Rough Moss Frog (Arthroleptella rugosa). Photo credit: Johan du Plessis
The Rough Moss Frog (Arthroleptella rugosa) is a Critically Endangered frog species found only on a single mountain range, the Klein Swartberg, in the Overberg district of the Western Cape, South Africa. In 2020 we realized that this little frog was in big trouble. Its habitat was being degraded rapidly by alien invasive vegetation to such an extent that the survival of the only known population of this species was uncertain.
With this realization, the Endangered Wildlife Trust (EWT) approached the IUCN Save Our Species fund for support to implement a critical rapid action intervention to save this population. In 2021, the IUCN Save Our Species answered the plea for assistance with co-funding from the European Union. This support allowed us to develop a firebreak system around this original population of Rough Moss Frogs. This critical intervention supported the planning of an ecological burn in 2022 as a tool to manage an extensive pine infestation that was damaging the population’s seepage habitat. This was a novel approach to amphibian species conservation on the Klein Swartberg Mountain, not least globally.
During the surveys supported by the SOS project, an additional three populations of this species were recorded on the Klein Swartberg by project partner Bionerds PTY Ltd. This was a welcome discovery, bringing the known populations to four. Two of these newly discovered populations were in well-managed natural habitats, also good news for the species!
On 16 March 2022, the firebreaks and planning for the ecological fire were completed by our contractor, Enviro Wildfire, through the employment of an alien vegetation clearing team from the local community of Caledon. The planned ecological burn took place during the week of 28 March 2022. The ecological burn was intended to eradicate invasive pine trees and allow for the recovery of natural fynbos vegetation, not only for the conservation of the Rough Moss Frog population but also for various other Endangered plants and animals. This intervention will also benefit the local community living in the catchment zone below the Klein Swartberg by increasing the water yield from the mountain draining into the aquatic systems in the seeps and rivers and the agricultural community reliant on these water resources.
Team preparing firebreaks in the Klein Swartberg, Western Cape, South Africa. Photo credit: Johan du Plessis
The burn was successful, with very few invasive alien pine trees remaining. And those that survived will be cleared mechanically in the coming months, alongside the development of a long-term alien vegetation clearing plan covering the full extent of the mountain and supported by project partners, the Klein Swartberg Conservancy and the Fynbos Trust. In addition to the 800 ha planned for the burn, over 4,500 ha of the mountain also burnt, including the three additional Rough Moss Frog population sites discovered during the project. Post-fire monitoring by the team has happily confirmed the presence of Rough Moss Frogs at one of the burn sites. These populations will be continuously monitored over the coming breeding season (June onwards). This monitoring will include post-fire bioacoustics monitoring (recording of frog calls) to compare with pre-fire recordings to document the recovery of these populations in the coming years as habitat is restored.
Southern slope after ecological burn in the Klein Swartberg, Western Cape, South Africa. Photo credit: Johan du Plessis
The project not only achieved its objective of significantly reducing the threat of invasive vegetation to the original population but also forged partnerships, discovered previously unknown populations of a Critically Endangered species and initiated formal habitat protection processes for five properties where the species is now known to occur.
This project is supported by IUCN Save Our Species and co-funded by the European Union. The contents of this publication are the sole responsibility of the Endangered Wildlife Trust and do not necessarily reflect the views of IUCN or the European Union.
Dr Jenny Botha, EWT’s People in Conservation Manager, jennyb@ewt.org.za
“Such a blessing,” the young girl murmured as she received samples of reusable sanitary pads as part of a Water, Health, and Hygiene (WASH) project the EWT is implementing in Kutama, a vibrant area consisting of nine villages situated at the foot of the majestic Soutpansberg mountains in the Vhembe Biosphere Reserve. Despite most residents being innovative and self-driven, unemployment levels are high, and many families struggle financially, as is common throughout South Africa. Those who are fortunate enough to have a job often work far from home, leaving children in the care of grandparents or other caregivers. Despite progress in addressing global water and sanitation deficits, in 2017 approximately 1.6 million people died of diarrheal diseases. Many of these disease are spread through contaminated hands. Safe water, sanitation and hygiene underpin human, animal, and environmental health. Yet millions still lack access to clean water and basic hygiene products and information on germ transmission and risks to human and environmental health is often lacking or inaccurate.
Washing with soap is an effective and cost effective way to save lives. Moreover, by reducing exposure to a range of infectious diseases, it also reduces absenteeism through illness from work and school.With over 80% of households in Kutama deriving a monthly income of less than R3,200, purchasing basic necessities is challenging, and, as with many communities in South Africa, sanitary pads are unaffordable for many women and girls.
The Endangered Wildlife Trust (EWT) started the WASH project in 2019 as part of an integrated water conservation project in the Soutpansberg in partnership with the Coca-Cola Foundation’s Replenish Africa Initiative (RAIN). In the first year, we developed and piloted interactive lessons and teaching aids on germ transmission and hand washing, which were implemented alongside primary school educators in the classroom, reaching over 700 learners.
Primary School Germ Transmission Activity in Kutama, Limpopo
The timing of this project was fortuitous, for, in March 2020, the Covid-19 pandemic hit South Africa. Regular handwashing has always been critically important to reduce the spread of serious infections, diarrhoea, and other illnesses, especially in children. However, this simple activity and other stringent hygiene measures have become a global imperative. In 2020 we introduced additional curriculum-based learning materials to approximately 475 primary school learners to reinforce handwashing and related health messages in fun, interactive ways, and in 2021, we reached a further 800 learners and their teachers. Educators were provided with resource packs to enable them to continue implementing the germ transmission and handwashing lessons to learners on an ongoing basis.
To support secondary schools in Kutama, we developed educational resources on women’s health and hygiene and held focus group discussions with 440 girls from grades 8-11 in two secondary schools in collaboration with their Life Orientation educators. We also gave each learner and some educators and school staff reusable sanitary pads to try.
Apart from assisting families financially, quality reusable sanitary pads can last for up to three years. It has been estimated that the average woman will use approximately 11,000 sanitary pads during her lifetime. Globally, municipalities and sanitation personnel are grappling to cope with the waste generated from sanitary materials, which ends up in landfills or flushed into sewerage systems, where it causes major management headaches. Substituting disposable sanitary pads or tampons with reusable pads or menstrual cups costs far less and substantially reduces the impacts of waste on water and the environment.
Our aim going forward is to gradually roll out similar WASH projects in other primary and secondary schools across all the EWT’s project sites in South Africa. Through our Education for Sustainable Development project, the Guardians of the Future, we will continue working with educators to co-develop additional curriculum-aligned interactive teaching aids and educational resources to support teaching in subjects such as Natural Science and Technology, Life Orientation, Social Sciences, and other subjects. Through these and similar interventions, we aim to support schools in developing capable, confident, and scientifically literate youth who understand the interwoven connections between people and nature and the value of collective efforts to reduce our environmental footprints and live more sustainably.
Learners walking home from school in Kutama
Thank you to the Coca-cola Foundation for sponsoring this project under its Replenish Africa Initiative (RAIN) and to the Ford Foundation for ensuring that we can get to schools and other project sites easily, no matter where they are.
Courtney Maiden, Endangered Wildlife Trust MSc Student
Over 750,000 km of roads crisscross South Africa, and the country’s natural habitats and wildlife are gravely threatened by further road development. Furthermore, with the anticipated increase of vehicles on the roads over the coming years, the likelihood of more wildlife-vehicle collisions is worrying. The Vervet Monkey (Chlorocebus pygerythrus) has adapted to thrive in human-altered landscapes. However, this also means they face many risks from humans and their activities. Vervet monkeys face daily challenges living in an urban environment due to increasing habitat loss and fragmentation. The clearing of treed areas for roads and other purposes forces monkeys to the ground, increasing their risk of being hit by vehicles. An important first step in reducing this outcome is the design of safe and cost-effective structures by which animals can safely cross the road.
Over the past two decades, wildlife crossing structures have been installed to facilitate wildlife movement over or under roads and railways to connect habitats and reduce roadkill. These structures are often custom-designed for each site and according to the needs of the targeted species. Yet, less than a handful of studies look at the effectiveness of different measures in reducing wildlife‐vehicle collisions in South Africa. Moreover, systematic assessments on designing safe and cost‐effective crossing structures for wildlife have not been carried out to date in our country, despite their importance in preventing Vervet Monkeys and other animals from becoming roadkill.
In March 2022, Courtney Maiden from the Endangered Wildlife Trust tested three different canopy bridge designs for Vervet Monkeys to identify one standardised design for the benefit of free‐ranging Vervet Monkey troops. The observational experiments took place at the Centre for the Rehabilitation of Wildlife (CROW) in Durban, where the three bridge designs were installed in two Vervet Monkey enclosures. Testing different canopy bridge designs in an ex-situ environment such as CROW allows us to establish design guidelines that can be used for free-ranging Vervet Monkeys in-situ (in their natural habitat). These ex-situ experiments are vital for understanding how Vervet Monkeys behave on different canopy bridge designs and identifying the most suitable bridge design to increase the likelihood of the bridges being used in the wild.
The bridges were made using polypropylene rope and recycled plastic. The design is adaptable to varying installation lengths, heights, and crossing environments. By observing the monkeys directly and using camera trap footage, we found that the ladder bridge was used most often and showed great potential for being the most suitable design.The positioning of any wildlife crossing structure is equally as important as its design. As the Vervet Monkey is a territorial species with daily foraging paths, installing canopy bridges along preferred movement pathways is vital for maximum benefit. Examining troop territories, crossing areas, and frequency of use can inform the best bridge location. Through the EWT-WTP student mentorship and with help from Wendy Collinson-Jonker (EWT) and Sandra Jacobson (US Forest Service Wildlife Biologist), Courtney has visited potential bridge installation sites in KwaZulu Natal and is currently studying road crossing hotspots to determine where bridges would be most likely to be used as intended.
Once suitable sites have been identified, we can begin the exciting part – testing the design identified as most suitable (the ladder bridge) on free-ranging monkeys. Watch this space for updates! All information and research updates can also be found on Instagram (@wildways_sa), Facebook (Wild Ways South Africa), and EWT platforms.
Dr Jeanne Tarrant, EWT Threatened Amphibian Programme Manager, jeannet@ewt.org.za
April 2022
Frogs and folklore go hand-in-hand. Countless children’s stories and fairy tales feature frogs and toads, and these amphibians have appeared in proverbs, rituals, and myths and have been interwoven into cultures across the world for centuries. Often, these stories represent frogs as important symbols of good fortune, fertility, and abundance. For example, each year, numerous frogs appear with the flooding of the Nile. These floods were vital to agriculture because they provided water for growing crops. Frogs represented abundance and became a symbol for the number hufnu, which meant 100,000. Many native cultures place small frog coins in their purses because they believe the coins will help them keep their money. The nature of the complete transformation of frogs from tadpoles also conjures a wide range of possible representations, including the option of transforming again into something even more wonderful, as in the traditional fairies about frogs turning into princes. The idea that a frog could be a prince – or anything else – makes them excellent fictional characters. Their metamorphosis from tadpole to frog can be seen as a form of “magic” and is relatable to young readers’ transformations, from toddler to child or child to teenager. Frogs symbolise hope in these stories.
In other cultures, toads represent less favourable symbols. In medieval Europe, for example, toads were considered evil creatures whose body parts had strange powers. Some of these views were articulated by authors from Classical Rome and Greece, whose writings had an immense influence on public opinion. Shakespeare’s play “As You Like It” alludes to a widely held superstition about a jewel that was supposed to be found inside the head of the toad. Once placed in a ring or necklace, this jewel, known as “toad-stone”, would warm up or change colour in the presence of venom, protecting the wearer from possible danger and foul play. Additionally, toads took on the role of evil spirits who assisted witches in their evil designs. In South Africa, frogs form part of similar cultural beliefs associated with witchcraft.
These myths and legends, and all stories really, are part of our journeys to better understand the world around us and are often derived as ways of protecting or warning us. Wanting to learn more about our local stories associated with frogs, we created the #FrogLore social media campaign for this year’s Leap Day for Frogs.
The Endangered Wildlife Trust’s annual Leap Day for Frogs campaign has been running for eight years, highlighting how important, interesting, and under threat frogs are.
Globally, amphibians remain the most threatened backboned animals on Earth, with 41% of species threatened with extinction. This 41% is a huge proportion of an ancient group of animals that have been successful for 300 million years, inhabiting all corners of the planet – except those too cold, too hot, or inaccessible to frogs, such as the Galapagos Islands. But now, because of habitat destruction, freshwater pollution, and a deadly fungus (which incidentally is having a way bigger impact on many more species than Covid-19), amphibians are facing a very real and rapid demise. It is a warning that our changing planet cannot support life in the way it should.
These sobering statistics are not cause for celebration, so why have fun in the name of frogs? While Leap Day for Frogs does highlight the threats to these creatures, it also celebrates them and creates an appreciation for them, which is the first step towards recognising their importance. Leap Day for Frogs invites members of the public to get involved however and wherever they like – be this by creating frog art or poetry at schools, cleaning up a local wetland, learning more about frogs, or playing a game of leapfrog!
Leap Day for Frogs event in Ipithi Nature Reserve on 26 February 2022
This year, in addition to the FrogLore campaign, we were fortunate to host in-person events again. We partnered with Kloof Conservancy to run a fun day of activities and a night frog walk at Ipithi Nature Reserve in Gillitts on 26 February, with over 300 people attending! We also joined forces with Hillcrest Conservancy, where 120 people joined a frog talk and walk at Springside Nature Reserve. Both amazing turnouts demonstrate that families are ready to get out to explore their local green spaces – in many instances, for the first time. Through our multiple partnerships and independent lessons, we also engaged over 700 school learners in 2022 already.
Through the FrogLore social media campaign, we reached over 34,000 people, and we received some stories – mostly related to lightning and frogs. One event participant mentioned a belief in eSwatini that if you dig up a frog, you will be struck by lightning! There is a fairly common association between frogs and weather events, which makes sense as frogs emerge during rain, and this natural occurrence may be at the root of many similar beliefs. Frogs also have very long tongues, which may explain why some think frogs shoot lightning from their mouths!What stories or beliefs about frogs have you heard?
Please share them with us via our social media platforms with #Froglore or email ewt@ewt.org.za.
The more we know about people’s beliefs and attitudes towards frogs, the more we can promote positive interactions and save more frogs.
Panel Discussion, IUCN Global Virtual Members’ Conference on Nature-based Recovery
1 February 2022
The Covid-19 pandemic triggered a global economic crisis, and Africa’s GDP shrank by 2.1% in 2020, its worst recession in more than five decades. Southern Africa was hardest hit, with an economic contraction of 7%. Food insecurity and debt have been rising, and many development gains are being lost. The African Development Bank estimates that Covid-19 has increased the proportion of people living in extreme poverty, with as many as 38.7 million more Africans sliding into this category.
As in other parts of the world, immediate responses to the pandemic have been to focus on containing the virus, addressing the immediate health crisis, and limiting economic fallout. But a large part of the conversation has also been about the pandemic, which represents an opportunity to shift our economic models onto a greener and more inclusive trajectory.
Africa is home to tremendous biodiversity and natural resources, but these are experiencing dramatic losses due to agricultural expansion, overharvesting, alien invasive species, pollution, and climate change. It is vital that governments use post-Covid recovery spending to meet economic objectives like jobs, health, education, and economic growth – while also meeting the environmental goal of a greener, inclusive, and sustainable development trajectory.
As part of broader recovery efforts on the African continent, the African Union Commission launched a 5-year Green Recovery Action Plan in July 2021. This plan aims to ramp up action on five priority areas, including improving climate finance; supporting the just transition to renewable energy; nature-based solutions and a focus on biodiversity; resilient agriculture; and green and resilient cities.
To support this action plan, the African Ministerial Conference on the environment adopted the African Green Stimulus Programme, which seeks to address the socio-economic and environmental impacts of the pandemic and to unlock and harness the opportunities which a sustainable approach can bring for the continent of Africa.
An online platform was launched in September 2021 to support the roll-out of the stimulus programme. However, there is still a lot of work to be done. The programme aims to mobilise sufficient, additional resources and the effective use of these resources to implement a diverse portfolio of initiatives. And it will only be able to deliver impactful results at scale when these resources materialise.
Several grants have been made towards promoting green and inclusive recovery. For example, GIZ recently approved an award of nearly 1 million euros to a consortium led by South African National Parks to support Covid-19 relief efforts along the boundary of Kruger National Park in South Africa. This programme will support sustainable supply chains, enterprise development, green entrepreneurship, and responsible resource use to drive sustainable jobs and livelihoods.
Nature-based tourism was one of the main casualties of the economic shutdowns, and there have been many grants and green recovery initiatives aimed at recovering this critical sector.
The African Nature-Based Tourism Platform was initiated in April last year with funding from the Global Environment Facility (GEF) to forge connections between funders and communities, nature-based tourism enterprises, and conservation areas in southern and eastern Africa. The 3-year project aims to mobilise at least $15 million. The platform gathers data on the impacts of COVID-19 on local communities and small businesses in the nature-based tourism sector and shares this information to unlock funding streams that will bring greater resilience to nature-based tourism in the future.
While Africa’s agenda 2063 aims to industrialise the continent, there is widespread recognition and commitment that this must be done in a low carbon, nature-positive way. We need a new paradigm for development that centres on sustainable development and building forward better. And this isn’t just because it’s the right thing to do: for example, work done by the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa shows that in South Africa, investing in the green economy and nature-based solutions provides 250% more jobs than investing in similar fossil-fuel-based industries. So investment in nature-based economies and nature-based solutions in Africa makes good business sense.
Most of us would agree that post-covid recovery packages have failed to incorporate nature in the seismic way that many of us had hoped they would at the start of the pandemic. Our region has some excellent and ambitious programmes and initiatives, but they remain largely underfunded and under-capacitated. Most African countries cannot raise money from their own economies to implement their recovery plans, and the cost of finance is disproportionately high for African countries compared to more developed nations. Global financial flows, from both the public and private sectors, need to be unlocked to ensure that development in Africa moves along a pathway in which people can have sustainable livelihoods without exacerbating the climate and biodiversity crises.
MRI Whale Unit Research: Drones Revolutionise Whale Conservation
The MRI whale unit research partnership between the Endangered Wildlife Trust and University of Pretoria is transforming how we study Southern Right Whales. Using cutting-edge drone technology, researchers can now assess whale body conditions and behaviour patterns in a cost-effective, non-invasive manner – critical for understanding climate change impacts on marine ecosystems.
Drone Technology Breakthroughs
The EWT’s licensed drone operations (SACAA-approved since 2020) are enabling groundbreaking conservation work:
Wildlife monitoring: Thermal imaging for nocturnal animal counts
Marine research: Photogrammetry of whale populations
Southern Right Whale Research
The unit employs specialised drones to:
Capture high-resolution aerial images
Measure body condition indices (BCI)
Track individual whales over time
Compare populations across South Africa, Australia and Argentina
“Drone technology has revolutionised our research,” says Dr Els Vermeulen, MRI Whale Unit Research Manager. “We can now track body condition variations annually and observe behaviours invisible from boats.”
Climate Change Connections
The research highlights worrying trends:
Krill populations (whales’ main food) affected by ocean warming
Declining body conditions may indicate ecosystem stress
