HILTON’S NEW ENVIRO CHAMPS

Ten young people have started their journey to become environmental champs by assisting the Hilton Rail Trail team to remove alien vegetation along the old railway line.

Their efforts are being supported by GroundTruth and the Duzi-uMngeni Conservation Trust (DUCT).

Steven Ellery said: “Using funding received from the Industrial Development Corporation, as well as the Social Employment Fund (SEF) as part of the South African Presidential Employment Stimulus, the Hilton Rail Trail has been able to employ 10 enviro-champs for 10 months.

“These enviro-champs are doing ‘work for the common good’ by restoring the public lands associated with the railway through Hilton.

“The restoration primarily includes clearing alien invasive plants and generally neatening up the railway.”

One of the primary missions of the Hilton Rail Trail project is to create a safe, publicly accessible, and inclusive corridor of restoration through Hilton along the old railway infrastructure.

This overlaps with the aims of the Enviro-Champs project, a multi-faceted project aimed at upskilling unemployed youth with tools and skills to create a healthier and more accessible environment.

“The group of enviro-champs have already made exceptional headway along the railway in their first few weeks,” Ellery added.

“They have a lot more to come, including planting indigenous trees (graciously donated by Nkosi Nursery) at strategic points along the railway and planting grass seed on exposed soils where clearing has, or will, take place.

You can keep up to date with the project by following them on Facebook or onInstagram @hilton_rail_trail.