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FOTP Newsletter

We have reached December 2021! What a year... In this last newsletter for the year, we share some news on the Tokai-Cecilia Management Framework Review Process, an update on our 5 programmes of 2021 and the dates of our last hack events of the year. Do scroll down to check these details because we are having a Christmas hack to thank all our volunteers! Please don't miss this! We also recently had some very exciting news about how we can Save Our Species at Tokai Park... But more on this in 2022! We wish all of our volunteers a fantastic festive season and a wonderful and safe holiday :)
As the weather becomes drier and temperatures rise, this signals the arrival of our fire season here in the Western Cape. This photo was taken at an ecological burn in March 2021 at Tokai Park. Photo credit: Zoe Poulsen.
Events: FOTP Alien Plant Hacks

We only have two hacks left for the end of the year! A HUGE thank you to all our wonderful volunteers! Don't miss our Christmas party, details below.

Tuesday Hacks
7 December: 4-6pm
14 December: 4-6pm

Saturday Hacks
11 December: 7:30-9:30am - FOTP Christmas Party! We would like to thank and celebrate all of our volunteers. Please join us for this last hack and enjoy some Christmas treats together to celebrate your hard work this year :) All welcome! Please RVSP to Margaret (akahle@iafrica.com) before Thursday 9 December if you plan to join so that she can cater for you.

Please note that Covid-19 Regulations will apply to our events (see box below).
RSVP for a hack
FOTP Covid19 Regulations
 
  • Please do not attend our hacks if you are feeling unwell, or have any of the recognized Covid19 symptoms, are medically compromised with regards to the virus, or have been in contact with an infected person in the past 14 days.
  • Please take your temperature yourself before coming on the hack, and only attend if your temperature is normal.
  • Face masks must be worn at all times.
  • Social distancing of 2m must be maintained at all times.
  • Wash hands and all tools before coming.  Any tools shared on site must be wiped down with wet disinfected cloth before handed back to owner. 
  • Bring your own refreshments and do not share.
  • Teams no larger than 10 participants. For more than 10 participants we will divide into different teams working in different Blocks.
  • On arrival, everyone will be screened for any obvious symptoms, and a register of all participants and their e-mail contacts will be kept.
Find out more about Covid19 here: https://sacoronavirus.co.za/
A reminder of why we do what we do... A glimpse of some of the spectacular biodiversity at Tokai Park. Did you know that lower Tokai Park has over 550 native plant species alone? You can check them out on iNaturalist, or explore the park!
News: Update on the TCMF Process
The Tokai Cecilia Management Framework (TCMF) Review Process Phase 2 (focused workshops) is complete. Each working group has drafted a proposal and the facilitation company hired (Fixed) is finalizing a map of all of the proposals and their relationships to each other and to the vision of "what it looks like when it's fixed". These documents should all be publicly available soon, given that this is a public participation process. All currently available documents are published here, so watch this space. The conveners and co-conveners of each of the groups are due to present their proposals to SANParks CEO and EXCO on 11 December. 

Just as a reminder: Phase 2 is called: "What It Looks Like When It’s Fixed". SANParks says: "This phase is informed by knowledge gathered in the first phase. The process will consist of in-person and virtual workshops and task team meetings. The first phase has taught us that there is a shared will to do the best for these extraordinarily environmentally diverse and valued areas, for the people who love and use them and for the global heritage and legacy of our beloved mountain."

This is more or less the end of the process for the public. In February 2022 the public will receive feedback on
proposals from SANParks EXCO. What SANParks decide to accept from the proposals, they will agree to and implement. What they refuse to accept, they will provide an explanation for. 2025 is the end of the TCMF. 

Stakeholders have organized themselves into six working groups covering the key themes/topics forming part of the review process, and SANParks are trying to establish a 7th. Friends of Tokai Park were represented in many of the working groups.
1. Health & Well-being - Recreation (Nicky Schmidt; Howard Hendricks)
2. Communications (Anthony Albert; Lauren Clayton)
3. Fire Management (Gordon Chunnett; Chad Cheney)
4. Facilities/ Development opportunities (Stephen Floyd; Frans Van Rooyen)
5. History and cultural heritage (Berta van Rooyen; Wendy Johnson) 
6. Biodiversity (Charmaine Oxtoby; Marna Herbst)
7. Safety and Security

You can download a copy of the Friends of Tokai Park's statement here and read a summary of our vision below. 
Planning a Park for All – Together
Biodiversity • Community • Heritage • Safety

The Friends of Tokai Park have a vision for Tokai Park where humans and nature can live in harmony. 

"The restoration and conservation of biodiversity is inclusive, not exclusive, and is entirely compatible with our heritage and recreational activities"

Our goal is to conserve our natural plant and animal life at Tokai Park while promoting the park as a recreational gateway to our greatest natural asset and internationally-renowned World Heritage Site, Table Mountain National Park.

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.

To have a closer look at our vision mapped out (below) and to learn more about our vision, click here: https://tokaipark.com/about-us/vision/.
Thank you for your donations!
This year, the volunteers on the FOTP committee have raised and used over R33 000 in grant funding for our restoration work. We have also had over R3000 in donations from all our members. We wish to thank all of you sincerely for your generosity. 

We have been focusing on five programmes for 2021, and here are some brief progress updates on our achievements:
Programme 1: Alien Hacking - this has been continuing and FOTP and all our volunteers are doing amazing work. 
Programme 2: Active Restoration - we successfully held several restoration planting events this year. Thank you to all volunteers!
Programme 3: Restoration Trail - we surveyed the restoration trail and discussed its restoration with SANParks. SANParks agreed to replace the boardwalk and some of the fading signage, however this has not yet been done. If there is still no sign of action by early 2022, we will reassess and consider using donor money to fix it. 
Programme 4: Tokai Arboretum - we did not receive any donations for this work, however a team of FOTP continues to work hard and invest much time in the arboretum. 
Programme 5: Tokai Path Maintenance - SANParks is due to replace signage at Tokai very soon. The honorary rangers replaced parts of the main board work with donor money.

Would you like to get involved in the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration? Are you not able to volunteer time to join in our hacks, but really appreciate the work we are doing? If yes, please consider making a donation! If you would like to make a donation, please feel free to use snapscan (below) our do a traditional EFT into our bank account.

BANK DETAILS
Friends of Tokai Park
Standard Bank
Blue Route
Savings Account
27 629 2669

WESSA Affiliation: MB1240127
PBO Tax Exemption #: 930066728
FOTP and partners doing active restoration at Tokai Park on a rainy day in July 2021. Photo credit: Zoe Poulsen.
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