Welcome To
Modderfontein Reserve
Nature On Your Doorstep
Our Vision
The Vision for the Modderfontein Reserve seeks not only to protect indigenous fauna and flora in the area but also to provide an attractive open space within the urban environment where visitors can come and enjoy The Reserve’s natural beauty without traveling too far from home. The vision for the Reserve is to create, within an urban setting, a natural open space that is socially, economically, and ecologically sustainable.
The 265-hectare private Regional Open space is the second-largest private park in Gauteng and includes portions of the Modderfontein Spruit, a number of dams, grassland, and hills.
The Reserve is managed and administered by the Greater Modderfontein Property Umbrella Association (GMPUA) on behalf of the members. The Modderfontein Conservation Society is an active role player in the Reserve and assists with the ongoing management of the area.
Monitoring
Initiatives In The Reserve
For any Environmental Management plan to be successful it is essential that regular monitoring of vegetation is conducted. The GMPUA has contracted with The Endangered Wildlife Trust (EWT) to establish an Environmental Management Plan (EMP) for the Reserve. Monthly monitoring and…
Plant a Tree
Indigenous Tree Planting
Indigenous trees and shrubs are being planted to replace alien vegetation in the reserve. A large number of indigenous trees (about 15 – 20 different species) have been planted on the Reserve, with more to come. Trees have been labelled and numbered, both for monitoring purposes and for visitor information…
Fauna
Initiatives In The Reserve
The Reserve is home to a number of animals including steenbok, reedbuck, duiker, black-backed jackals, Cape clawless otter, hedgehogs, and four varieties of mongoose. The Endangered Wildlife Trust intends to undertake some small mammal studies in the removal of alien vegetation on…
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History
Modderfontein village was established in 1894 to meet the needs of the growing gold mining industry. With the advent of underground mining, there was a need to manufacture and sell dynamite.
This resulted in, what is colloquially referred to as, the Modderfontein Dynamite Factory being built as it was far enough away from the mining hub to allay people´s fears around the manufacture of explosives.
The original factory was built by Germans, and immigrants were recruited from all over Europe. This gave rise to villages that sprung up around the factory. The residents of these areas took to naming the small villages after their countries of origin, such as Dutch Village and Italian village.
Various heritage buildings have been retained in Modderfontein, these include The Modderfontein Dynamite Company Museum (constructed in 1895 this was originally the residence of first chief engineer, it has served as a museum since 1987), Franz Hoenig Haus (first factory manager´s house, constructed in 1896), the Casino (established for recreational requirements in 1897) and 33 High Street (the assistant factory manager´s house constructed in 1897). In 2000, the landowner…
Operational Hours:
06:00 – 18:00
(Summer & Winter)
Modderfontein Reserve
Arden Road (off Ardeer Road)
Modderfontein
Picnic/ Conservation Fee:
R50 per adult,
R35 per child.
© 2020 Modderfontein Reserve.
