Ordinary person, extraordinary deed
Terence Pillay introduces a new monthly feature in which he showcases ordinary South Africans making extraordinary differences.
What started out as a “little beach project” for South Coast resident, Zeele Pauw, has now turned into a full-time passion-mission to make a difference in her little nook of the world.
Listen to the full podcast below, or read the story under that.
Zeele, by her own admission, has always been extremely passionate about the environment, so when she saw the degradation of the sand dunes and vegetation in front of the new house she bought on the South Coast seven years ago, she decided to fix the problem.
Dune erosion occurs when storm surges elevates waves higher on the beach, allowing them to attack and erode the coastal dune. As sand is removed from the dune, the front face becomes very steep, or scarped. The overall volume and elevation of the dune is reduced due to the erosion process. Dune erosion makes properties behind the dune more vulnerable to future storms and the potential for over-wash.
Sand dunes serve an important purpose by protecting inland areas from coastal water intrusion. They are able to absorb the impact and protect inland areas from high energy storms and act as a resilient barrier to the destructive forces of wind and waves.
The degradation of the sand dunes on the South Coast was so severe that it was impacting homes and businesses along this stretch of beach. Then of course, there was the impact on the environment and loss of vegetation unique to that part of the South Coast.
Zeele’s project started as a dune regeneration initiative in front of her property and she has now ignited the surrounding community involved to do the same. Not only have they made a huge difference on the beach, she now has the community contributing to keeping the verge fronting the railway line clean as well. They are clearing alien vegetation, litter and beautifying the area.
Dune erosion occurs when storm surges elevates waves higher on the beach, allowing them to attack and erode the coastal dune. As sand is removed from the dune, the front face becomes very steep, or scarped. The overall volume and elevation of the dune is reduced due to the erosion process. Dune erosion makes properties behind the dune more vulnerable to future storms and the potential for over-wash.
Sand dunes serve an important purpose by protecting inland areas from coastal water intrusion. They are able to absorb the impact and protect inland areas from high energy storms and act as a resilient barrier to the destructive forces of wind and waves.
The degradation of the sand dunes on the South Coast was so severe that it was impacting homes and businesses along this stretch of beach. Then of course, there was the impact on the environment and loss of vegetation unique to that part of the South Coast.
Zeele’s project started as a dune regeneration initiative in front of her property and she has now ignited the surrounding community involved to do the same. Not only have they made a huge difference on the beach, she now has the community contributing to keeping the verge fronting the railway line clean as well. They are clearing alien vegetation, litter and beautifying the area.
Zeele also manages the teams on the ground and personally overseas all the work. It's a labour of love and she does not make any money from it.
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Do you know of an ordinary South African making an extraordinary difference in any field? I want to hear your stories.
You can email me, Terence Pillay, at [email protected] or follow me on Twitter: @terencepillay1, and let me know who you think qualifies.