What It Takes to Care for Melville Koppies

A stretch of grass can look unremarkable until you know what grows there. Melville Koppies’ plant records list 56 grass species, along with wildflowers including gladioli and orchids.

That variety is part of what conservation teams are protecting. Caring for the Koppies means keeping indigenous plants growing in a city where surrounding gardens, roads and stormwater continually affect the reserve.

Why the work cannot stop

The reserve’s conservation account describes a persistent challenge: invasive plants return through seeds carried by birds, wind and people. Removing them gives indigenous vegetation space to recover.

Paths need attention too. Rainwater can run along walking routes and gradually cut them into erosion channels. Low barriers of stone and earth help divert that water into the veld.

Litter carried into the Westdene Spruit adds another maintenance task. These are practical reasons a natural-looking space still needs regular care.

The community effort behind it

At the Friends of Melville Koppies AGM on 19 September, chairperson Jenny Grice highlighted the need for volunteers, funding and cooperation.

The organisation works with Johannesburg City Parks and Zoo on conservation. Its full-time conservation team costs about R25,000 a month, Northcliff Melville Times reported, with walks, educational visits and other activities helping meet that expense.

Representatives from Kloofendal, Klipriviersberg and Albert’s Farm conservation groups also attended. Sharing experience gives these groups opportunities to learn from one another’s work across Johannesburg.

What residents get to keep

For residents, this work preserves somewhere to walk through Highveld vegetation and learn about the landscape close to home.

Archaeological history is also present here. Melville Koppies is a Johannesburg City Heritage Site, with an iron-smelting furnace excavated in 1963 among its features. Its heritage trail helps visitors explore evidence of life before the modern city.

On your next visit, take time to notice the smaller plants between the grasses. The reserve’s flora guide describes spring flowers followed by summer displays, including wild orchids that can be easy to overlook.

Before you go

For Melville Koppies Central:

• Open: Sundays, 08:00–11:30, with controlled access.

• Entry: R100 for adults, R50 for under-18s, free for children under five.

• Parking: Marks Park Sports Club, Judith Road, opposite the entrance.

• Walking options: Self-guided routes or a guided tour booked ahead.

• Restrictions: No dogs, picnics, braais or mountain bikes.

Access arrangements differ for East and West, so check which section you intend to visit. For enquiries or volunteering, contact 066 571 9539 or friendsofmelvillekoppies@gmail.com.

• Check visiting arrangements.

• Explore the Koppies’ grasses and wildflowers.

• Read about its conservation work.

The Bottom Line

The work at Melville Koppies has visible results: room for indigenous plants to grow, maintained paths and access to local heritage. Understanding that work gives a familiar patch of Johannesburg a little more meaning the next time you walk through it.