Creating and managing wildlife habitat at King Shaka International Airport (La Mercy Airport) Durban, South Africa.

I have been involved in this project as an assistant to the environmental consultant Geoff Nichols from the very beginning of the project. We had been engaged by the Institute of Natural Resources which is attached to the University of Natal in Pietermaritzburg since before the project was announced on the 3 August 2007 following a meeting held at the offices of the contractor at Mount Edgecombe. As a an assistant consultant to the INR I have been involved in surveying the area, planning, creation of suitable plants list for the rehabilitation, inspecting the site at night looking for the endangered Dwarf Chameleon, etc.

 Later I was appointed as the sole environmental and horticultural consultant to the L&M Joint Venture that was engaged to commence alien plant removal and re-habilitation as well as to set up a nursery to grow local native plants occurring within a radius of 50 km of the site which were to be used in the re-habilitation program.

As the appointed environmental and horticultural consultant I was solely responsible for the training and supervision of the contractor´s staff in alien plant removal as well as setting up the nursery and training the staff in nursery practice and management.

As the appointed environmental and horticultural consultant I was solely responsible for the collection of all seeds, cuttings and other growing on material from natural ecosystems within 50 km of the site and for training the staff in the best way to grow them.

As the appointed environmental and horticultural consultant I was solely responsible for the selection and buying in of all plant material that was sourced from the Municipal Indigenous and uMuthi nursery at Silver Glenn

 

 

 Ecoman on site KSIA supervising removal alien invasive plants

Ecoman Michael Hickman on site supervising the removal of alien invasive plants in particular Brazilian Pepper (Schinus terebinthifolius) Paraffin Bush (Chromolaena odorata) as part of the environmental rehabilitation of the property surrounding the King Shaka International Airport in Durban during the construction phase

The Ecoman range Rover on site supervising the invasive alien weed removal as part of the environmental rehabilitation project at the King Shaka Airport during the construction of the airport

 
 

A view of the newly constructed air traffic control tower at the King Shaka International Airport taken during the construction and the rehabilitation of the natural environment stage

 
Below some of the areas at King Shaka International Airport in Durban that had been cleared of alien invasive vegetation as part of the environmental rehabilitation.

Removal of alien invasive weeds rehabilitation of grass land  King Shaka International Airport Durban

In a very short space of time following the clearing of dense stands of alien vegetation natural grasses grassland forbs and various alien invasive weeds seeds germinated transforming the area.

A view of the nursery at King Shaka International Airport Durban that was established to grow local indigenous plants for the environmental rehabilitation of the abandoned sugar cane fields into natural ecosystems. The offices and potting shed can be seen at the top right of the photograph the first staging out area for plants top left and in the foreground soil is being brought in to level another area to be used.

 
 

 Construction of the nursery at King Shaka International Airport to grow plants for the rehabilitation project

Growing tunnel with hot beds and misting nozzles for the propagation of local indigenous plants for the environmental rehabilitation of abandoned cane lands at King Shaka International Airport, Durban.

2014 Working as a consultant together with Ziyenzeka Weed Control on the ongoing alien weed control program at King Shaka International Airport, Durban

 

Regenerating grassland at King Shaka International Airport Durban   

Vast areas of land surrounding the King Shaka International Airport that were under sugar cane cultivation have now been returned to developing natural grassland as seen in the foreground. 

See;

Some thoughts on the rehabilitation of sugar cane land into natural like grassland in the coastal regions of northern KwaZulu-Natal

http://ecomandurban.blogspot.com/2014/05/some-thoughts-on-rehabilitation-of.html

 
2015 Working as a consultant in association with Ziyenzeka Weed Control on the ongoing alien weed control program at King Shaka International Airport, Durban

 
 

Re-generating grassland King Shaka International Airport Durban 29 degrees South  

 
Following the very successful phase one Ziyenzeka Weed Control has been awarded a further three year contract to undertake alien weed control at the King Shaka International Airport