Community Engagement to Protect Endangered Frog Species in Adams Mission
The Endangered Wildlife Trust (EWT) is actively mobilizing the Adams Mission community through educational initiatives focused on responsible waste disposal. This endeavor aims to mitigate environmental pollution that jeopardizes local frog populations.
Previously reported by the SUN, the Pickersgill’s reed frog and the Kloof frog—both endemic to KwaZulu-Natal—thrive within the 400-hectare wetland of Adams Mission (Nature’s Vital Leap – August 15).
Nonkazimlo Mafa, the Urban Ecology Project Manager at EWT’s Threatened and Endangered Species Unit, has articulated the threats posed by illegal waste dumping to conservation efforts and the precarious equilibrium of the wetland ecosystem.
The absence of municipal waste collection services propels local residents towards illicit waste disposal methods.
“We continually conduct educational campaigns in the community, organize clean-up initiatives, and eradicate invasive alien plant species,” Mafa stated.
Approximately 90,000 individuals reside in proximity to the wetland. Mafa elaborated on a mobile application designed to monitor and report waste incidents, which provides EWT with valuable insights into the escalating problem of waste encroaching upon watercourses.
“This strategy led to our Centralised Waste Disposal Zone project, where we collaborated with the community and local municipality to install four shipping containers that serve as regulated waste disposal sites. Community members are employed to maintain these zones, managing waste bags and liaising with municipal contractors for periodic service,” she explained.
Within a fortnight of the container installation, tangible positive outcomes became apparent.
“Community members have begun placing their waste outside the container doors during off-hours instead of compromising the wetland. This shift has fostered increasing socio-ecological resilience, benefiting the region’s rich biodiversity. Additionally, it aids local communities through job creation and environmental stewardship,” Mafa remarked. Nonkazimlo Mafa is working in the field.
Fourteen individuals have been recruited as waste collectors and controllers of invasive plant species. Notable invasive plants in the region include lantana, peanut butter cassia, bug weed, American bramble, common lilac, Singapore daisy, morning glories, Mexican ageratum, Chromolyn, Mexican sunflower, yellow bells, and Indian short.
Mafa remarked that the environmental education initiatives are tailored to engage individuals where they are, encompassing schools, municipal war rooms, and collaborations with traditional leaders and various stakeholders.
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Source link: Citizen.co.za.
