PlantLife Volume 56.7, December 2023. The Nkonka Trust - a haven of nature in suburbia

 THE NKONKA TRUST

by Otto Hirzel

Tetraselago natalensis one of the many flowering species to be found in the Nkonka Trust grasslands

 

The Nkonka Trust is a conservation area area of some 50 hectares, which is mainly grassland. It is located about 30 kilometers inland of Durban between Westmead and Kloof and is accessible from the end of Haygarth Road in Kloof.  About half of this area is municipal land and the other half belongs to the Mahogany Ridge Property Owners Association, both being managed together under the auspices of the Nkonka Trust.  The Trust was originally founded in 1998 by Bill Walker, together with three other local residents interested in preserving this area. Some years later, as a requirement for the development of the Mahogany Ridge industrial park, an additional piece of land was included under the management of the Trust.  This area is classified as part of the Sourveld Grassland biome lying mainly on the southeastern slopes of the first escarpment rising up from Durban as one moves inland.  There are however also several wooded gullies and a tributary of the Mhlatuzana River rising in Stockville Valley flows through the bottom of the property.  Thus, in addition to the grassland hillsides, there is also a riverine section.

 

Originally most of the Upper Highway Area was grassland interspersed with wooded gullies.  With time, however, most of the grassland has vanished as urban gardens and trees have taken over.  The Nkonka Trust is one of the few remaining places in this area where the natural sourveld grassland is being preserved.

 

There are a number of threats faced by grassland areas such as Nkonka, such as bush encroachment that occurs if there is too little burning and bracken encroachment worsens if there is too much uncontrolled burning.  At present the Trust is divided into four areas, firebreaks have been cut and maintained which separate these and one section is burned each winter so that any one area is burnt every four years.  If left unattended there is uncontrolled expansion of unwanted alien species such as Lantana, Chromolaena, Bugweed, Mexican Sunflower and many others.  On its own, Chromolaena can completely choke and destroy large sections of natural growth and Blue Gums, Black Wattle, Jacarandas and Syringas can displace the naturally occurring species.

 

When the area was first rehabilitated some four years ago, there was massive alien plant incursion, but step by step invasive alien vegetation has been cleared and it is now a case of maintaining these areas already cleared and eliminating new pockets of aliens as they are found.  The Trust has one fulltime employee who is responsible for the elimination of invasive species as well as cutting and maintaining the trails through the Trust.  It will be many years before each and every last invasive plant is gone, but already huge progress has been made and large areas, particularly along the trails, are essentially free of alien species.

 

Nkonka has four trails that have been established which allow anyone to walk through and appreciate the natural beauty of the area.  The Red Trail is an easy two kilometre walk through the grasslands on its south eastern slopes, the Blue Trail is a steeper two kilometre walk down to and through the riverine section of the Trust, the Green Trail links these two for a longer walk and there is a short trail around the base of the cliff face below the view site overlooking Stockville Valley.  Part of the job of Nkonka’s one employee is maintaining these trails in good condition and ensuring they do not lead to erosion.

 

There is also an easy walk from the parking area up to the view site where there is a magnificent 360 degree panoramic view. The benches at the view site are perfectly positioned to watch the sun setting over the Winston Park peninsula and a great place for a gin and tonic as the sky turns red and puts on unbelievable shows most evenings.  The gates are open from 0600 to 1800 every day and visitors are welcome to come and enjoy this small sanctuary in the heart of Kloof.  But please leave only footprints and take bottles, cans and papers back with you again.

 

There is an ongoing project to identify and document the various animal and plant species that inhabit the Nkonka Trust.  All sightings within Nkonka’s boundaries which are registered on iNaturalist appear under the Nkonka Trust project.  In addition, the trustees have compiled a database of all identified species.  Copies of this can be obtained from the trustees by contacting Otto Hirzel at rufford@worldonline.co.za and visitors can contribute with any new and verified sightings by registering the sighting on iNaturalist.  Thus far some 350 plant species and some 220 animal species have been identified and documented.  Among the mammals we have captured images of using trail cameras are Common Duiker, Blue Duiker, Bushbuck, Genet, Marsh (Water) Mongoose, White-tailed Mongoose, Slender Mongoose, Bush Pig, Porcupine, Cane Rat and Dassie.  There is also a wealth of well documented bird and butterfly life.

 

Below are some examples of the flowering plants of the Nkonka Trust.

 

Ctenium concinnum - Sickle grass 

Cyanotis speciosa - Doll's powder-puff

Eucomis autumnalis - Pineapple Lily

Brachycorythis pubescens - Hairy Helmet Orchid

Aristea angolensis - Blue Stars

Dianthus zeyheri - African carnation

Protea roupelliae - Silver Sugarbush

Erythrina lysistemon - Common Coral-tree

Chamaecrista plumosa - Gold Flower

Gladiolus longicollis - Long Afrikaner

Rotheca hirsuta - Butterfly Bush

Helichrysum adenocarpum - Pink Everlasting

Helichrysum griseum - Grizzly Everlasting

Ceratotheca triloba - South African Foxglove

Helichrysum herbaceum - Monkeytail Everlasting

Asclepias albens - Cartwheels

In conclusion I would like welcome visitors to come and commune with nature, drink in the floral spendour and enjoy this remnant of grassland and forest in the midst of suburbia.

About the author:

Otto and his family have lived at the end of Haygarth Rd just above the entrance to the Nkonka Trust for some 35 years and have always taken a keen interest in the outdoors and the natural surroundings.  A Chemical Engineer by profession and born in 1946, Otto has hiked and climbed in the Drakensberg all his life and on retiring has taken a specific interest in the preservation of the Nkonka Trust grassland and the documentation of the fauna  and flora of this area.  He is also, a keen golfer, an active member of the Kloof Country Club management team, has played tennis and squash almost all his life, and on giving up on these recently has taken up playing Padel instead.  He and his wife, Judith, are the proud parents of a son and two daughters, and have four grandchildren.