‘Valley girl’ making a difference
Meet an activist who goes beyond action and words – to a future where water, food security and conservation are taken to new levels, writes Liz Clarke
PANDORA Long doesn’t mince her words when it comes to issues like open space conservation, biodiversity and the sustainability of water resources in Kwazulu-natal.
“We cannot afford to sit back and hope somebody else will fix things,” says this environmental activist, storyteller and education specialist.
She describes the eco work being done, particularly in the Lower Mpushini Valley Conservancy, where the Mpushini and Msunduzi rivers merge, as a “collective effort” by dedicated people and organisations.
“When you have the same vision, it doesn’t matter the colour of your skin, or what you do or don’t have. It’s about aspiring collectively for the common good. This is when divisions and differences fall away and together you achieve the impossible.”
Long and those who share her passion for the grasslands and valley bushveld areas in the Eastern Gateway of Pietermaritzburg have concerns over appropriate land use, especially in the north-south conservation corridor areas east of the expanding city.
“We need to act to preserve historic and biodiverse areas of land that local communities can use to improve their lives, as well as bring value to the tourism industry.”
Hand in hand with that, she believes, is the provision of knowledge, capacity development and skills that enable people to work together in groups and make better decisions about their actions and impacts.
“It’s important for children to visit these places and experience the rare trees and plants that grow here and the wild animals that find refuge in these natural habitats.”
There is nothing, she says, that teaches children more about the world around them and their place in it, than real life experiences.
“We have those valuable lessons right on our doorstep where children can uncover their legacy through discovery and curiosity, visiting archeologically interesting sites in the area, learning about biodiversity, visiting wetlands and rivers and watching how they flow together. Children need to learn how to interpret the landscape. It is this knowledge they will pass on to their children.”
The heartbeat of this initiative has been the setting up of integrated river care team to clear a third so far of the Mpushini riverine area of alien invasive species, returning the area to a pristine state, as well as clearing other key areas in the catchment.
“The overall plan is to expand the Protected Environment so that they DATE TO REMEMBER
From June 30 to July 1, the Lower Mpushini Valley Conservancy holds its annual Ashburton Aloe Festival near the confluence of the Mpushini and Msunduzi rivers. It is the time of the year when the gigantic Aloe Candelabrum is in full flower, transforming the surrounding hills into a blaze of crimson.
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Pandora Long is an education, training and development practitioner. Her community established the first Community Protected Environment in Kwazulu-natal in 2011 and, in 2012, she developed the Msunduzi Mkambathini P.E.A.C.E. project which focuses on the protected environment, environmental education, art and culture, conservation and eco-tourism in the Msunduzi / Mkhambathini municipalities. She is founder of the Happy Earth Environmental Education and Sustainability Forum.
join with the nearby Mayibuye Game Reserve in the future,” explains Long.
The clearing programme involves, among others, Duzi umngeni Conservation Trust, Mpushini Protected Environment and Afrimat Quarries.
Armed with motivating passion, her journey has included walking the talk along many of the rivers and catchment areas of the Umgeni valley in a quest to help rehabilitate KZN’S waterways, building the capacity of youth to champion the environment, developing school ecoclubs and food gardens, fighting a war against degradation of land, limiting the damage of quarrying in the valley and setting up an eco-centre focused on eco-agricultural gardening on her Ashburton smallholding.
While these programmes are on-going in the greater Maritzburg area, a new dimension is evolving. “The east-west N3 corridor development is evident to anyone driving that route. The potential development sprawl could negate existing migratory corridors and threaten large open spaces.”
Long sees this encroachment as an economic threat to the eco-tourism potential of the biodiverse area between Pietermaritzburg and Durban, which could have an impact on amenities and aspirations of its communities.
Inappropriate development left unchecked will lead to the destruction of one of the last remnants of “wild Africa” left in the region.
“Our call is to ask that those who are able to help support collaborative community conservation projects between Pietermaritzburg and Durban, to take up the challenge. Let us all be game changers!”
lizclarke4@gmail.com