The living environment
11 Sep 2009

From my study window, situated a mere 12 km north of the City's edge, I hear the shrill whistle of the reedbuck cut through the darkness of night. Down in the vlei below the house the jackal's eerie call moves on the night breeze, and all is still.

Other animals live in the tall grasses of the vlei and the dense bush of the hills, but they are known only from fleeting glimpses on the long road home at night: the bushpig, bushbuck, blue and grey duiker, genet and mongoose.

The yellow light of dawn exposes a party of four oribi on the hillside above the vlei. Down-valley, black eagles and lanner falcons frequent the sheer cliffs of the Mngeni gorge. And on Sundays a fish eagle leaves the motorboat-congested waters of Albert Falls Dam, and circles slowly overhead. While the variety of wildlife still present on farmland surrounding the City is surprising, few people are aware that wild animals still exist within the City's confines.

In the plantations to the west and north of the city centre, bushpig, monkey, bushbuck, duiker, porcupine, genet and mongoose are common. One of my favourite spots is the Ferncliffe forest above Oak Park.

A rough track winds through the trees dividing the forest covering the steep slopes to the left, from the plantation of tall pine trees to the right. On cool, cloudy days the air is enchanted. Thin wisps of cloud cling to the crowns of cabbage trees; cuckoos call.

Eventually the path leads steeply upwards to the crest of the escarpment at Breakfast Rock. Here a large sandstone face projects from the forest wall and offers a commanding view of the entire region.

To the left and right the green leafy hues of indigenous forest frame the scene. Below , plantations spread downslope to the suburban gardens of Chase Valley. In the middle distance, the city centre and Scottsville take on pastel shades, while the far distance fades into the grassy savannahs of Thornville and Camperdown.

A pair of crowned eagles is often present and their loud kewee-kewee-kewee cry and acrobatic flight seem somewhat out of place against a backdrop of suburbia. Allow your imagination to retract the pieces of civilization. Take away the towering edifice of Grey's Hospital, the city centre, suburbia, the smoking brickworks and the thin, white stripe of concrete that demarcates the N3 highway.

Below the misty forest is a flat, grassy valley watered by a meandering river. Tall paperbark acacias (A cacia sieberana) are dotted about the valley and in the distance a herd of hartebeest feeds slowly in the direction of the river.

In the far distance, where the river rounds a hill and disappears from sight, the hills are clothed in a dense grey/green tangle of scrub. There are no people in the valley below and, except for the hartebeest, no animals domestic or wild can be seen. In the far distance, where land and sky merge, a thin spiral of smoke bears witness to the presence of people.

Many centuries later the Voortrekkers, too, would come to settle in this valley where the interface of three major vegetation types would provide pasture for livestock throughout the year and timber for building. From the hot , aloe and thornbush valleys of the Mkhondeni the N3 climbs some 540 metres to reach the misty forests and grassy summits of Hilton in less than 20 km.

In very few other cities in southern Africa can a resident alter his choice of garden merely by changing suburbs. The vegetation type most noticeable to the visitor arriving in our City from Durban, is the Valley Bushveld of the Mkhondeni and Mpushini valleys. The best time for studying this fascinating vegetation, undoubtedly, is in summer when the air throbs with a veritable cacophony of insect sounds and the sun beats down relentlessly.

Green grass contrasts with the yellow flower balls of the acacia and the fleshy leaves of aloes stand out against a cobalt sky. This is the vegetation most associated with big game country, where a rustle in the leaves could be anything from a mouse to a python.

The Valley Bushveld is well suited to dry valleys receiving a rainfall from 500 to 900 mm annually. Once the valley of the Mkhondeni has been left behind the vegetation changes to a grassland dominated by Themeda and Hyparrhenia grasses.

This vegetation type generally occurs above 600 metres above sea level and forms an open savannah dotted with paperbark acacias. Patches of this vegetation type are still scattered throughout the City, notably in Hayfields, Mkhondeni and Westgate. Rainfall is higher than for the Valley Bushveld and ranges between 650 and 900 mm.

Between the open savannah of the valley and the Ngongoni Veld of the Natal Mistbelt is a vegetation type described by Moll as Moist Transitional Themeda Hyparrhenia Grassland.

Today few areas ofthis grassland occur naturally as extensive plantations of exotic timber such as wattle, pine and gum have largely replaced it. Remnant forest patches occur on south-facing slopes, the most prominent being Ferncliffe and the Karkloofforests. At one time these extensive forests formed a continuous belt across Natal.

Changing climatic conditions forced the forests to retreat to rugged refuges where their demise was hastened by uncontrolled cutting in the last century. The close juxtaposition of different vegetation types combined with decades of careful tree planting and the inclusion of several streams within the City have made Pietermaritzburg a birdwatcher's haven.

The Natal Bird Atlas records an impressive list of over 300 birds for the City and I know of some birdwatchers who have sighted 112 species in a single day. Areas of particular interest to birdwatchers include the Darvill Disposal Works where 210 species have been seen, and Ferncliffe and Bisley Valley where the bird counts are 120.

Above: Examples of Pietermaritzburg's natural diversity (from left): bush buck; crowned eagle, subadult; Cyrthanthus obliquus, a rare find in this area.
 

Maritzburg seems to have attracted, or perhaps nurtured, a large number of very competent amateur ornithologists. The regular activities of the Natal Bird Club, and the very popular courses given by Professor Gordon Maclean, contribute substantially to the interest in bird life . Up to now I have painted a rosy picture of the City's natural environment and when contrasted with other cities throughout the world we indeed have much of which to be proud. As always, there is room for improvement. For many years certain aspects of the City's environment were neglected.

The inclusion of hundreds of hectares of plantation within the City's confines led to a sense of complacency where protection of other areas was concerned. Many people felt that it was unnecessary to conserve additional land within the City as the plantations already provided enough green space. This widely-held view has resulted in a serious imbalance in open space in Pietermaritzburg.

While the upper class suburbs of Montrose and Blackridge have ample open space, the same does not hold true for Pelham, Hayfields and Scottsville. In fact, although several suitable sites exist, Pietermaritzburg has only one nature reserve at present - a small bird sanctuary wedged between two busy roads - while the Natal Parks Board manages the 93 ha Queen Elizabeth Park on the City's north-western edge. The population of Pietermaritzburg was estimated in 1980 at 160000 with a density of 1125 people per square kilometre.

This represents an increase in density of 194 per cent in just 34 years. In reality population demand density is far higher as people from far beyond the political boundaries of the City make use of the facilities offered here. By comparison, Durban's population density is 1 500 per square kilometre and is expected to reach 2 900 within the next 15 years. Nature reserves in Durban total 3081 ha and an additional 5214 ha have been recommended for conservation. While Pietermaritzburg lacks nature reserves at present, several factors favour the City.

Its location at the intersection of several major ecological regions, the small size of the City in comparison with Durban, and the close proximity of rugged land of low agricultural value create a far greater potential for active open space than that which exists in any other city in South Africa.

Beginning in 1984 there were signs that environmental awareness was increasing.

First the proposal to convert the Darvill Disposal Works into industrial sites was vehemently opposed on ecological grounds. Later in the same year, the election manifesto of a successful candidate in the municipal elections included references to a dassie and leguan, both residents of the constituency.

Above: The City from the Bisley Valley thornveld.

In the months that followed several important advances were made. Following prolonged negotiation and preparation, a nature trail was opened in Lincoln Meade along a tributary of the Msunduze River. Other community-motivated projects worth noting were the establishment of a Metropolitan Open Space System (MOSS) committee, and support for the declaration of approximately 150 ha of dense acacia woodland in the upper reaches of Bisley Valley as a conservation area. What of the future? Much can still be accomplished, and within the next few years several exciting developments could take place.

One proposed scheme is for the development of a system of trails along the fifteen tributaries of the Msunduze which flow through the City. As it is not wise to build too close to a watercourse, streambeds are generally bordered by wide servitudes and lend themselves to the development of nature trails. If the plan reaches fruition, nature trails will radiate out from the city centre like the spokes of a wheel.

A circular trail surrounding the City will connect the various steam trails enabling participants to undertake weekend walks of various lengths. Another proposed project is for the conservation of the Mkhondeni and Msunduze valleys from Ashburton to Camperdown. The plan entails the multiple use of the land in the area delineated into six zones. Each zone takes the present form of land use into consideration and different activities are restricted to individual zones. Agricultural land would be safeguarded, a pioneer farmstead would be reconstructed and special provision would be made for educational groups.

Several trails would be laid out but the emphasis would be on self-guided, special interest walks. There would, for example, be an aloe walk and a riverine walk. In the east, between the Lion Park and Camperdown, the plan calls for the expropriation of some 7 000 ha of rugged, well-wooded country for a nature reserve. Overnight accommodation would be provided for varying requirements, ranging from luxury chalets to bush camps and hostel accommodation.

Animals formerly occurring would be re-introduced. There would be room for several hundred zebra and antelope, 35 rhino, 30 giraffe, 70 buffalo and half a dozen hippo. In the early 1970s a similar proposal was put into operation on the Witwatersrand. Over R3 million was raised for the expropriation of over 13 000 ha. The land was developed into a major nature reserve and today, situated less than 10 km from Johannesburg's southern fringe, it fulfils a vital recreational function.

Durban receives over 600 000 visitors a year from up country, many of whom pass through our City on their way to the coast. The wise management of the surrounding natural environment would not only upgrade our quality of life; it could prove to be a lucrative source of income.

Source: Pietermaritzburg 1838-1988: a new portrait of an African city, edited by John Laband and Rober Haswell (Pietermaritzburg: University of Natal Press and Shuter & Shooter, 1988) pp 2-5.