Strategy

Corridor building by volunteer power is a core aim of our work, which is supported by international best practice where it is recognised that public participation is key for the long-term survivability of corridors. Because we are building a corridor to support the movement of insects and birds through the urban landscape, the spatial layout of the gardens in relation to one another is key to its functioning.

2023 Corridor Coverage Target Area

In the above map you can see the existing gardens in Mowbray created in 2018, starting to support the connection of plant, insect and bird movement between Table Mountain and Rondebosch Common, and along the Liesbeek River supporting the connection between Table Mountain near Kirstenbosch until the point where the Liesbeek joins the Black and Salt River. We have funding to do 3 gardens along the Liesbeek to add to the 2 existing gardens there, and would like to add at least 2 to the river corridor in the Little Mowbray and Rosebank area. The sites from Mowbray to Athlone and Bonteheuwel run along the Black River.

For our 2019 corridor building efforts, we would like to double our number of new gardens from 6 to 12 as a minimum, but will strive to add another 6 new one's to that. So, we want 18 gardens at the end of 2019!

Goals

1. Get urban citizens and residents to participate in a meaningful and truly useful way in urban conservation through growing plants, monitoring birds and insects, and caring for public Fynbos gardens
2. Improve the plant cover, plant number, and species number of locally indigenous plants at each patch
3. Improve the connectivity between fynbos fragments across the corridor by planting a string of gardens close enough together for cross-pollination to occur, and to allow insects to move between isolated patches
4. Improve the abundance and species richness of sunbirds, monkey beetles, bees and flies as key flying pollinators that stand to benefit from and enhance the stepping-stones corridor infrastructure.

Garden Network

In order to achieve a stepping stone corridor, Communitree works on the identification, construction, maintenance, and support of fynbos gardens is public space. Public space is often overlooked and neglected. However, if public space is looked after and cared for, it can provide great environmental value as well as be an asset to the local community. Read more here about our Garden Network.

Projects

	Name	Status	Timeframe
	Cobra Lily Bonanza	Seeking funding	2019-2021
	Insect Highway Project	Project is being developed	2019-2022
	Pioneers Project	Ongoing	2018-2022
	Sunbird Stepping-stone Project	Ongoing	2018 onwards
	The Cape Flats Sand Fynbos Project	Project is being developed	2019-2020
	The Sour Fig Challenge	Project is being developed	2019-2020

Corridors

	Name	Status	Timeframe
	Black River Tributaries Corridor	Seeking funding	2019 onwards
	Fynbos Corridor Collaboration	Ongoing	2018-2021
	Liesbeek River Corridor	Ongoing	2018 onwards
	Rondebosch Common - Table Mountain Corridor	Ongoing	2017-2021