Spring brings hope as Silvermine trails reopen post-fire recovery

The reopening of Silvermine Gate 1 and its trails on Monday was an apt moment for Spring following a devastating fire in April, which affected 2 800 hectares in the area.

The SA National Parks (SANParks) announced the closure of the Tokai and Silvermine trails following three separate fires in April, which impacted the lower and upper Tokai areas of the Table Mountain National Park (TMNP).

The fires saw the TMNP conduct post-fire hazard removal, clean-up sessions and rehabilitation, which saw the destruction of boardwalks and other support structures that resulted in the exposure of dangerous objects such as nails and metal.

The reopening took place on Monday where the media were invited alongside the Mapula Trust Fund, whose donations supported the rehabilitation of affected trails.

SANParks confirmed the work was not done yet as their ablution facilities were still under construction, but temporary facilities were in place to accommodate visitors

The reopening included access to Silvermine Gate 1, selected trails in the area, the Silvermine Dam, Elephant’s Eye trail and the Silvermine Riverwalk.

Megan Taplin, TMNP manager, said their teams worked day and night to reopen the trails.

“This is a day to reflect how far we have come since the fires, which started in Tokai at the end of April and spread over to Silvermine,” she said.

“It was quite an intense fire.

“We want to thank everyone who contributed to containing the fire.

“I know our rangers helped our visitors get out of some bad situations.

“I know that people were standing in Silvermine Dam to make sure that no one got injured.

“There is still work to be done, we are still building the ablution blocks and there are ablutions in place for people to use.

“We want to thank the donors, it gave us the momentum to do the stuff that we needed.

“Teams worked seven days a week and put in the effort.”

Kenneth Cardon, chairperson of the SANParks Honorary Rangers, Table Mountain region, also acknowledged the donors for their role.

“We would like to thank the donor, Mapula Trust, which allowed us to kick start this project along with SANParks,” he said.

“It took a lot of effort and we were able to acquire the essential items to get the site open again.

“It was a wonderful collaborative effort between SANParks, the honorary rangers and the Mapula Trust Fund and it is great that on this first day of Spring that we are able to see this open again.”

Michael Byron, trustee of the Mapula Trust Fund, said they were pleased to see the outcome.

“We are delighted to see that something that we provided for, was being used for the best purpose and we know that SANParks and the Honorary rangers have worked very hard.”

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