The Changing Face of Castle Rock Conservancy – As Seen From Castle Rock

The Sea Slopes below the road have just about been cleared of invasive alien trees. The same applies for the entire northern section of the Castle Rock Conservancy from BlueGumsFree to Castle Rock itself. These photos from slightly different angles show the extent of the clearing. What began as a quixotic struggle around the Blue Gums plot has become serious undertaking. Castle Rock Conservancy is now 80% clear of invasive aliens.

Before clearing

After clearing

Close up shots give a clearer indication of how fynbos is restored once the invasives are removed. Here are two photos from the BlueGumsFree plot. The first was taken in 2000 when the stands of spider gums still dominated the area. Invasive alien removal began a year later. The trees in the first photograph were removed in 2001/2. The second photograph was taken in June 2015 and shows mature stands of fynbos.