The Friends of Tokai Park created a short film that highlights all the work being done to transform plantations into fynbos-rich conservation areas.
South Africa (18 March 2025) – The Tokai Park is beloved by many people in the Western Cape who use the area to walk, picnic and spend time with friends and family. The towering pine trees are a common sight, but it’s the rare and historic fynbos that is waiting to be found beneath their roots that make the Friends of Tokai Park feel hopeful.
As with any conservation effort, there are nuanced feelings regarding the park, its purpose and its future potential. Friends of Tokai Park is a WESSA-affiliated Friends Group made up of over 1,450 volunteers. The group has great hope for the future of the area and is doing what it can to raise awareness.
The team are on a mission to work on the restoration and conservation of biodiversity, offer community support for SANParks as an effective management partner, preserve the value of the Western Cape’s natural and cultural heritage, and ensure personal and community safety for those visiting the area.
“The restoration and conservation of biodiversity is inclusive, not exclusive, and is entirely compatible with our heritage and recreational activities.” – Friends of Tokai Park
The current and most pressing matter is the pine plantation, which remains in part of the park. The trees are privately owned by MTO, and the land is leased from DFFE. However, the land has already been declared a national park. This makes for a complex situation as plantations and national parks are mutually exclusive under NEMBA. One cannot have plantations in a conservation area by law. The pines need to be clear-felled, and then the hope is that what lies beneath them could revive the fynbos in that area – and some rare fynbos at that!
To date, the restoration of pine and gum plantations into natural wild spaces has seen the recovery of more than 550 indigenous plant species, including some very rare species. The teams heading these projects have discovered a plant new to science as a result of previous restoration efforts, and more recently, in Stellenbosch, a rare iris was discovered on restored land. This poses the question, what else may be waiting in the soil under these pine plantations?
Research into fynbos seed banks in the area shows that seeds could have survived over 100 years under the pine plantations, but we don’t know how much longer they can hold out: time is of the essence. Over the past 20 years, the restoration process has been showing positive results, and the fynbos have bounced back in areas that were once plantations. Now, there is a stretch of plantation left that could be the answer to saving critically endangered species.
The Friends of Tokai Park have shared insights into the types of fynbos featured in the area. The park contains four vegetation types: Cape Flats Sand Fynbos, Peninsula Granite Fynbos (both critically endangered), Sandstone Fynbos and some small patches of Afromontane Forest. There are over 550 native plant species in the Tokai Park.
The hope is to see this vegetation flourish as well as the communities around them. Walks, talks and public hacks are often hosted, bringing the community into the fold. These activities make a huge difference not only in raising awareness but in removing invasive plant species that try to take hold of the area.
“We envisage a park reflecting the symbiotic relationship between the plants and animals that call Tokai Park home and members of the diverse community that use it for many and varied types of recreation, including walking, running, cycling, dog-walking and/or horse riding.”
With the backing of many scientific minds, plant lovers and conservationists, the Friends of Tokai Park created a short film to highlight the importance of the area and its potential. The film makes it easier to understand all the studies and hours of scientific work put into the preservation of what could be.
So grab some popcorn and enjoy! If you feel driven to reach out and take action, you can contact the team here or reach out via Facebook here.
Sources: Friends of Tokai
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