Green Corridors, ETH Zürich and Kimberly-Clark Collaborate to Tackle “Nappy” Waste Crisis in Durban Informal Settlements

In partnership with Swiss University ETH Zürich and Kimberly-Clark, Green Corridors, the NPO dedicated to environmental and social initiatives in Durban, earlier this year embarked on a groundbreaking project to address the pressing issue of dumped disposable nappies and other absorbent hygiene products (AHPs) such as panty-liners, wipes and sanitary pads in informal settlements.

Amina Keneta (Supervisor AHP Collections) at Johanna Road informal settlement, shows one of the dedicated AHP bins that has helped to lessen the impact of improperly disposed hygiene products on the community, environment and public health. Pic by Val Adamson

“Disposable AHP’s which are designed to absorb fluid, are made from plastic and other materials, posing a significant environmental challenge due to their non-biodegradable nature,” explains Green Corridors Green Spaces Project Officer, Musa Shange. “Their improper disposal leads to environmental contamination and health hazards, including the spread of diseases. These products, especially nappies, also often cause blockages within sewerage systems, which can result in sewerage overflow and contamination of waterways.” 

This Green Corridors initiative, known as the Inhlanzeko Bin Project aims to pilot an AHP collections system to lessen the impact of improperly disposed hygiene products on the community, environment and public health. The project has been rolled out in Johanna Road and Blackburn Village informal settlements, with trained community liaison officers participating in educating and guiding residents.  In most informal and rural settlements, the ‘normal’ option for nappies disposal by residents is nearby open dumpsites.

Specialized nappy bins have been provided in selected locations, ablution blocks and creches in these settlements. The bins have been managed by the three part time employed community members in each community. They encourage residents to dispose of nappies safely, collect, check and weigh the bagged contents from the bins, and remove the bags to temporary storage containers, for weekly collection by CSW contractors and disposal at registered landfill sites. 

The “nappy” bins are being trialled at the two settlements, and different methodologies for fostering change in disposing behaviour are being tested. This included providing incentives and training community field workers to conduct caregiver meetings, home visits, and creating online caregiver networks.

:Amina Keneta (Supervisor AHP Collections), with Nontuthuko Ncopheni (Field Worker), Martin Mekkattu Master’s student from the Department of Mechanical and Process Engineering at ETH Zürich (Switzerland), and Okuhle Mdutshane (former Field Worker in the  Johanna Road Informal Settlement.

Three Swiss Master’s students, supervised by Dr. Marc Kalina from the Department of Mechanical and Process Engineering at ETH Zürich, have been responsible for designing and implementing the collection system. The locations for the bins were mapped out by Engineering student Timo Stutz. Another engineering student Dominik Huber, planned and helped design and install the network of bins and their management for his Master’s thesis. While a third Master’s student, Martin Mekkattu, has been responsible for optimising and evaluating the implemented collection system.

As community engagement and education plays pivotal roles in driving behaviour change, the programme has trained local fieldworkers, over a couple of years, who conduct home visits and host meetings to raise awareness about the importance of safe AHP disposal. 

Communication tools such as WhatsApp messages, posters, and videos are being used to reinforce the message and engender personal responsibility.

Results show more than 1,000 kg of AHP waste collected monthly per community, with 93% purity of collected AHP waste.

“While challenges persist in applying integrated and effective waste management systems in Durban’s informal settlements, this Green Corridors project marks a positive step towards mitigating the AHP waste crisis in our informal settlements, alongside drives towards redesign for re-usable AHPs,” says Shange.  “We hope that by providing a well-managed case study with solid data, it lays a foundation for informing future strategies for safe and environmentally-friendly AHP waste disposal.”

For more information or to become involved in the Green Corridors AHP project contact Musa Shange, musa@durbangreencorridor.co.za

 More info about Green Corridors:  https://durbangreencorridor.co.za/

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Exciting Outdoor Experiences and Adventures with Green Corridors in December

The holiday season is here, and there are a host of truly thrilling outdoor adventures and leisure activities on Durban’s doorstep with multiple Green Corridors tourism sites available for holidaymakers to enjoy. Best of all, these experiences are just a short distance away from the heart of the City.

Escaping the hustle and bustle of the festive crowds becomes an enticing option for locals, and out-of-town tourists, allowing families to indulge in a range of fantastic activities, whether it's a self-drive exploration or a guided adventure.

View of Inanda Dam

The breath-taking eNanda Adventure Park on the expansive Inanda Dam features water’s edge picnic spots, a thrilling pump bike track, and guided biking, birding, hiking, and canoeing excursions. The centre also has safe, shady camping areas on the shores of the dam.

Biking around iSithumba

The magical Valley of 1000 Hills offers a culturally warm and welcoming experience at Isithumba Adventures with walking, hiking, and biking trails, as well as authentic cultural tours.

Mqeku Picnic Site - “bumslide”

And, for a delightful laughter filled day out, the Mqeku Picnic Site becomes a choice, featuring a natural waterslide along the pristine tributary into the Umgeni. With braai facilities and ample shade, it becomes the perfect spot for families to unwind and revel in nature.

Hiking around Amaphephetheni

Alternatively, the 7 and 14km trails in Amaphephetheni by Amatata Adventures offer more rigorous hikes with heart-stopping views of the Inanda Dam and the Valley of 1000 Hills. For the more adventurous, one can also hike from Matata Adventures to Mqeku picnic spot for an experience and views you will not forget in a hurry!

Lower Molweni, on the outskirts of Krantzkloof Nature Reserve

Lower Molweni, on the outskirts of Krantzkloof Nature Reserve, awaits nature enthusiasts with a network of community-developed nature trails that are supported by Kloof Conservancy.

Nogxaza Falls Hike

In the same reserve in Upper Molweni, the challenging Nogxaza Falls Hike, that begins at Overrock Rasta Camp, the series of cliff face walk ways and custom made view points allows individuals to experience awe-inspiring views of rural KZN. Overrock is fast becoming one of the most popular hiking destinations in the Green Corridors network.  

Hiking around Mnini Dam

Just south of Durban, in the welcoming community of uMgababa, Mnini Dam boasts two fantastic sites: Thulas' Adventures and the Mnini Dam Tourist Resort. Ideal for picnics, canoeing, fishing, birding, hiking, and biking trails, these sites promise a warm and memorable experience.

Close to the Blue Lagoon on Durban's scenic beachfront, the GreenHub offers an array of eco-tourism activities. Individuals can immerse themselves in birding, hiking, canoeing, and, on selected days, discover the enchanting Ezemvelo Beachwood Mangroves with its truly unique ecosystem.

Most Green Corridors sites can be accessed as self-drives, although the guided tours are recommended to enhance the experience. Guides are all trained and accredited and have deep knowledge of the areas in which they live and work. The guided experience includes a shuttle tour in an air-conditioned mini-bus.

Additionally, guests can also be accommodated overnight in the very comfortable “pop-up camp” with or without catering.

A range of cultural tours are also available including a visit to the Rasta Caves in Inanda, and the Inanda Heritage Route, and Waterfalls.

Camping and activity fees may vary and contribute to the growth of the local tourism economy in these vibrant areas.

To explore the many options in more in-depth, visit this link: https://durbangreencorridor.co.za/our-work/tourism

Bookings are essential and can easily be made by calling +27 (0)81 268 3787 or emailing reservations@durbangreencorridor.co.za

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Durban North’s Roadhouse Crescent (Connaught Bridge underpass) for Major Clean-Up on 29 and 30 November

Green Corridors and TriEcoEmvelo, are facilitating a major clean-up of the Roadhouse Crescent recycling area at the Connaught Bridge underpass in Durban North, on Wednesday, 29 and Thursday 30 November, with the aim of removing 500 bags of waste.

(Left to right) Siphiwe Mthabela from Tricomvelo and Siphiwe Rakgabale from Tricomvelo and Green Corridors, with Jonathan Welch technical consultant and project manager of the Green Corridors’ KMBC in front of the plastic baler brought in to help streamline the recycling collection process at the Roadhouse Crescent collection area under Connaught Bridge in Durban North. A major clean up is planned for Wednesday, 29 and Thursday 30 November, with the aim of removing 500 bags of waste.

This area has been used for a long time as an illegal dumping ground and has been “adopted” by Green Corridors in an endeavour to clean it up and support the informal recyclers to derive an income from their collections by formalising the area as a recycling collection point, and discouraging illegal dumping.

Members of the public and community organisations are invited to join in the clean-up from 8am until 2pm on 29 and 30 November together with the Green Corridors and WESSA and the Roadhouse Recyclers teams. eThewkini Municipality Cleansing and Solid Waste will be removing the non-recyclable waste. Volunteers should wear closed shoes and hats. 

“This clean-up marks our adoption of the area, formalising the collection of waste as a materials recycling facility (MRF), supporting these area recyclers with their efforts to earn an income, and ensuring the site is no longer used to dump,” explains Musa Shange, Green Corridors Project Officer. “Through a joint project between eThekwini Municipality, Green Corridors, TriEcomvelo and Safripol we have installed a plastic baler that compresses recyclable plastics which enables the local recyclers to densify the materials derived benefit from the increased value. We are also erecting a fence around the area to stop the illegal dumping.”

The Connaught Bridge Roadhouse Crescent Recycling project has been a combined effort between a number of civil society organisations, government structures, businesses and informal recyclers, that have worked together to do clean-ups, recycle and repurpose waste material. Green Corridors has facilitated the purchase of materials by formal recycling enterprises, and taking materials to sites where they can be beneficiated, such as Green Corridors’ KwaMashu Materials Beneficiation Centre.

"We want to help these recyclers set up a solid cooperative that they can eventually run themselves,” enthuses Siphiwe Rakgabale, Green Corridors Litterbooms Co-ordinator and owner of TriEcoEmvelo. “They are a crucial part of the value chain that recycles waste materials and can make a significant contribution to a sustainable circular economy."-ends

Seven new local guides for Green Corridors and local other tourism sites

Seven local nature-lovers recently qualified as eco-tourism guides - part of an initiative started by Green Corridors (the Durban NPO which has as its mandate to look after green spaces), in partnership with Kloof Conservancy and 1000 Hills Tourism.

The guides received their NQF4 certificates from Sigma International, a CATHSSETA accredited training provider. The formal training included both classroom and field work over four months working with the Green Corridors qualified guides to gain field experience.

Guides who graduated include from left to right:  Thando Shezi and Nokwazi Sithole who are now guiding with Green Corridors Matata Adventures set in the mountains of Maphepehetheni, a wild camping site, with owner of the Mlu Mthembu, Mbali Xaba and Nomfundo Ntshingila, (and Ntikelelo Nene not in picture) who are guiding in the Lower Molweni site supported by the Kloof Conservancy, and “Rasta” Reuben Tafari who guides at the Overock Site in upper Molweni. In front is Sbu Nduku who now guides with Thulas Luthuli at Green Corridors Mnini Dam site. 

The graduation ceremony was held at the Green Corridors Tourism site at iSithumba Adventures  in Kwa-Ximba where the guides received their certificates.

The official curriculum included facilitating a curated cultural experience, customer care, leading guiding activities, ensuring safety and handling emergency situations, as well as conducting research and developing a guided experience at a renowned tourism destination.

Guides who graduated included: Nokwazi Sithole and Thando Shezi, who are now guiding with Green Corridors Matata Adventures set in the mountains of Maphepehetheni, a wild camping site, with owner of the Mlu Mthembu. “Rasta” Reuben Tafari who guides at the Overock Site in upper Molweni, Sbu Nduku who now guides with Thulas Luthuli at Green Corridors Mnini Dam site, and Nomfundo Ntshingila, Mbali Xaba and Ntikelelo Nene who are guiding in the Lower Molweni site supported by the Kloof Conservancy. 

For more information about the various nature walks, sites and guide tours, contact Green Corridors on reservations@durbangreencorridor.co.za.

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Ethekwini Enviro Week – activities in and about nature to inspire, inform and celebrate 18 - 25 March 2023

The inaugural eThekwini Enviro Week is a call to action for everyone in eThekwini to work together to care for the environment. Hosted by the eThekwini Municipality with partners Green Corridors and the City of Bremen (Germany), Enviro Week offers a packed programme of fun and insightful activities at venues in and around Durban from 18 to 25 March.

Looking forward to Ethekwini Enviro Week: Green Corridors team members Jonathan Welch (left) from the KwaMashu Materials Beneficiation Centre, Musa Shange (Coastal and Waste Management Project Officer), Nomfundo Phewa (Agro-Ecology Green Spaces Project Officer) and Siphiwe Mthabela (Green Hub Office Manager) check out a paver made from recycled plastic and glass.

The eThekwini Enviro Week is a collective of events, happenings, and activations packaged together to make them accessible to the public and increase the impact being made by organisations and individuals working in the environment and conservation sector.

“The devastating floods of 2022, hit home for all of us living in Durban,” says Nomfundo Phewa, of Green Corridors. “Everyone has some touchpoint with these floods, which we now know were a result of the climate crisis. There are over 150 different organisations working in Durban to help educate and inspire people to take action and make the change we need, and this eThekwini Enviro Week collective is one way we can begin to work collaboratively towards the same goal.”

Getting ready for eThekwini Enviro Week are Mboniseni Ndimande (left) and Noxolo Sibiya (second from left) from eThekwini’s Transformative Riverine Management Programme (TRMP), Siphiwe Mthabela (centre) from Green Corridors and Alvin Dube (left), a Denis Hurley Centre Street Lit book vendor, with some of his enviro friendly books.

Taking place in a week of important world environmental days, eThekwini Enviro Week will celebrate Global Recycling Day (18 March), World Frog Day (20 March), Human Rights Day and International Day of Forests (21 March), World Water Day (22 March) and World Meteorological Day (22 March). During this week there is also National Water Week, National Library Week, and Earth Hour (25 March).

Activities will centre around these themes, and encourage participation and involvement from the public in working together to help support the idea of cleaning up the environment, recycling, reducing and reusing waste, with practical ideas on how to minimise the impact on the climate. There will be clean-ups in communities, beaches, riverine and other sites, with a focus on getting materials to recycling facilities.

The week also aims to celebrate the rich natural heritage in the City, considered one of the world’s biodiversity hotspots to enjoy and explore. Sites such as the Beachwood Mangroves will be open to the public with bird walks and beach walks hosted by experts in their fields. There are countless places to explore on one’s own, or with a guide, such as the Botanical Gardens, Green Corridors community tourism sites, uShaka Marine World, Umgeni Bird Park, the Umgeni Estuary, many of the conservancies, indigenous gardens, wetlands, green spaces, and many others. 

The City’s Department of Parks, Recreation and Culture offerings will also include displays at the Durban Natural Science Museum and various displays and activities at libraries to coincide with Library Week.

In some of the events, the public can learn how to grow vegetables, swap seeds, and help clear small pocket parks in communities to support local food security. 

With Human Rights Day and all it stands for, several organisations will have events that aim to raise awareness of the right to a safe and clean environment.

The week closes off on Saturday 25 March with a celebration at Green Hub at Blue Lagoon, where a range of  Environmental Education and Public Awareness (EE & PA) organisations that have been planning ways to collaborate will share updates on the plans to establish a formalised EE & PA Action Network.

“This is a week to celebrate, learn and find ways to forge a future together, in a remarkable demonstration of solidarity,” says Phewa. “It’s a perfect opportunity to experience the natural beauty of the city, and participate in how we can best care for it. Our campaign hashtag - #ourworldiswonderful – serves as a reminder of why we do what we do.”

All these events and activities will be published  in a full programme online with details and contact information  at: www.enviroweek.co.za, or follow on Facebook/ Instagram – enviroweek.

For general eThekwini Enviro Week  queries contact info@enviroweek.co.za 

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A Night To Remember with Renowned Wilderness Guide, Author and Coach, Sicelo Mbatha

Green Corridors will begin  eThekwini Enviro Week with a Pop Up Camp and Campfire Stories hosted by Matata Adventures and renowned wilderness guide, author and coach, Sicelo Mbatha on Saturday 18 March.

This is a rare evening of campfire stories and experiences from the wilderness at Matata Adventures, a Green Corridors Wild Camping area in the Valley of 1000 Hills, managed by Mlu Mthembu, a highly experienced Durban-based nature guide.

Mlu Mthembu - nature guide and manager of Matata Adventures

Sicelo Mbatha has devoted his life to fostering deep connections between humans and nature, he grew up alongside the Hluhluwe/Imfolozi nature reserve, and nature has always been his medicine, his teacher and his spiritual home. His teachings and wisdom are world-renowned and this is an evening not to be missed.

Sicelo Mbatha

“I invite you to connect with the indigenous wisdom of my people and find your soul through the spirit of our collective humanness, or ubuntu. I am the black lion who helps people discover the wild animal within. I am the black lion who roars for peace and harmony on the great mother earth. I am the black lion, alive in the wilderness,” says Mbatha.

Matata is about a 45-minute drive from Durban and perched at the top of a beautiful mountain waterfall, overlooking some of Durban’s most wild areas. All catering (except alcoholic drinks) guides, tents and camping equipment will be provided. Max 8 participants. Fee is R1200 per person

The experience includes a Pick up by Green Corridors, at Durban’s Green Hub (near Blue Lagoon) at 13h00 OR meet and drive to Matata Adventures in convoy with guides. Depart Sunday after breakfast and a morning guided hike through the forest to experience the breath-taking views over Durban from Inanda Mountain.

To book contact reservations@durbangreencorridor.co.za or frontdesk@greencorridors.africa

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Green Corridors Launches KMBC Green Concrete Pavers along withCampaign to Install in KwaMashu Schools

The Green Corridors’ KwaMashu Materials Beneficiation Centre has launched its Green Concrete Pavers along with a Crowd-Funding Campaign to install the pavers in KwaMashu and Inanda schools.

Sample of the pavers produced by Green Corridors at its KwaMashu Materials Beneficiation Centre.

200 crowd-funded pavers have already been installed at Isithumba Creche (Istihumba in the Valley of 1000 Hills). A further 200 pavers sponsored by Barlow World (Nike) using Nike shoe waste are currently being manufactured for installation at Shayamoya Primary School in KwaMashu, where two 16m paved walkways are to be built between the two main school buildings, (when it rains this area is muddy and wet and not conducive for efficient movement around the school with time constraints between lessons.)

Some of the pavers installed at Isithumba Creche in Isithumba in the Valley of 1000 Hills . Looking on are Green Corridors staff Jabulani Khanyile. Mfanawethu Makoba and Siphiwe Mthembu.

Green Corridors, the Durban NPO that rehabilitates and cares for green spaces in the City, is mainly funded by eThekwini’s Economic Development Unit. Its KwaMashu Materials Beneficiation Centre is essentially and research and development facility that looks at how waste products can be reused, or re-purposed as part of its bigger vision of growing a “circular economy”.

After many hours of Research, development, and testing, the KMBC is producing a green concrete paver made from 86% waste materials. These pavers are now ready to be installed in schools in the area, and Green Corridors has begun a crowd-funding campaign to help get them into the schools.

The waste used in the pavers includes community-purchased waste glass and non-recyclable toy waste, shoe waste, alien invasive plants, street-swept sand, and recycled concrete. The waste comes from non-recyclable plastics from curbside collections, (orange bags) donated sources as well as what is removed by Green Corridors’ from litterbooms, beach clean-ups, and riverine sweeps for alien invasive plants. Pavers are sealed with a hard-wearing UV stable coating to ensure no microplastics are released into the environment.

“A large focus of ours is on developing low tech, highly replicable, small-business models,” explains Jonathan Welch, Technical Expert at KMBC. “The fact that our products are made by previously unemployed and unskilled members of our local community is a testament to the City’s EDU’s vision that the green economy is an ideal way to both clean up the environment as well as create sustainable jobs.”

Brightly coloured plastics are used in the tops of the pavers for schools as a means to draw attention to the paver and stimulate conversations about its being made from 86% waste.

“We hope this in turn raises awareness of the importance to manage our waste responsibly.”

“Green Corridors is busy proving the viability of a model where multiple production facilities will be set up to produce high strength and aesthetically pleasing pavers and creating 4-6 direct and multiple indirect jobs in the process,” says Welch. “With each facility producing between 100 and 200 pavers a day, we expect there to be substantial demand for problematic waste materials currently entering the environment, thereby stimulating the collection of these materials rather than ending up in and damaging the environment.”

Green Corridors plans to build these facilities by both creating a demand for the above unique pavers at schools and facilitating the funding thereof through crowdfunding, corporate CSR projects, and donating one paver to a school for every 10 sold to the public.

“We hope to raise funds for several KwaMashu Schools in our catchment area in need of paving for children to get around the school safely and comfortably whilst being stimulated and learning about some of the challenges and opportunities presented by waste and particularly plastic in our environment,” explains Welch.

The next school in the area earmarked for the pavers is Zamokuhle School in KwaMashu.

To support this project and help towards pavers for schools contact the Green Corridors at KMBC-info@durbangreencorridor.co.za or donate here https://www.backabuddy.co.za/donate/champion/green-concrete-pavers-for-schools

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New Hike Launched with Green Corridors in Durban's rural Maphepetheni area

As South Africa celebrates Tourism Month in September, Durban’s Green Corridors continues to offer ‘on-your-doorstep’ highly accessible excursions for the whole family, and has announced a brand new hiking experience in the heart of the exquisite rural Maphepetheni area.

The recently launched Amatata Adventures in Maphephetheni, the mountainous area north of Inanda Dam, founded by local qualified nature guide Mlungisi Mthembu, offers two beautiful options of hiking trails for nature lovers, birders and adventurers. Amatata Adventure is also a perfect location for picnics and overnight camping with Green Corridors’ Pop Up Camps.

Mlu Mthembu

The hike starts off at Amatata Adventures in Maphephetheni about 45 kilometres from Durban’s CBD. Set on and around the escarpment of the majestic Inanda Mountain, the hike takes in spectacularly breathtaking views of the uMngeni Valley and Inanda Dam winding through luscious indigenous forests, valley bushveld and the rare sandstone sourveld grasslands of the area.

There are two distances on offer - a 7,5km or a 12,7km for the fitter and more resilient hikers. These hikes take adventurers through a richly biodiverse environment with abundant birdlife and indigenous scarp forest, and grasslands. These are fairly rigorous hikes that are not for beginners but accessible for people with an average fitness, and have plenty of stops and rests to soak up the sheer beauty of the area, or listen to Mlu tell of local folklore, and customs.

Hikes take you through rural homesteads, as the community welcomes you.

Mlu lives and grew up in the area and is well-known to the local community. At the heart of his adventure-offering is a sincere desire to care for this natural environment and preserve it for future generations, while demonstrating to both locals and visitors the positive impact rural tourism has on communities.

And, being a community-minded individual, Mlu has begun an important programme working through Green Corridors to ‘adopt” a local school Maphephetha Secondary School which offers tourism as a matric subject. He visits the school, giving talks about the value of local tourism for the heartbeat of a community as well as the economic benefits it has not only for the guides but for people who provide other services such as catering, security, transport and accommodation.

A group of hikers enjoying the views over the Inanda Valley

“It has been incredibly rewarding beginning Amatata Adventures, and the impact it has already had in showing the community the benefits of inviting and welcoming tourists to the area,” enthuses Mlu. “And it is a bonus to be able to go to a local school, and really show young people that this is a viable option as a career, to be able to put food on the table, and become small business entrepreneurs.”

Spring is here and there are many options available for hikes, picnics, camping and adventures with the Amatata Adventures, and many locally-based community tourism sites which all offer unique outdoor experiences supported by Green Corridors.

To book for an Amatata Adventures hike and for other Green Corridors activities  contact +27 (31) 322 6026 or email frontdesk@greencorridors.africa. . For more information on the various offerings visit the Green Corridors website: www.greencorridors.co.za.

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Father’s Day Adventure Walk with Green Corridors’ Mgababa Adventures and Expert Botanist

 Father’s DayAdventure Walk with Green Corridors’ Mgababa Adventures and Expert Botanist

A special Father’s Day Adventure Walk will be hosted by experienced nature guide Thulas Luthuli at his Green Corridors’ Mgababa Adventures site at the Mnini Dam  this Sunday, 19 June from 8am to 11am.

Thulas Luthuli at his Green Corridors’ Mgababa Adventures site at the Mnini Dam explains traditional use of a plant on his guided walks to a guest.

This 4km Adventure Hike along a rocky river trail which feeds into the Mnini Dam, together with Thulas (whose homestead is in this area) and expert botanist Sithembiso Blessing Majoka promises a delightful mix of fascinating insights into the fauna and flora,  and the rich cultural history of the area.

Sithembiso Blessing Majoka - expert botanist will host the walk with nature guide Thulas Luthuli of Mgababa Adventures

Sithembiso Blessing Majoka who will share his extensive knowledge of the indigenous plants of the area, gained much of his knowledge working for South African National Biodiversity Institute encoding plant specimens and then went on to become a Field Ranger for the EThekwini Municipality. He is not only passionate about the environment, specifically indigenous plant identification and bird conservation, but he is also an incredible wildlife photographer.

His amazing work with bird conservation also won him the 2021 BirdLife South Africa Owl award which recognizes the valuable contributions that people make to the conservation of South Africa's birds and their habitats.

Hiking and walking around Mnini Dam with Mgababa Adventures

Don't miss out on this fantastic opportunity to walk alongside Sithembiso as he unfolds the story of Mgababa Adventures' rich landscape, which was voted by SDA Adventures as their favourite rocky river trail, Mgababa Adventures is an untouched treasure for hikers.

The hike costs R200 per person and there are limited places. The Mnini Dam site is an easy 30 minutes from Durban’s CBD.

Green Corridors also has a number of other sites to visit on Father’s Day – check out the website on https://durbangreencorridor.co.za/

To book contact: 078 702 0618 or frontdesk@greencorridor.co.za.

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Green Corridors Receives Award from Plastics SA

Durban-based NPO Green Corridors, which cares for green spaces around the City, this week was awarded a Certificate of Appreciation by Plastics SA for its commitment and dedication to helping restore rivers and for protecting our waterways and natural environment.

Tri-ecotours founder and Green Corridors’ Litterboom Coordinator, Siphiwe Rakgabale (left photo) and Green Corridors’ Coastal and Waste Management Projects Officer Musawenkosi Shange (right photo) receive the Caroline Reid Award from Plastics SA’s Director of Sustainability Douw Steyn, on behalf of Green Corridors for its commitment and dedication to helping restore rivers and for protecting our waterways and natural environment.

The Caroline Reid Award was presented to Green Corridors’ Coastal and Waste Management Projects Officer Musawenkosi Shange, who works with the NPO’s Green Spaces programme, and Tri-ecotours founder and Green Corridors’ Litterboom Coordinator, Siphiwe Rakgabale.

Caroline Reid was an ocean conservation warrior who coordinated hundreds of beach and diving clean-ups, was central in the work done with the loss of plastic pellets (nurdles) in the Durban Harbour in 2017 and with her networking skills, increased the awareness of plastic pollution on the KwaZulu-Natal Coastline.

Green Corridors has a vision to provide solutions and support for cleaning of natural environments, ensuring waste is recycled, repurposed, or removed, and that communities within these areas are significantly involved.  

“We would like to thank Plastics SA for this recognition as we continue to carry on the legacy of Caroline Reid,” says Musawenkosi Shange. “The work we do is very much in collaboration with a number of partner organisations and stakeholders including Adopt-a-River, WESSA, and Umgeni Estuary Conservancy, DUCT’s Amanzi Eyethu Nobuntu programme, the eThekwini Municipality’s Solid Waste and Parks Department, with support from sponsors such as SAPRIPOL and PETCO.”

“We hope that the work we do in restoring and cleaning riverways helps to create improved natural spaces for people to connect with nature, and the planet and improve their quality of life,” says Siphiwe Rakgabale.

For more information about Green Corridors visit https://durbangreencorridor.co.za

For more information about Plastics SA visit https://www.plasticsinfo.co.za/

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CAPTION TO COVER PIC by VAL ADAMSON

Siphiwe Rakgabale (litter-boom and clean up co-ordinator Green Corridors) (left) and Musawenkosi Shange (Green Corridors’ Coastal and Waste Management Projects Officer) (right) pictured here with Green Corridors' partners Margaret Burger (WESSA and Umgeni Estuary Conservancy) and Teboho Kikine (Adopt-a-River). They received the Caroline Reid Award from Plastics SA’s Director of Sustainability Douw Steyn, on behalf of Green Corridors for its commitment and dedication to helping restore rivers and for protecting our waterways and natural environment.

Fun Holiday Ideas for the family with Green Corridors in Durban and Surrounds

Holidays are upon us, and Green Corridors tourism sites offer a wonderful array of outdoor activities for the whole family, and only a short distance from Durban’s CBD – self-drive or fully-guided.

eNanda Adventure Park on the exquisite Inanda Dam has picnic sites and an awesome pump bike track for the adventurous. Guided mountain biking, birding excursions, hiking trails, and canoeing are on offer. 

South of Durban is the beautiful Mnini Dam set in the heart of the picturesque uMgababa area offering two superb sites for picnics, canoeing, fishing (large-mouth bass, tilapia), and some spectacular birding, hiking, and MTB trails. Two offerings are found here: Thulas’ Adventures, with a special holiday event in the form of a pop-up camp taking place on 26 March for Earth Hour with a night walk; and the Mnini Dam Tourist Resort.

Hiking with Thula’s Adventures

Picnic site at Mnini Dam

The Mqeku picnic site in the exquisite Valley of 1000 Hills has a unique ‘bum-slide’ on its river, a sparkling clean tributary into the Umgeni. This crazy, fun slide ends in a serenely calm pool, where you can simply float on a tube. Walks, hikes, and birding are on offer here.

Tubing at Mqeku Picnic Site

Also in the Valley of 1000 Hills is Isithumba with hiking, MTB, and cultural tours; while Lower Molweni is a hikers, birders, and nature-lovers paradise with a network of community-developed nature trails that lead hikers through the spectacular rugged cliffs and forests of the area, just on the outskirts of the Krantzkloof Nature Reserve. 

Hiking around Isithumba

Hiking around Molweni

Near the Blue Lagoon in Durban is the GreenHub with some amazing eco-tourism activities including birding, hiking, canoeing, and a visit to the fascinating Ezemvelo Beachwood Mangroves (on selected days). 

Pop up Camp at Mqeku Picnic Site

Green Corridors sites and tourism experiences are so easily accessible, although guided tours can enhance one’s experience. Shuttle tours are offered to many of these sites in an aircon mini-bus and qualified guides. Most sites also offer some form of accommodation or spend a night or the entire weekend with one of Green Corridors fully-catered and arranged Pop Up Camps.

All sites have a nominal entrance fee - camping and activity fees vary from site to site, helping to drive the local tourism economy in these areas.

Bookings are essential and can easily be made on +27 (31) 322 6026 or email frontdesk@greencorridors.africa 

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Green Corridors – go outside with your family this holiday in Durban!

Green Corridors, the NPO that cares for the glorious green spaces around Durban, offers some exceptional picnic sites and tourism experiences, all easily accessible for a socially distanced outdoor gathering with a host of activities during the Festive Season. 

Whether it is self-drive or fully guided on the Green Corridors Shuttle Bus, these are wide-open spaces to relax, play, adventure and have loads of fun – they’re ideal for the whole family, and only a short distance from Durban’s CBD.

These wonderful sites are not only perfect for day visits, but camping, too, is available. There is also the unique Green Corridors’ pop-up camping option that is stress free…and includes everything you need for a “glamping weekend” tents, stretcher, camp shower, catering tent and other equipment (with catering or self catering options).

Cycling from eNanda Adventure Park

ENANDA ADVENTURES

eNanda Adventure Park on the beautiful Inanda Dam has the prettiest picnic site and an adrenaline-inducing pump bike track. The site offers guided mountain biking, birding excursions, hiking trails and canoeing.  A lovely shaded lawn overlooks the dam where you can launch canoes to explore the waterways. 

eNanda Adventures offers camping right on the water's edge, as well as cabins. Boat launching permits can be also issued on behalf of Msinsi Holdings (which manages the dam), ideal for those wishing to launch here. 

Canoeing at Mnini Tourist Resort

MNINI DAM

Mnini Dam, south of Durban in the quiet, picturesque uMgababa area offers two superb sites for picnics, canoeing, fishing (large-mouth bass, tilapia) and some spectacular birding, hiking and MTB trails. 

Hiking with Thulas Adventures around Mnini Dame

The two tourism sites are Thulas’ Adventures, which also hosts pop- up camps, with or without catering), right on the water’s edge, and you enjoy guided nature and birding hikes, as well as cycle tours. The Mnini Dam Tourist Resort is tailormade for picnics, boat launching, fishing, birding, and hiking, with campsites and en-suite rooms available for hire as well as a well stocked bar and restaurant.  

Tubing at Mqeku

MQEKU PICNIC SITE

Mqeku picnic site in the exquisite Valley of 1000 Hills has a unique ‘bum-slide’ on its river, a sparkling clean tributary into the Umgeni. This crazy, fun slide ends in a serenely calm pool, where you can simply float on a tube. There are excellent walking trails here, and the local community will welcome you warmly, and take care of your every need. Braai facilities and camping are available.

Biking at isiThumba

ISITHUMBA

Isithumba in the Valley of 1000 Hills is fully kitted out with accommodation, hiking, MTB and cultural tours. Local guides with unparalleled knowledge and story-telling skills will bring to life the culture, rituals and customs of the Zulu people as you tour this quintessential rural Zulu village.

Exquisite sites around Molweni Valley on a hike

MOLWENI VALLEY

Lower Molweni  is a short drive into the Valley of 1000 Hills from Hillcrest and is a hikers, birders and nature-lovers paradise.  there is a network of community-developed nature trails that lead hikers through the spectacular rugged cliffs and forests of the area, just on the outskirts of the Krantzkloof Nature Reserve. This reserve is a biodiversity treasure trove including 50 mammals, 253 bird, 35 reptiles, 150 butterflies, 273 tree and over 1500 plant species. Visit the Philangethemba Impact site with K&X Café and Ibongezi Crafters.

GREEN HUB

The GreenHub at Durban’s Blue Lagoon – offers some amazing eco-tourism activities – birding, hiking, canoeing and a visit to the fascinating Ezemvelo Beachwood Mangroves (on selected days). 

Green Corridors Shuttle bus at isiThumba

SHUTTLES OFFERED TO VARIOUS SITES

Green Corridors sites and tourism experiences are so easily accessible. The ultimate convenience is to hop on a  Green Corridors Shuttle Bus, which leaves from  Durban’s GreenHub on the Umgeni River (near Blue Lagoon) and takes guests on the following excursions:

·      Wild Enanda/Enanda Dam trip. It includes uMzinyathi Falls, the sacred Rastafarian Caves, a trip with Canoeing eNanda Adventures, and eNanda Mountain (lunch available at eNanda at your own expense). 

·      Mqeku Tubing and Bum Slide, where you’ll visit the Valley of a 1000 Hills, enjoy the amazing views en route…then just ride the bum slide, take a tube ride or chill in the shady picnic site (bring your own picnic lunch). Mqeku Picnic site is exquisite.

·      Durban’s Waterfalls (bring your own picnic lunch). You’ll travel from Paradise Valley Falls to Kloof Falls to uMzinyathi Falls – perfect for keen photographers, nature lovers and water babies. 

·      Mnini Canoe and Hike Trip, ideal for birdwatchers and peace seekers - lunch available at eNanda at your own expense. This is a leisurely day, drifting along the Mnini Dam shores, or hiking through the deep river gorges. 

·      Green Corridors’ GreenHub is centrally located on the banks of the uMngeni River, known locally as Blue Lagoon, offering a walk-in centre for information, eco-education and tour bookings, with bicycle and canoe hire available.

The Shuttle Bus transport, guides and any entrance fees are included in the R400 per person - minimum of four persons for the tour to run. 

All sites have a nominal entrance fee - camping and activity fees vary from site to site, helping to drive the local tourism economy in these areas.

Bookings are essential and can easily be made on +27 (31) 322 6026 or email frontdesk@greencorridors.afric

For more information go to : https://durbangreencorridor.co.za/

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Durban’s Lower Molweni Begins to Ramp up its Tourism Offerings

Four organisations in Durban, have been collaborating to support and develop the exquisite Lower Molweni Valley for local and international tourism, in an effort to stimulate and drive the community’s economy in a setting that has high tourism potential.

Lower Molweni  is a short drive into the Valley of 1000 Hills from Hillcrest and is a hikers, birders and nature-lovers paradise. Now Durban’s Green Corridors, with its vision to see communities thrive in balance with the habitats around them, is working together with the local organisations: Kloof Conservancy, Philangethemba Impact, and 1000 Hills Community Tourism Organisation, to develop eco-tourism initiatives that create local employment and business opportunities and at the same time protect the environment. 

A welcome break during a hike atop the granite waterfall, with muffins and juice catered for by K&X Café with rugs and cushions created by the Ibongezi Crafters.

These organisations, which have varying mandates, have pooled resources and ideas with Green Corridors: The Kloof Conservancy, aims to promote environmental awareness and conserve the area’s natural habitats; Philangethemba Impact, is a collaborative empowerment programme between the social outreach ministry of St Agnes Anglican Church in Kloof, and the neighbouring Molweni Valley community, and 1000 Hills CTO, is the local community tourism organisation promoting tourism in this area. 

Currently, in this area there is a network of community-developed nature trails that lead hikers through the spectacular rugged cliffs and forests of the area, just on the outskirts of the Krantzkloof Nature Reserve. This reserve has is a biodiversity treasure trove including 50 mammals, 253 bird, 35 reptiles, 150 butterflies, 273 tree and over 1500 plant species.

Much work is being done by partners on the ground including the community of Lower Molweni Trust around various new and exciting tourism opportunities, including a 1.4km zipline, which is planned to be the longest in South Africa, experiential and cultural tours around the local community, and Pop up Camping - Green Corridors’ unique portable camping experience which can move from site to site.

For local community members, microbusinesses have started up, as a result, providing employment opportunities and are expected to grow as interest in the area increases. Businesses include trail clearers who cut paths and remove alien plants from the trails; litter and waste controllers, a catering business K&X Café and Ibongezi Crafters based at the Philangethemba Impact site – the start point of the nature trails. Local trail guides are being trained and mentored by experienced Green Corridors nature guides.

“We aim to develop local tourism opportunities and help stimulate community-based economies, through our vision to connect people to the planet,” says Duncan Pritchard, of Green Corridors. “The support of tourism in this area plays a pivotal role in ensuring the long-term conservation of this incredibly beautiful part of Durban. This is all achievable by integrating socio-economic needs with conservation needs, and by working hand in hand with local organisations and the communities in and around the area.”

“Our overall goal is to create hope and tangible outcomes for the people in this area,” says Siphiwe Gumede of Philangethemba Impact. “Adding an adventure aspect to the offering like the zipline, will help to draw people to the area, and stimulate the various small businesses that rely on tourism.”

“Central to what we do is to promote the area to support businesses operating in this exquisite environment here in the Valley of 1000 Hills,” says Jennifer Gregory, of the 1000 Hills Community Tourism Organisation. “Key to this is ensuring the environment lives up to the promise, so part of that is to have local buy-in and interest in what is being planned, to maintain its natural beauty.”

Hikers at Lower Molweni

Paolo Candotti, Chairman of the Kloof Conservancy says, “This is a really exciting collaboration for us all, as we work together to find the solution to the social and environmental needs of the people in this area. As we collaborate to find workable and sustainable ways to develop the tourism offerings, we are always open to sharing knowledge and welcoming other organisations and partners who are interested.”

All trails are guided. For more information or to book contact: +27 (0)31 322 6026/7 +27 (78) 726 4890 or email frontdesk@greencorridors.africa

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Mqeku Picnic Site – an Ideal Spot for Family Outings

Mqeku Picnic Site – an Ideal Spot for Family Outings

Head for the great outdoors, enjoy the early-winter crisp weather and discover somewhere new: visit the Mqeku Picnic Site - a magical unexplored playground only 20 minutes from Hillcrest in the heart of the Valley of 1000 Hills.

With Youth Day and Father’s Day both coming up in the next fortnight – families may be looking for interesting things to do together.   

Mqeku offers fabulous birding opportunities (including sightings of the rare African Finfoot); river tubing or “bum-sliding” on a natural rock slide, 4x4 trails; nature hikes and picturesque picnic and braai sites, with a toilet and water – all in a pristine indigenous vegetation. For those who want to make a full weekend of it, there are fully serviced Pop Up Camping options too.

Owned and managed by the gregarious nature-lover Sibusiso Shangase, with marketing and management, support from Green Corridors, a Durban based environmental non-profit organisation supported by the economic development unit of eThekwini Municipality. Sibusiso is a certified South African Tourist Guide, and his qualified team welcome guests to the site and offer a guiding service to visitors keen to know more about the area. The site is on his family’s ancestral land, which allows him to talk to visitors personally and authentically about the diverse fauna, flora and history of the area.

The area is environmentally pristine. Situated on the confluence of the uMngeni and Mqueku Rivers, Shangase and his family are proud to have kept the bush wholly indigenous, with distinctive fever trees framing the meandering rivers punctuated with enormous granite rocks – perfect for soaking up the winter sun!  The more adventurous can explore the river and natural water slide on tubes. 

Mqeku is accessible with a conventional car - but is especially fun for 4x4 fans – offering various trails throughout the reserve – self-drive or more formal 4x4 trails offered by Monteseel Adventures.

For those who prefer to savour nature in a more sedate way, scenic walking and hiking trails are available. Hikes are easy enough to follow unguided, or visitors can book Shangase for a guided walk. Visitors can take a slow stroll towards the old Mfula trading store, something of a landmark for Dusi canoe fans, and still has a small shop in operation. 

Mqeku is a perfect destination for family groups or meetings of friends – also for corporate outings and enviro-themed functions and events.

The site is part of the Green Corridors initiative: an eco-sustainability project which involves collaboration with local communities, creating multiple opportunities for members to participate in the health and welfare of their natural surroundings. Green Corridors partners with a variety of stakeholders, to create open spaces in key local destinations and plays a vital role in improving the quality of the environment within which communities live, work, play and thrive.

Good to Know:

Mqeku Picnic Site about 20 minutes from Hillcrest. 

There is a nominal entry charge which goes towards the upkeep of the site.

Activities include picnic sites, amazing bird watching (including a local African Finfoot), 4x4 trails, hiking trails, MTB rides, rive tubing and local cultural walks. 

River tubes, helmets and lifejackets can be hired from Green Corridors 

Info and map: https://durbangreencorridor.co.za/mqeku-adventures

To find out about these and other things to do in the area – visit The Valley of a 1000 Hills Community Tourism Organisation website at https://www.1000hillstourism.co.za/

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