More than 300 residents gathered at Princess Vlei in Grassy Park on Saturday, 10 October 2026, for the annual Recall the Animals parade and environmental celebration. The event, hosted by the Princess Vlei Forum in partnership with KURUfynbos, brought local school pupils and community members together to honour the natural heritage and wildlife once found in the area.
The programme started at Retreat Civic Centre with animal-inspired headdress workshops and performances by pupils from Levana, Hillwood, Harmony, and Rosmead primary schools. The children then led a parade through Sasmeer Estate to the vlei, highlighting stories of local animal species driven out by colonial settlers and urbanisation.
At the south-eastern corner of Princess Vlei, a temporary 4-metre-tall sculpture of a Goliath heron was unveiled. Crafted from galvanised mild steel, bullrush reeds, and zinc-based pigments, the sculpture was created by artist Angela Mac Pherson and funded by the City of Cape Town. Mac Pherson described the heron as “the guardian of the water, and her message is of detoxification of our water systems, without which we cannot exist.”
Chairperson of the Princess Vlei Forum, Brigett Pitt, said the campaign aimed to revive indigenous knowledge and ancestral understanding of living in harmony with other species. “The campaign also raised awareness of indigenous knowledge and the ancestral understanding of how to live in harmony with other species,” Pitt explained.
The event is an annual community effort to celebrate nature, art, and heritage associated with Princess Vlei while educating local learners on the environmental and cultural history of their area. By engaging schools and residents in creative arts and public parades, the project encourages a renewed connection between the community and their local environment.
While Southern Mail reported attendance exceeding 300 residents, this figure remains unverified by other sources. The Princess Vlei Forum continues to support the event as part of its broader mission to foster community engagement, conservation awareness, and cultural education.
The next step will be tracking how this year’s celebration influences ongoing conservation efforts around Princess Vlei and the impact on community awareness of local biodiversity.