On any given day, one can read the news or articles on the state of the environment and the sheer enormity of the threats, challenges, and losses can be overwhelming. For those of us working in conservation, it can be even harder. The species we have dedicated our lives to protect face extinction, and we see the very worst that humans can do to wildlife. I have often been asked how I work in conservation, “isn’t it depressing” people ask? On some days, yes, but others keep our hope alive, and on 10 May 2022, I had a day of hope.
I joined a colleague, Rebo Rachuene from our Birds of Prey Programme, in the field to monitor a grass owl site. Rebo and his colleagues have been monitoring this site for over ten years. We arrived at a farm situated in the Highveld region of Mpumalanga, the area recently the focus of the deadly air case. The short drive from Johannesburg to the farm showed the severity of air pollution in the area, and while the deadly air case was focused on human health and wellbeing, I couldn’t help but wonder about the effect the air pollution was having on wildlife in the area. The farm is a mix of land uses with agriculture, virgin grasslands, and a new coal mine on its border. The threats associated with human activities began to feel overwhelming.
Grass Owl nesting site in the Highveld region of Mpumalanga, South Africa. Mixed land-use is common in the area – agricultural plots, natural grasslands, and coal mines are sandwiched in between each other
As we were approaching the nest, two birds took off – each on different sides of the wetland area the nest is in. One was a Marsh Owl, and the other, an adult Grass Owl. We found the Grass Owl nest, and instead of the fledglings we expected, we found eggs. Rebo explained that the previous eggs had probably been predated, and the Grass Owls had then laid more. In addition to natural and expected threats like predation, Grass Owls need to contend with human-related threats such as pollution, the threat of invasive species, disturbance and trampling by livestock, and habitat loss. Despite these ever-increasing threats, this species and so many others in South Africa continue to persevere. On our short walk back to the car, we came across a Brown House Snake, Serval footprints, and a Black Winged Kite – all indicators of a functional ecosystem – a safe space made possible through the incredible work of my colleagues and the conservation efforts of landowners. This is how hope is kept alive and how we can continue to promote conservation in South Africa and chip away and reduce threats from human activities. I walked away from that nest excited for the next 35 days when hopefully, the Grass Owl population will increase by five when the eggs hatch. I walked away with hope, committed to doing what I can to protect this safe space and others like it, and more committed than ever to promoting conservation in South Africa.
Grass Owl flushed from its nest. Once its eggs or chicks have been recorded and we move out, it will return to the nest.
On any given day, one can read the news or articles on the state of the environment and the sheer enormity of the threats, challenges, and losses can be overwhelming. For those of us working in conservation, it can be even harder. The species we have dedicated our lives to protect face extinction, and we see the very worst that humans can do to wildlife. I have often been asked how I work in conservation, “isn’t it depressing” people ask? On some days, yes, but others keep our hope alive, and on 10 May 2022, I had a day of hope.
I joined a colleague, Rebo Rachuene from our Birds of Prey Programme, in the field to monitor a grass owl site. Rebo and his colleagues have been monitoring this site for over ten years. We arrived at a farm situated in the Highveld region of Mpumalanga, the area recently the focus of the deadly air case. The short drive from Johannesburg to the farm showed the severity of air pollution in the area, and while the deadly air case was focused on human health and wellbeing, I couldn’t help but wonder about the effect the air pollution was having on wildlife in the area. The farm is a mix of land uses with agriculture, virgin grasslands, and a new coal mine on its border. The threats associated with human activities began to feel overwhelming.
Grass Owl nesting site in the Highveld region of Mpumalanga, South Africa. Mixed land-use is common in the area – agricultural plots, natural grasslands, and coal mines are sandwiched in between each other
As we were approaching the nest, two birds took off – each on different sides of the wetland area the nest is in. One was a Marsh Owl, and the other, an adult Grass Owl. We found the Grass Owl nest, and instead of the fledglings we expected, we found eggs. Rebo explained that the previous eggs had probably been predated, and the Grass Owls had then laid more. In addition to natural and expected threats like predation, Grass Owls need to contend with human-related threats such as pollution, the threat of invasive species, disturbance and trampling by livestock, and habitat loss. Despite these ever-increasing threats, this species and so many others in South Africa continue to persevere. On our short walk back to the car, we came across a Brown House Snake, Serval footprints, and a Black Winged Kite – all indicators of a functional ecosystem – a safe space made possible through the incredible work of my colleagues and the conservation efforts of landowners. This is how hope is kept alive and how we can continue to promote conservation in South Africa and chip away and reduce threats from human activities. I walked away from that nest excited for the next 35 days when hopefully, the Grass Owl population will increase by five when the eggs hatch. I walked away with hope, committed to doing what I can to protect this safe space and others like it, and more committed than ever to promoting conservation in South Africa.
Grass Owl flushed from its nest. Once its eggs or chicks have been recorded and we move out, it will return to the nest.
Harriet Davies-Mostert, EWT’s Head of Conservation
After 23 stimulating and fulfilling years at the Endangered Wildlife Trust, I have made the difficult but exciting decision to spread my wings and leave the EWT to join another conservation NGO, Conserve Global. This organisation works to secure and protect vulnerable conservation landscapes across Africa while bringing benefits to the wildlife and communities whose well-being depends on the integrity of these landscapes. It focuses outside of the existing national park network on landscapes that are home to significant biodiversity and play a significant role in buffering national parks and increasing connectivity between wildlife areas. As Director of Impact, and a member of the senior leadership team, I will concentrate on institutional fundraising, monitoring and evaluation and impact reporting, and driving science-led adaptive project management across our entire portfolio of projects.
The EWT has been my home for most of my professional life: I have learned so much and had so many rich and unique experiences. It has been wonderful to have worked in an organisation that is both strategic and yet quick to respond, is science-led and credible and yet constantly embraces new ideas, and where co-workers quickly become friends. Thank you so much to the many colleagues who have taught me new ways of thinking, inspired me, shown me the true meaning of passion and commitment, and made me laugh (and sometimes cry!). A very special thanks to the EWT’s indomitable CEO, Yolan Friedmann, for her leadership, mentorship, energy, and inspiration. We have travelled a long and rewarding journey together, which has readied me for the challenging steps ahead. Thank you!
Emily Taylor, EWT Communications and Marketing Manager
I met Harriet in 2012 when I started volunteering at the Endangered Wildlife Trust. She was the Head of Conservation Science, larger than life, and a renowned force of change and good in the conservation sector. I wanted nothing more than to work for the EWT, but I had no experience and only a lowly Nature Conservation Diploma behind my name. But I could write, which was one of the requirements when they advertised an intern position. I threw caution to the wind, applied, and somehow became her Conservation Science Intern. We were instant friends – aided by the proximity of our houses and the convenience of lift-sharing. I would look forward to the drives into the office and back each day – an opportunity to pick her brain, gossip, brainstorm, to laugh. She was looking to move closer to work, and I remember looking at houses with her and seeing her face when we saw the one that she and her family moved into not long after and love almost a decade later. I tagged along to meetings, conferences, doctors appointments, and the fireman’s pub or 33 High Street in Modderfontein for drinks after work. I was considering doing a BTech in Nature Conservation, and Harriet was unimpressed and convinced that I should pursue an MSc at WITS, despite not having a science degree. I was sceptical that I would manage it, particularly the really sciency stuff like statistical modelling. But Harriet believed in me. Despite me being her intern, she always valued my opinion and treated me as an equal. And she pushed my boundaries, telling me with conviction that I could achieve things I considered out of my reach. Slowly, I began to believe in myself a little more each day. Nine years later, I am no longer her intern, but she will always be my mentor and very dear friend. Thank you for believing in me, Harriet, and guiding me towards a future I hadn’t dared to dream of. Mine is but one story of how you have touched people’s lives in remarkable ways, and I do not doubt that there will be many more of these to come. Wherever you go, Harriet, we walk with you, and you will always be one of the voices in my head, telling me that I am so much more capable than I think I am and that you believe in me. What a legacy to leave.
Kishaylin Chetty, Eskom
As a scholar having just left high school, I volunteered over the December holidays to monitor, collect fecal samples, look after and learn to track wild dogs in Northern KZN. It was the first time I heard of Harriet. Fast forward 12 years later and I was to meet Dr Harriet in the flesh for business through Eskom. I was in absolute awe, but I played it cool. Here was someone I had heard about, read about and was now in the same room with, able to ask any question. Nerves flowing through the veins, a casual ‘high’ is all I could mutter. The nerves settled when I was appointed in Harriet’s Amazing Race team at my very first EWT Conservation week function I attended. What an event and what an introduction to Harriet. Harriet is one of the world’s great scientific conservation minds – she sees and thinks of things others don’t and has a structured level of thinking second to none. I’ve also been impressed with how Harriet has this intense work side and then this amazing fun side, all whilst being a super mom and wife. Harriet you are an inspiration to many up and coming scientists like myself and I am very grateful to have had the opportunity to have worked with you and learnt from you – even if only through the Eskom EWT Partnership. You have changed my very own thinking on how to be a better scientist, but also on how to enjoy personal life and work. You have been an institution at EWT. You will be sorely missed and I wish you everything of the best in the new adventure. Hoping our paths will cross again.
LEAVING A LEGACY FOR LIFE – Remembering Melanie Kwan
[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]On 2 May three years ago, Melanie Kwan passed on but made sure that the EWT was included in her will. Her nephew Jayden, aged 12, wrote these wonderful words of tribute to Melanie.
“Melanie always loved animals and saving them! She had cancer but that did not stop her from loving animals. She always appreciated animals just the way they were, and not the way she wanted them to be. Every week she would go to the animal shelter and take a few hours out of her day to help them even though she was not well. She loved going to the Kruger National Park and the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park when she was well enough to go. She was brave and independent and her very last trip to the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park was on her own.
When the time came to write down her will, Melanie decided to donate everything for the love of animals and dogs. She chose the EWT because she wanted to forever take care of animals in the wild even though she knew she could not do that herself. The money will help those animals who are always being killed. I want my own children one day to be able to see those animals that God created.
We love you Aunty Melanie and appreciate all the time and effort and money that you put into animals. Thank you Aunty Melanie!”
So far, we have deployed two tracking dogs in reserves and will soon be deploying a further four, including both tracking and detection dogs. We have also supported the full training of two new handlers and partial training for a third handler through our relationship with Genesis K9 Group. Furthermore, we provide ongoing support to these deployed dogs and the handlers who have recently completed their training to reinforce what they have learned.
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.
LATEST STORIES
Thanks to this grant, the EWT supports seven reserves that have many ecologically and economically important species threatened by poaching. We are taking a three-pronged approach that includes deploying freshly trained young Conservation Canines (trained in detection or tracking), training dog handlers who will be responsible for working with and looking after these dogs and supporting these dog-handler teams in these reserves to ensure they have what they need to work effectively.
Black Rhino (Diceros bicornis) in the Eastern Cape, South Africa. The Black Rhino is threatened by the illegal trade in rhino horn products. Photo credit: the african eye
The reserves we are assisting suffered income losses during the COVID-19 pandemic due to tourist travel bans, and we aim to support them through these hard economic times. Many reserves at risk of poaching use a variety of approaches to combat it, with anti-poaching field rangers commonly the first line of defence. Certified dog-handler teams can provide invaluable support to these teams on the ground in several ways. Our dogs either track poacher incursion routes within a reserve or provide a quick and reliable method for screening vehicles for concealed firearms or wildlife contraband.
So far, we have deployed two tracking dogs in reserves and will soon be deploying a further four, including both tracking and detection dogs. We have also supported the full training of two new handlers and partial training for a third handler through our relationship with Genesis K9 Group. Furthermore, we provide ongoing support to these deployed dogs and the handlers who have recently completed their training to reinforce what they have learned.
Conservation Canine Nala, a three-year old Belgian Malinois recently deployed in the Eastern Cape. Nala is a tracking dog and works with anti-poaching teams to protect threatened species.
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.
LATEST STORIES
Conservation Canines to Save our Species from illegal wildlife trade
Dr Andrew Taylor, EWT’s Wildlife in Trade Programme Manager, andrewt@ewt.org.za
South Africa is blessed with exceptional wildlife and landscapes that attract tourists and boost our economy. Some of our country’s biggest drawcards, such as White and Black rhinos (which are Near Threatened and Critically Endangered, respectively on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species), the African Savannah Elephant (Endangered), and the African Lion (Vulnerable), play vital roles in our ecosystems while also bringing in valuable ecotourism income. However, these species are threatened by the global illegal wildlife trade (IWT), which is a major cause of population declines in some countries. With funding from the IUCN Save Our Species Rapid Action Grant and the European Union, the Endangered Wildlife Trust (EWT) aims to reduce IWT by preventing wildlife poaching. We use our Conservation Canines to achieve this by training and deploying them to detect wildlife products and track poachers.
Newly qualified dog handler trained at Genesis K9 Newly qualified dog handler trained to reduce poaching as part of the project funded by the IUCN Save Our Species Rapid Action Grant and the European Union.
Thanks to this grant, the EWT supports seven reserves that have many ecologically and economically important species threatened by poaching. We are taking a three-pronged approach that includes deploying freshly trained young Conservation Canines (trained in detection or tracking), training dog handlers who will be responsible for working with and looking after these dogs and supporting these dog-handler teams in these reserves to ensure they have what they need to work effectively.
Black Rhino (Diceros bicornis) in the Eastern Cape, South Africa. The Black Rhino is threatened by the illegal trade in rhino horn products. Photo credit: the african eye
The reserves we are assisting suffered income losses during the COVID-19 pandemic due to tourist travel bans, and we aim to support them through these hard economic times. Many reserves at risk of poaching use a variety of approaches to combat it, with anti-poaching field rangers commonly the first line of defence. Certified dog-handler teams can provide invaluable support to these teams on the ground in several ways. Our dogs either track poacher incursion routes within a reserve or provide a quick and reliable method for screening vehicles for concealed firearms or wildlife contraband.
So far, we have deployed two tracking dogs in reserves and will soon be deploying a further four, including both tracking and detection dogs. We have also supported the full training of two new handlers and partial training for a third handler through our relationship with Genesis K9 Group. Furthermore, we provide ongoing support to these deployed dogs and the handlers who have recently completed their training to reinforce what they have learned.
Conservation Canine Nala, a three-year old Belgian Malinois recently deployed in the Eastern Cape. Nala is a tracking dog and works with anti-poaching teams to protect threatened species.
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.
Provinces challenged to manage their land more sustainably
By Bonnie Schumann, EWT Drylands Conservation Programme, bonnies@ewt.org.za
The UNDP-GEF5 Sustainable Land Management (SLM) Project and the Endangered Wildlife Trust (EWT) recently brought Engineering Technicians and LandCare officials together for a unique SLM challenge. The officials, all experts in soil erosion control, represented four provincial departments of agriculture from the Western-, Eastern- and Northern Cape, and the Free State. The challenge was hosted by the Samara Private Game Reserve near Graaff Reinet, in the Mountain Zebra Camdeboo Protected Environment (MZCPE) in the Eastern Cape, from 7–10 February 2022.
The four teams were tasked to assess three sites on Samara with varying severities of soil erosion that are typically found in the region. The teams were challenged to develop practical, cost-effective and replicable technologies and approaches to addressing the soil erosion issues. The degradation is primarily caused by historical grazing practices that were not ideal and is compounded by continuous grazing by game. What makes veld regeneration in this landscape particularly challenging is the topography in the area. The catchments are large and consist of mostly steep slopes, which result in high volume, very erosive runoff directed towards the lower slopes, where soils are vulnerable to erosion. The protracted drought experienced in the Karoo over the last approximately eight years resulted in a loss of vegetation cover, leaving soils exposed and vulnerable to both wind and water erosion.
The spirit between the provincial teams was positive, open, and cooperative, with high levels of camaraderie. Teams shared survey results, advice, and suggestions. Training of younger technicians formed an integral component of this knowledge sharing initiative. The collective institutional experience of the team was around 400 years, which is really astonishing considering there were only 14 participants. The challenge was concluded with a knowledge-sharing workshop and seminar. Participants on the last day included the Samara Management Team, neighbouring farmers, and two senior government officials from the Western- and Northern Cape responsible for Sustainable Land Management. The provincial teams presented their suggested soil conservation plans, and some lively discussions followed. In summary, all the participants agreed that this wealth of technical knowledge is critically important for SLM and soil conservation in the drylands. We need to ensure that this hard-earned experience and “institutional” knowledge needs to be shared with the next generation of soil technicians.
The next step will entail compiling these case studies and sharing the information with all the stakeholders in the MZCPE and throughout the drylands to encourage soil conservation action. Watch this space!
This initiative formed part of the United Nations Development Programme’s GEF 5 SLM Project – Small Grants initiative. The EWT, through their Karoo Forever SLM project, is responsible for the implementation of small grants in the Karoo landscape.
Science Snippets: Crane populations bounce back after concerted conservation effort in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
Erin Adams, Tamsyn Galloway-Griesel, and Lizanne Roxburgh, EWT Science and Planning Unit, erina@ewt.org.za
South Africa is home to three of the four African Crane species. These include South Africa’s national bird, the Blue Crane (listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List), the Grey-crowned Crane (Endangered) and the Wattled Crane (Vulnerable). The three crane species converge within the KwaZulu-Natal province of South Africa (see map), and crane populations declined severely in this region in the 1980s. And as a result, there have since been considerable conservation efforts focused there. Annual aerial surveys have been conducted in this region by the Endangered Wildlife Trust – International Crane Foundation partnership and Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife for many years to monitor crane population sizes. In a recent publication* co-authored by EWT scientists, the results of the long-term aerial surveys were analysed in relation to the conservation initiatives. As cranes’ deaths due to collisions and electrocutions with powerlines are common, particularly amongst young birds, markers were placed on powerlines in high-risk areas to improve visibility and reduce crane mortalities. Another major threat to cranes is habitat loss, and so protecting crane habitats has been one of the major interventions in KwaZulu-Natal. This was achieved by declaring new protected areas, getting willing landowners onboard to maintain crane habitats on their property and involving the general public to become “crane custodians”, who would report any powerline collisions and any crane nest disturbances they may come across. The extent of these initiatives was monitored over 15 years (from 2003 to 2018), along with monitoring crane population numbers with standardised annual aerial surveys to determine whether they increased due to these initiatives.
Within KZN, all three crane populations have slowly but steadily increased in size since 2003. These numbers are directly correlated with the conservation initiatives in the region. The protection of crane habitats has facilitated the return of cranes to previously disturbed areas but are now protected and maintained due to the work of crane custodians. A reduction in crane mortalities due to the increased visibility of marked powerlines has also been recorded.The authors concluded that the conservation initiatives to conserve cranes in KZN have effectively increased the population numbers of these threatened species. It was not possible to determine which conservation initiative, in particular, was the most effective, but rather concluded that a combination of all of these interventions has allowed for an increase in the crane population sizes, and led to this conservation success story.
*Galloway-Griesel, T., Roxburgh, L., Smith, T., McCann, K., Coverdale, B., Craigie, J., Pretorius, M., Nicholson, S., Michael, M., Durgapersad, K., & Chetty, K. (2022). Evidence of the effectiveness of conservation interventions from long-term aerial monitoring of three crane species in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Bird Conservation International, 1-16.
