Life on an Eco Estate: Green Living at its Best
By Michael Wood, Landscape Architect at Faircape Life Clé du Cap, Noordhoek and Tokai Estate
As part of our horticulturist blog series, we’re sharing some of the insights behind how we’ve created an eco estate environment at Faircape Life’s Tokai Estate. Every element of our approach is designed to nurture biodiversity and reduce our ecological footprint. In this feature, we explore some of the key steps we have taken to tackle an aphids problem.
At Faircape Life Tokai Estate, enhancing urban biodiversity is a key consideration in the way we design, plan and manage the estate’s landscape. From the way we manage urban storm water to landscape designs that improve biodiversity, every decision we make helps create a healthy, thriving environment for people, plants, and animals alike.
Breaking Up with Chemicals
It is a common practice within urban environments to make use of herbicides and pesticides as a solution to help control plants and pests. However, at Faircape Life villages we’ve taken a different approach, embracing bio-control systems and natural methods that not only protect the environment but also create a healthier space for residents and wildlife.
Take our aphid problem, for example. These tiny insects feed on tree sap, producing a sticky syrup that attracts ants, who in turn protect the aphids, allowing them to spread.
Black fungus usually grows on the leftover aphid syrup, which is not a threat to plants but does discolour the surrounding paving.
Instead of resorting to chemical sprays, our gardening team, led by Landscape Architect Michael Wood, worked with a specialist from the Arderne Gardens, in Claremont to tackle the ants first using safe, targeted treatments. Once the ants were under control, natural predators were released to balance the ecosystem, and the results have been amazing.
By eliminating pesticides and herbicides from our gardens, we have been able to ensure our ecosystems are healthy and circular. An abundance of insects provide a stable source of food for the numerous species of birds, frogs and chameleons as well as the wetland that is accessible from the viewing deck and boardwalk.
The urban water management system, which includes a retention basin, helps to recharge ground water levels, mitigating flood risk in urban rivers, and providing a habitat for frogs, birds and small mammals. The retention wetland also provides a pleasant experience to residents as they make their way to the Clubhouse. The coffee grinds from the Clubhouse kitchen are not wasted either, instead applied to the gardens.
Even our weeds get a gentle, eco-friendly touch, with splashes of vinegar replacing harsh chemicals. This ensures the estate stays herbicide-free but also protects urban water systems from herbicides that enter the rivers through storm water run-off.
People, Property, and the Power of Biodiversity
An eco estate is one which crafts a home for nature as well as its people. At Tokai Estate, green spaces, walking paths, and natural habitats provide recreational opportunities, stress relief, and psychological well-being for all. Studies show that proximity to nature enhances mental health and strengthens community ties, and Faircape Life residents are experiencing that every day.
Every plant, water feature and pathway contributes to a living, breathing ecosystem. The incorporation of indigenous flora like Proteas and Pin Cushions mimics the natural habitats of the nearby mountains. They also create green spaces lost to urban development, as well as feeding and breeding grounds for birds, insects, and amphibians.
The re-emergence of species like Cape Dwarf Chameleon as well as the Painted-Reed Frog are proof that our biological approach works. With the right environment and food sources, these once-lost residents are back in, babies included.
Faircape Life Tokai Estate is proof that urban living and nature can co-exist in harmony. We’re continually exploring new ways to make sustainability part of everyday life, reducing our carbon footprint but also creating a resilient, self-sustaining community.