Ryan Road Park, Rosebank

Nov 23, 2017

Ryan Road Park is a plot of metrorail land in next to Rosebank train station. When we first came across the land it was abandoned and overgrown with invasive grasses, bushes and trees. Our short term plan was to clear away problematic plants and tidy up the area for the enjoyment of local residents. But after a few sessions of gardening, local residents joined in and we soon picked up momentum with a strong term of determined weed hackers.

City Park, Metrorail, Rustenberg Girls High, local greening stalwarts and determined neighbours all helped us get the park to to welcoming state it is in today. Over a few months we pulled out large patches of grass and replaced it with bird and insect friendly plants, removed several pedestrian unfriendly agaves and cut back overgrown bushes to improve safety for users. We also experimented with sheet mulching and are finding it a very useful way to get rid of invasive grasses without breaking our backs. Before you ask, we have done all of this without watering the park. We are very pleased at how much can be done with very little resources but a lot of working together.

In 2018 we will invite more of the local residents to get involved with using and maintaining the park, including the Green Campus Initiative from UCT. We will be working on improving the soil and stock of locally indigenous plants in the garden beds to attract bird and insect life. We will advocate for getting the fence removed to improve access and safety in the park. We will monitor insect, animal and birds life in the park to ensure our efforts of a useful contribution to nature.

If you are in the Rosebank, Mowbray or Rondebosch area, join in and help with this fun project. Or start caring for a local green space near you.

View maps, photos, and more details of our work at Ryan Road Park

Ryan Road Park, Rosebank

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