Did you know that there are only 3 approved “grow – don’t mow” areas in Pinelands.
The rest of Pinelands, including the parks and verges should be mowed regularly, according to the Dept of Parks and Recreation’s mowing schedule. Unfortunately, this year there has been a tender dispute which has caused the delay in mowing and that is why our suburb is looking so unkempt.
Please don’t blame the flowers!
Did you know that Pinelands has some beautiful endemic Wildflowers that not only please the pollinators, but are a natural heritage and precious in their own right. They are worth preserving and so we fully support the “grow – don’t mow” areas.
Did you know it takes a few years for the wildflowers to multiply? Delaying mowing by one year doesn’t result in a remarkable change the following year. These things take time, so give the flowers a few years.
Did you know that there is a small group of seed collectors working here in Pinelands – under the correct authority and permits – to save endemic wildflower seeds from around the suburb and sow them along the river and in the “grow – don’t mow” areas, thus helping the wildflowers to establish themselves in greater numbers, such as we had in the past.
Did you know that Renew The Elsieskraal River and the Friends of Pinelands Parks are advocating for well-managed “grow – don’t mow” areas which includes removing invasives and cutting back the very tall grasses; we do not believe that “no mow” should mean “just ignore” or “leave unkempt”.
Did you know that Guinea Fowls love eating the wildflower seeds. Advice from the Ecological Management Department of Recreation and Parks on how to manage them: ignore them completely. Don’t feed them, then they multiply. Don’t stress them out (by chasing them or allowing your dog to chase them) – turns out they breed when under stress! So just admire them from afar, but leave them to themselves. Hopefully their population will remain stable and they can co-exist with our wildflowers.
A joint message from Renew The Elsieskraal River group and Friends of Pinelands Parks.
