City thanks Somerset West community for support during Helderberg fire

City thanks Somerset West community for support during Helderberg fire

The City of Cape Town and in particular the staff of the Helderberg Nature Reserve wish to thank the Somerset West community for their support, generosity and co-operation during the Helderberg fire which occurred last weekend.

The community’s response and involvement as a support base, allowed the City’s officials to concentrate on the emergency at hand, and for this the City is truly grateful.

Thanks are extended to all the chain stores, fast food outlets, other businesses and the general public for their contributions and donations of food and water that ensured that officials remained fed and hydrated. Youth from the Scout and Girl Guide Associations as well as individuals gave freely of their time to make sandwiches, pack lunches, load vehicles with provisions, serve meals to officials, answer telephones, keep records and even to babysit the children of officials on duty. The Environmental Education Centre at the nature reserve was opened as a satellite centre to ensure that officials working in the reserve remained provisioned.

The nature reserve remains open to the general public, but walkers and hikers are cautioned to the fact that there is no signage in the upper portions of the reserve. Sections of the boardwalk in the lower part of the garden have also been damaged. Visitors are requested to stick to the designated footpaths as the burnt veld is sensitive and trampling of the area will affect the rehabilitation of the vegetation.

The Helderberg Nature Reserve is one of more than 30 nature reserves and natural areas managed by the City of Cape Town. For more information, visit www.capetown.gov.za/naturereserves.