GREEN RUNNERS

Another peak awaits …

“ We ’ ve done four builds to date , that raised bed at Masiphumelele and three benches . One is at Bay Primary , one at Noordhoek Beach in memory of the late Wesley Sweetnam , a popular trail runner , and one in memory of Piet De Bruyn at Farm Village in Noordhoek , in the memorial garden . We ’ ve probably used 3000 to 4000 bricks in total , which equates to about 2000kg of waste that could otherwise fill freshwater systems or the oceans . Sadly , a lot of people are making eco-bricks , but not using them .”

Keeping Noordhoek Clean

These days , Karoline spends a lot of her time on Project Noordhoeked , a community-funded initiative that does various clean-up projects in her home area . “ We as a community create jobs to clean and keep Noordhoek safe , as well as create awareness about the effects of single-use plastic . We focus on cleaning the beach all the way to Kommetjie , around the lagoon , the wetlands , the Noordhoek common and main roads . We clean plastic , glass , wire and dog poo , and our team of three employed cleaners also cleans the beach toilets three times a week . Another part of the project is dog poo-composting bins ,” says Karoline .

“ Under the project banner , we also set up Kakopo whale on Noordhoek Beach . We encourage people who walk on the beach to pick up rubbish and put it in the whale , which is then emptied monthly . We provide an honesty box with bags that they can help themselves to use , and we usually take out 12-15 bags of rubbish a month . That waste would otherwise go back into the oceans . We also work closely with SANParks to alert them of the location of dead seals , and offer additional eyes and ears to the Chapmans Peak neighbourhood watch .”

Late last year , Karoline and partner Filippo Faralla managed an alien plant clearing programme in the mountains above Noordhoek , and says they took out a whole lot of Port Jackson . “ We employed a team of eight guys , and paid them quite well , so it was a job-creation project that went really well , thanks to money raised in the community . Project Noordhoeked is community-funded , and we constantly need to raise money to keep the guys employed , but it is working ,” she says .

“ We currently have about 20 monthly sponsors who pay on average R50 to R500 per month each . The Ratepayers Association donate R500 per month as well , and every cent goes towards paying wages . If and when we receive additional donations , we increase our cleaning teams and areas , as well as sponsor the Noordhoek Football club U10 to U12 teams in return for them keeping the sports fields and surrounding areas clean .

On 14 January , about a month after Karoline ’ s run , the Two Oceans Aquarium Education Foundation released 23 turtles back into the ocean off Cape Town . “ Releasing turtles after long , and sometimes hard rehabilitation journeys is the best reward for both the turtles and their caretakers ,” says Maryke Musson , Chief Executive of the Foundation . “ Only one out of every 1000 turtle hatchlings will actually survive to maturity , and with the help of the public , our amazing turtle rescue network and turtle heroes like Karoline Hanks , we get to push this statistic up a little bit .”

20 ISSUE 139 MARCH 2021 / www . modernathlete . co . za