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Brush pack Training (27 and 28 of September)
Day One
On the 27th of September, Mr Siphiwe and his colleague from INR came to Estulwane
to train the Eco-champs on how tomake brush packs in an erode area to close of soil
erosion there for good. The training started 10:30 am, the reason being Mr Sphiwe
and his colleague from INR were a bit late since they weretravelling to winterton. They
arrivedto the working area the Eco-champ were already waiting for them prepared
with tools.
The first move in attempt to make brush packs is to create anA-frame. It’scalled an
A-frame becauseit’sa frame made of 3 planks and it forms an A shape. An A-frame
acts as alevel for a control line that is also aframework of a brush pack, leaves are to
be put in that framework (control line) to make a brush pack. The Eco-champs seemed
to remember most of the basics in building a brush pack, especially the creation of an
A-frame since it’s a very important tool to have when creating a brush pack. The area
at which we are working on is not an incline slope, its not a vertical slope but a
normal slope that is not gentle(it notstraight, however it is unevenon the
surface).
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Figure 1: Creation of an A-frame
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But before the controllinewas even formed, re-shaping and cuttingdown of some few
trees that wereinthework area had to take place. Re-shaping means attempting to
levelthe surface that is uneven. After the A-frame was built the team was then split
into two, some were cutting down trees and preparing wood that was going to be used
create the control line while otherswere re-shaping the surface area, to allow the
application of an A-frame and built a control line. After sometime and hard work of re-
shaping and preparing of woods an A-frame was then put to use and the control line
was put into place, and the first brush pack was formed.
Figure 2: A-Frame measuring the establishment of the control line
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Figure 3: Re-Shaping of a slope
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Figure 4: Control line
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Figure 5: Leaves put in the control line
Day Two
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On the 28th of September the INR team (Sphiwe and his colleague) showed up again
and the training started at 08:30 am. The agenda for this day was to show us how to
create the next brushpack. Oneplank was measured tobe one metre long, a fish line
and a mini level was then used to measure the about of the next brush pack.
A second Control line was then put into place according to the stability and the
measurement of an A-frame. Most work in the area is in cutting down of trees as they
are more in the working area, and re-shaping as the surface is very uneven. This day
was the last day of training by INR, we will continue to work as the training was
effective andstraight to the point, it was very clear.However nothing has been
taught on how to cut trees the correct way or anything about the application of
Chemicals on trees.
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Figure 6: Cut down of trees and leaves
Figure 7: Preparing of wood for control line
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Figure 8 : Cutting down of trees.
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Figure 9: A brush pack
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Figure 10: Nature of the Slope
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