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• Inner City pocket parks bag 5 Gold and 1 Silver at SALI Awards 2019

   

  Media Statement
  Monday, 27 June 2019

  Johannesburg City Parks and Zoo (JCPZ) has bagged 5 Gold awards and 1 silver at the prestigious South African Landscapers Institute (SALI) Awards 2019 in the categories of “Specialised Landscape Construction and Landscape Construction with Design respectively, for 3 inner city parks.

  The 3 refurbished inner city parks, namely Katjiepiering, Leeuwbekkie and Cosmo Circle parks were previously illegal dumping spots in the disadvantaged area of Jan Hofmeyer in Region F. The parks now boast multifunctional playgrounds, landscaped lawns with outdoor gym equipment, new generation play equipment, rubberized surfaces, solar lights, bollards, park furniture, all enclosed with colourful themed fencing. Within walking distance of each other, these parks were developed to address the need for advanced recreational green spaces in this marginalised community in the area.

  Katjiepiering Park is the largest of the 3 parks and is easily accessible to the majority of the community as well as students from the University of Johannesburg. The park provides senior and junior play equipment from 2-6 years old and 7-13 year olds which comprises brightly coloured formations of birds and flowers. The free-to-use outdoor gym equipment is available for those 12 years and older, to encourage healthy living while surrounded by trees, lawn and fresh air.

  Leeuwbekkie Park, the second largest of the 3 was developed mainly as a children’s park and located close to a quiet side street where traffic is minimal. The same equipment at Katjiepiering can be found in this park.

  Cosmo Circle Park being the smallest, caters for toddlers and 3-10 years of age and features a tricycle track with street markings to encourage road safety awareness. This park is strewn with bold colour, cleverly shaped play equipment for fun physical exercising, enough space to run and safe rubberized surfaces. A sure attraction to anyone who sets eyes on these parks.

  The landscaping master planning of the parks by landscape architect Tania du Plessis from Blueprint Landscape Architecture (BPLA), together with contractor, Tswellapele Plants t/a Plantwise and City Parks and Zoo, did a sterling job in executing the brief which was to reclaim the once derelict spaces, into welcoming meetings points for all in the area.

  Tswellapele Plants and BPLA were meticulous in their consideration of revamping these parks where recycled material was used, old equipment was refurbished equipment with little plant designs due to the lack of maintenance resources.

  Durable bricked entrances and bollards and paved walkways with directional signs lead to all entry and exit points. Concrete furniture of benches, picnic tables and litter bins were custom designed, further complimenting these renewed parks. The local SMME’s were part and parcel from inception to completion of the parks, giving the community of Jan Hoffmeyer a sense of ownership and inclusiveness.

  The SALI Awards of Excellence in Landscaping is one of the most prestigious landscaping national competitions in the country. The adjudication process is strict where judges seek innovative, fresh yet practical end products. Of the 145 entries received in 2019, a total of 71 projects were evaluated during the national round.

  Based on the excellent execution of these projects, the teams received raving compliments by the judges: Project: Cosmos Park – Specialised Landscape Construction

  An exercise in project excellence. Manufacturing of new play equipment to match revamped old equipment, attention to detail and finishing very well executed in every aspect of the project.

  Excellent rubber work.
  Well Done.

  Project: Cosmos Park – Design by Others

  An excellent example of a small space put to good use for the community.
  An excellent installation packed with creativity from the contractor’s side to solve problems on site.
  Re-use of old fencing and revamping of old play equipment in the installation.
  Well Done.

  Project: Kaitjiepiering Park – Specialised Landscape Construction

  The play equipment, steel work and concrete form work as well as the creativity in this installation is superb, well done.

  Project: Kaitjiepiering Park – Design by Others

  An excellent example of world leading landscape installation. The paving on this project is meticulous, as well as the attention to detail in general.
  The trimming of the edges around the tree circles needs some attention as well as the mounting of the soil around the base of the trees. In general, the construction work and rubber surfaces are well done with a few problem areas that will need to be repaired (on the rubber). Excellent well done.

  Project: Leeubekkie Park – Specialised Landscape Construction

  Excellent work on the terracing and the play equipment, attention to detail and meticulous standards. Well done.

  Project: Leeubekkie Park – Design by Others

  The installation done in this park is excellent, well done on the terracing, quality of finishes and attention to detail. Well Done. “Partnerships of this magnitude bring about tangible results and provides communities with much-needed green spaces where there’s something for everyone. More-so in areas such as Jan Hoffmeyer”, stated Cllr Nonhlanhla Sifumba, Member of the Mayoral Committee for Community Development in the City of Joburg.

  ENDS
  Issued by
  Councillor Nonhlanhla Sifumba
  Member of the Mayoral Committee for Community Development
  Media Enquiries
  Noeleen Mattera
  Stakeholder, PR & Media Relations
  Johannesburg City Parks and Zoo
  T: 011 712 6722
  E: nmattera@jhbcityparks.com
  Follow us on Twitter @JoburgParksZoo or on Facebook

   

• Two new African elephants have arrived to make the Joburg Zoo their home

  

   

  Two new African elephants have arrived to make the Joburg Zoo their home
  Media Statement
  Thursday, 13 June 2019
  No Embargo
  The Joburg Zoo is ecstatic that it has acquired two mates to join the Zoo’s sociable but solitary elephant, Lammie.

  The two healthy pachyderms – Ramadiba (male, 22 years old) and Mopani (female, 19) – secured a clean bill of health and arrived at the Zoo with a veterinary doctor and their keeper on Thursday, 13 June. The mature male and female will be allowed to get accustomed to their surroundings before they make their public debut in typical ‘Jozi style’. The celebrations are set for World Elephant Day, on 12 August which coincidently, is on the same day that Lammie turns 40.

  The Joburg Zoo went through a thorough and lengthy process to acquire the legal permits for the elephants. This included having in place an elephant management plan that is compliant to best management practices set by the Gauteng Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (GDARD), and to ensuring it is compliant with the Code of Ethics and the 5 Freedoms of Animal Welfare, adopted for ‘Good Zoos’ by the World Association of Zoos and Aquaria (WAZA).

  As the largest terrestrial animals on earth, the new elephants will form part of the Big7 offering at the Joburg Zoo to actively promote conservation and environmental education, especially to the 300 000 children that visit the Zoo, annually. “This is not about gate-takings, but about deepening our understanding of the importance of the ecology found on our planet and to ensure that every child gets to see and hear the trumpeting of the African elephant, in Africa,” stated the MMC for Community Development, Councillor Nonhlanhla Sifumba.

  Sifumba added that while ‘space’ to roam will always be a contentious issue, that this is not the only critical factor. The unrelenting threat of poachers, diminishing areas to forage due to growing urbanization and inclement weather conditions, and the inability of captive-bred elephants to cope in the wild, are a current reality.

  Trust, empathy, simulated-enrichment, medical care, nutritional support and pure passion from the caregivers at the Zoo, is of paramount importance and will remain a priority for care of the ‘two tons of fun’ that will now call the Joburg Zoo their home. ENDS

  Issued by
  Councillor Nonhlanhla Sifumba.
  Member of the Mayoral Committee for Community Development
  Media Enquiries
  Jenny Moodley
  Spokesperson: Johannesburg City Parks and Zoo
  T: 011 712-6600/082 8030 748/082 906 1515
  E: jmoodley@jhbcityparks.com
  W: www.jhbcityparks.com

   

• World Environment Day

  

   

  City of Johannesburg Press Statement by Cllr Nonhlanhla Sifumba Member of the Mayoral Committee for Community Development
  Media Statement
  Wednesday, 5 June 2019
  For Immediate Release
  #5 June is World Environment Day

  The City of Joburg will join communities across the planet to observe World Environment Day (WED) on 5 June. The official celebrations will be hosted at the 115-year old Joburg Zoo, commencing with a clean-up operation from 9:00 and with the formalities at 12:00 in the bandstand area.

  WED is championed by the Executive Mayor of Joburg, in partnership with United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP), learners, partners in observing one of the most significant environmental dates on the calendar, This year’s theme, #BeatAirPollution, is a call to immediate action, to find solutions to the unacceptably high-levels of air pollution in the city.

  Johannesburg City Parks and Zoo (JCPZ) together with 15 other exhibitors will be showcasing its environmental education programmes and presenting some of innovative projects in place, to foster a cleaner, more environmentally friendly city. Exhibitors will provide exciting and fun hands-on group activities, including experiments, Q&A’s and mini-workshops which aim to nurture green consciousness in Joburg.

  The theme #BeatAirPollution, is a global appeal to schools, communities, governments and civil society to explore effective renewable energy use, implement advancements in the use of green technology, accelerate tree planting campaigns and find innovative solutions to improve air quality, while on the ground tackling waste, water and energy management concerns.

  Air pollution is a tributary to climate change and acts as a catalyst in speeding up environmental degradation.

  World Environment Day is a critical vehicle to mobilize communities to advocate for a better, cleaner and greater Joburg.

  The MMC for Community Development in the City of Joburg, Councillor Nonhlanhla Sifumba, reiterated that, “Cleanliness is everyone’s responsibility and it starts with each of us remembering that there are no boundaries when it comes to the environment. Disposing domestic waste in the park opposite your home is polluting your community and has a direct bearing on the health of your loved ones living in your household”.

  Sifumba added, that with the carrying capacity of Joburg increasing on a daily basis, due to growing urbanization, every citizen must play their part to protect the integrity of private and public spaces.

  Issued by
  Councillor Nonhlanhla Sifumba.
  Member of the Mayoral Committee for Community Development City of Johannesburg
  Media Enquiries
  Noeleen Mattera
  Stakeholder, PR & Media Relations
  Johannesburg City Parks and Zoo
  T: 011 712 6722
  M: 07999 46345
  E: nmattera@jhbcityparks.com
  Follow us on Twitter @JoburgParksZoo or on
  Facebook

   

• Joburg Zoo spearheads breeding of Endangered Species

  

  The idiom, “as dead as a dodo” is used loosely in the English language, it refers to a thing of the past. This minute, as we witness the butchering of rhinos, elephants and thousands of species in nature, one cannot wonder in horror, if soon, we’ll be nostalgically using the phrase “as extinct as an elephant”… The harsh reality, we’re losing our animals and fast.

  Human beings are the root cause of this imbalance in nature, where many species face a greater rate of extinction due to senseless killings, climate change, deforestation, urbanisation and reduction of plant and animal habitat.

  Johannesburg City Parks and Zoo (JCPZ), the custodians of nature conservation and greening champions in the City of Joburg, continues to spearhead a number of breeding programmes, aimed at increasing and preserving endangered species. The rare Wattled Crane is one of the rarest of crane species in the world. This elegant yet curious bird, with its hasash-grey wings and famed red beak, is the largest of the crane species.

  The breeding programme by Joburg Zoo has successfully puppet-reared just under 10 wattled crane, avoiding any human imprinting during this process. Abandoned eggs collected from the wild are incubated, the chicks are reared into adulthood.

  Costumed caretakers introduce the young cranes to life in the wild and teach them to forage which provides the bird with a sense of life outside their care. Once the breeding flock produces a significant number of chicks, their offspring and those reared through abandonment, the birds are released into an existing Wattled Crane population in the wild. These efforts aim to bolster the population in its natural environment.

  The recent success story of Joburg Zoo’s Amphibian Conservation breeding Project of the Pickersgill Reed Frog which is on the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN’s) Red List of Threatened Species, was successfully bred.

  Approximately 400 captive-bred offspring of this rare amphibian were released into their natural habitat in Kwa-Zulu Natal since September 2018.

  The Joburg Zoo boasts a number of endangered species in its care, recently a giraffe calf, a second litter of four cubs of the Siberian tiger, the bullfrogs, the Ground Hornbill but to name a few.

  This global call to action is an opportunity for people of all ages to learn about the importance of protecting endangered species and everyday actions they can take to help protect them.

  During the month of May, zoos, aquariums, schools, community centers, conservation groups and other organizations throughout the world host exhibitions, children’s activities and much more. “Joburg Zoo’s breeding and conservation programmes have seen a notable increase in the population of some of the endangered species housed here, bringing hope to what we’re passionate about,” stated Bryne Maduka, Managing Director, Johannesburg City Parks and Zoo.

  Extinction cannot be reversed and as global citizens, each one of us has a responsibility to collectively take care of nature.

  ENDS

  Issued on behalf of
  Bryne Maduka
  Managing Director
  Johannesburg City Parks and Zoo

  Media Enquiries
  Noeleen Mattera
  Stakeholder, PR & Media Relations
  Johannesburg City Parks and Zoo
  T: 011 712 6600
  E: nmattera@jhbcityparks.com
  Follow us on Twitter @JoburgParksZoo or on Faceboo

   

• Tackling the invasive beetle in Joburg on the eve of International Day of Forests

  

  19 March 2018

  For Immediate Release

  Yesterday, Johannesburg City Parks and Zoo (JCPZ) commenced the removal of forty-two dead Acer negendo, commonly referred to as Boxelder maple trees, in Craighall Park in Johannesburg.

  This operation, scheduled on the eve of International Day of Forests which is commemorated globally on 21 March, under the 2019 theme, “forests and education”, is aimed at removing dead trees that have succumbed to Fusarium dieback (obstruction of the tree’s vascular system), after being infested by the Polyphagus Shot Hole Borer (PSHB).

  The PSHB is an aggressive ambrosia beetle, native to Southeast Asia, first detected in South Africa in 2017 and in Johannesburg in 2018. While the borer beetle itself does not kill the tree, it introduces a fungus that consequently blocks the vascular system, which may lead to a tree’s rapid or gradual dieback.

  In recent weeks, Johannesburg City Parks and Zoo has come under the spotlight for not responding speedily to residents and tree-maintenance providers, to eradicate all PSHB infested hosts and reproductive trees. The full list of affected species is available on www.jhbcityparks.com.

  JCPZ through its day-to-day monitoring of the impact of the beetle found that the results of the infestation vary-- even in trees of the same species, within close proximity and in similar micro-climatic conditions. Some trees such as the London planes although heavily infested, were however not exhibiting rapid stages of decline. These findings can be related to the complexity of the issues posed by the PSHB.

  “The impact of removing the city’s treescape in the absence of scientists from FABI finalizing their study, is irresponsible and premature”, stated the Managing Director of Johannesburg City Parks, Mr Bryne Maduka. Adding, that, “JCPZ has met with counterparts from affected municipalities to design a management plan to intensify public awareness; establish a customer interface for residents to report infested trees and strengthen monitoring and operations to control the PSHB”.

  In the interim Johannesburg City Parks and Zoo, has identified sites suitable for solarizing infested wood that is removed from public spaces. Affected trees will be chipped and safely transported to the nearest street trees depot, where the chipped material will be covered in a sturdy plastic to allow for the solarization process that destroys the beetle. The process will be closely monitored over a six-month period, before the wood chippings are re-used as mulch or compost.

  Residents are urged to monitor their private trees as well as their street trees, for symptoms of the beetle and to report sightings to 011 375-5555. Symptoms to look out for are ‘shot’ holes on trees, wet-spots, frass and or oozing ‘noodle-like’ resin. Areas with reports of high infestations include Craighall, Hurlingham and Dunkeld.

  There is currently no approved chemical application in South Africa, to eradicate the PSHB. JCPZ would like to caution residents against the use of any chemical which has the potential to cause more harm to the environment than good. Concerns posed by the use of unapproved chemical applications are centered around the contamination of ground water, loss of animal habitat and the death of pollinating insects such as bees.

  JCPZ is calling on residents to only remove dead branches and dead trees on their private properties. Keep your tree properly fertilised and watered, as a healthy tree is more resistant to disease and infestations.

  For more information please email trees@jhbcityparks.com or whatsapp 0828030 748.

  Councillor Nonhlanhla Sifumba
  Member of the Mayoral Committee for Community Development
  City of Joburg

  MEDIA ENQUIRIES:
  Jenny Moodley
  Spokesperson: Johannesburg City Parks and Zoo
  Telephone: 011 712-6615
  Email: jmoodley@jhbcityparks.com
  Whatsapp on 082 8030 748
  Mobile: 082 8030 748/ 082 906 1515
  Website: www.jhbcityparks.com

   

   

• Polyphagous shot hole borer species

  

  Residents are urged to monitor their private trees as well as their street trees for symptoms of the beetle and to report sightings to 011 375-5555. Areas with reports of high infestations, include Craighall, Hurlingham and Dunkeld.

  There is currently no approved chemical application to eradicate the PSHB and JCPZ would like to caution residents against the use of unauthorised service providers and chemical applications which have the potential to contaminate ground water, lead to the loss of animal habitats and result in the death of pollinating insects such as bees.

  JCPZ is calling on residents to only remove dead branches and only dead trees on their private properties. The London Planes which are most affected seem to be withstanding the effects of the beetle at this stage and there have been reports of any die-back, hence the decision by JCPZ not to remove infested London Planes. Keep your tree well fertilised and watered as a healthy tree is more like to withstand the effects of the PSHB.

  Polyphagous shot hole borer - Species table DEA

  For more information please email trees@jhbcityparks.com or whatsapp 082 8030 748. 

   

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