A day to remember and celebrate
Pledge Nature Reserve in the heart of Knysna played host to a Day of Appreciation this past Sunday, with Greater Knysna locals of all walks of life joining to unite in commemoration of the traumatic events of June 2017.
On 10 June the community came together to show support for one another as Knysna residents still rebuild their lives and the environment.
There was rock painting for the launch of a creative project called “Healing Hearts of Knysna”, where community members contributed painted pebbles, with words or messages of appreciation, encouragement and hope. There was also ample space and paint for those wanting to paint on the spot. Pebbles will be formed into one giant heart, which will be mounted/placed at a later date.
The Healing Hearts of Knysna project will be ongoing, and those affected by the Knysna Fires will be able to contribute to it long after the Day of Appreciation.
Outside of the main event, there were some local youngsters entertaining the crowd – Reece Hayward, Tuneless and the choirs of both Concordia High School and Chris Nissen Primary among others. Knysna’s favourite operatic singing group Afro Quartez rounded the day off with their powerful voices.
Booi Mntuyedwa – gardener, handyman and general assistant at Pledge – spoke to the school children about looking after the reserve. “I told them not to hurt the plants, to watch out for snakes and not kill them, and also to look out for the birds. I also taught them to keep nature clean and not to use it as a toilet,” he said.
Beyond that and in between were sweets and treats, like specially made cupcakes with a rising phoenix on it, as well as a tree planting ceremony.