 70% of the site as wetland. We have to put a stop to the development in the wetland. If we don't stop the development in the wetland, our owls will leave because there will be no place for them to hunt.
You can help by signing a petition.
The petition will be given to the MEC for the Gauteng Department of Rural and Agricultural Development MEC, Nandi Mayathula-khoza, who, in Feb 2010 at a ceremony for "International Wetland Week" pledged to "turn down all applications for development on wetlands". It appears that her Department, however, are in favour of the application.
The link for this petition is:
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/4/save-the-wetlands/
Anyone can sign, and we encourage you to tell your friends, family and clubs / society members to sign. We can't allow our owls, and all the inhabitants of the wetland to be displaced.
Any questions, or for more information, please email me directly.
Thanks for your support!
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signed
ReplyDeleteSigned and sharing with friends, on FB and on the forums.
ReplyDeleteTry contacting Birdlife SA who could fight this on your behalf. They take on all these types of issues on behalf of all our threatened birds. Denise Rizzo
ReplyDeleteSigned without hesitation. This is happening worldwide, protected lands suddenly becoming available to developers...i don't know which is worst in the greed stakes...the developer or the officials being paid to pass permission!
ReplyDeleteHi All
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for the support for our Save-The-Wetland campaign. We really appreciate you taking the time to assist by signing the petition.
I signed the petition and left a comment. I grew up with hundreds of acres of conservation land behind my home and it was truly a magical wonderland for all of the families who lived there. This area was landlocked and for decades we were told it could never be sold or developed.
ReplyDeleteSad to say that fifteen years ago, a bulldoze and build it developer managed to buy the land by buying my childhood home and the one next to it in order to build an access road and the powers to be allowed him to totally destroy this land, but for a few acres of bog and desecrate it with million$$$ McMansions. All of us who loved it so much have no place to return to and it's impossible to imagine how many birds and woodland animals perished as a result. I still cry when I think of it...like now. I hope your petition is successful and yours and the owls' wetlands are preserved.
All the best,
~Breezy