CONSERVATION CHAMPIONS – REZA JOSEPH
Tammy Baker, EWT Business Development Officer, tammyb@ewt.org.za
As a conservation NGO, we are reliant on the generosity and efforts of others to keep our staff in the field doing what they do best, conservation in action. Many of our corporate supporters are facing financial challenges as a result of Covid-19, and this affects us significantly. We need support now more than ever and appeal to you to become a Conservation Champion for the EWT by joining our fundraising pack.
Reza Joseph is the most recent addition to our league of Conservation Champions.
After following our work and joining our “Meet the Cheetah’s” Wild Chat, Reza realised how important the conservation of this cat is and launched a Back A Buddy campaign to raise funds for the relocation of Cheetah back onto Rietvlei Reserve. Check out and support Reza’s campaign here https://www.backabuddy.co.za/champion/project/cheetah-range-extension-project-rietvlei There are lots of ways in which you can help raise vital funds for conservation, in your own home or community.
Host an online dinner party or wine tasting just for fun or to celebrate a special occasion “donate” your birthday to the EWT by asking for contributions instead of gifts, organise a virtual race, or get creative and come up with a fundraising challenge of your own. By challenging yourself, or supporting others who do so, you will help to ensure that our work continues as it should. It’s free, and it’s fun, and you can make a real difference. We need you now more than ever to help us to continue to protect forever, together. To get started, contact Tammy Baker at TammyB@ewt.org.za
THE EWT FOREVER FOREST
Over the years the EWT has been the recipient of numerous bequests or legacies. They have been gratefully received and have often been the reason for our ability to remain so productive during some very tough years. Upon the receipt of any bequest, the EWT management and staff ensure that the surviving families are thanked and acknowledged. However, we have always felt that as an organisation, we would like to do more to celebrate the legacies of life bequeathed to us, and the contribution they make towards protecting forever, together. The purchase of our magnificent forever home, the EWT Conservation Campus, presented an opportunity for us to do more to honour those who have contributed to creating a better future for their loved ones by supporting conservation. This property has allowed us to develop what we call the Forever Forest, where we can pay tribute to those who have committed to leaving a legacy for life, by helping us to protect the incredible wildlife and places that are critical to the future of our planet.
An Uplifting Memorial
Forever Forests are beautiful, tranquil resting places for our loved ones full of trees and life! We plant an indigenous Forever tree, providing a living memorial that will be cared for and continue to grow for generations to come!
Give Back
By planting a Forever Tree, you are giving back to the environment and future generations!
Watch the Tree Grow
Come to the Forever Forest to visit a loved one’s living memorial. We are creating a beautiful, serene space for friends and family to gather, pay tribute, heal, remember, and to celebrate all life. Do you yearn for a better future for your children? Create a Legacy for Life by including the EWT in your will and help us to secure a healthy planet with abundant wildlife, for years to come.
LEADING SOUTHERN AFRICAN VULTURES FURTHER TOWARDS EXTINCTION
Lindy Thompson and John Davies, Birds of Prey Programme, Endangered Wildlife Trust
There is over a century’s worth of research on the detrimental effects of lead on animal and human health. When Nile Crocodiles ingest lead fishing weights, it affects their egg development and hatchling health. Vultures that ingest lead fragments from ammunition have been found to have elevated levels of lead in their blood, which affects their health and can cause mortalities. With regards to human health, there is no safe level of lead, it can affect every organ in our bodies, and it can cause anaemia, weakness, kidney damage, and brain damage. People who consume a lot of game meat are at higher risk for lead poisoning, for the same reason that vultures are susceptible to it; venison that was hunted may contain lead fragments from ammunition used. Some European supermarkets now label their venison with lead warnings, or with labels that say they only sell game meat that was not shot using lead ammunition. Denmark (in 1996) and the Netherlands (in 1993) have banned the use of lead shot for all hunting.
Lead poisoning in southern African vultures
Dr Rebecca Garbett from the University of Cape Town did her PhD study on the link between hunting and elevated blood lead levels in Critically Endangered White-backed Vultures in Botswana. Rebecca looked at the levels of lead in blood, which shows recent exposure to lead. She found that vultures had higher blood lead levels when she trapped them during the hunting season and in hunting areas. Vultures that were trapped and sampled outside the hunting season, and outside hunting areas, had lower lead levels in their blood. Rebecca concluded that African vultures are ingesting fragments of lead from ammunition in carcasses. Linda van den Heever from Birdlife South Africa also did a study on lead in vultures for her Honours project in South Africa. Linda found that scavenging birds (including vultures) had higher levels of lead than non-scavenging birds, most likely because scavenging birds are exposed to lead from fragments of bullets in carcasses that they eat, whereas non-scavengers do not feed on carrion, and are therefore not exposed to lead from ammunition. Linda also found that nestling vultures have high levels of lead in their blood, and these birds have not even left their nests yet, so they are most likely getting the lead in the food that their parents bring them, which contains lead fragments from ammunition.
Regulation of lead use
The use of lead in industry and commerce is regulated, whereas the use of lead in ammunition is not, which means that lead is released into the environment via ammunition, without regulation, and the lead fragments that remain in the environment leave a toxic legacy. South Africa is a signatory to the Convention on Migratory Species, which in 2014 called on all parties to “phase-out the use of lead ammunition across all habitats, wetland and terrestrial”. The Department of Environment, Forestry, and Fisheries recently established a National Lead Task Team, with representatives from provincial conservation authorities, non-governmental nature conservation organisations, and the hunting community. These different stakeholders share a long-term interest in the conservation of wildlife, and are working together to ensure the increased use of lead-alternatives. If achieved, this will lead to more sustainable hunting and fishing, jobs based on ethical hunting and tourism, and venison that is safer to eat.
Conservation organisations are also working together to implement Vulture Safe Zones in South Africa. Vulture Safe Zones were successfully used in south-eastern Asia after the Asian Vulture Crisis of the 1990s, which resulted from just one threat. When injured or arthritic, livestock was commonly treated with Diclofenac, which turned out to be lethal to vultures who fed on the carcasses of treated animals. In Africa, vultures face numerous threats, including lead poisoning. On properties that fall within important breeding and foraging areas for vultures, and where the landowners are keen to be included in the Vulture Safe Zones, we are engaging with them to remove all anthropogenic threats to vultures on their land, including lead.
Lead poisoning is just one of the threats that vultures, and other wildlife, face, but evidence shows that we can successfully address it. If hunters and anglers no longer used lead ammunition and lead weights, it would make a significant difference to the health and survival of wild animals, including Critically Endangered scavenging birds such as vultures. Changing the tradition of using lead ammunition will be challenging and lengthy, but if we care about our wildlife and our own health, we need to do it.
References:
Garbett, R. et al. (2018) Science of the Total Environment 630:1654-1665.
Van den Heever, L. et al. (2019) Science of the Total Environment 669:471-480
REMEMBERING DAVID HADDON MITCHELL
Alison Janicke, EWT Head of Resource Development, alisonj@ewt.org.za
David Mitchell was born in Johannesburg on 3 September 1933 and educated at St John’s Preparatory School, Hilton College, and the University of Witwatersrand.
David not only served as a Trustee for the Endangered Wildlife Trust from 1978 to 2013 but was Chairman of the board in the 1980s. David’s career in the building industry, combined with his passion for conservation and the work of the EWT, saw his active involvement in the building of the EWT’s Johannesburg Zoo Head Office, where we spent many wonderful and memorable years.
David was a loyal supporter and contributor to the work and achievements of the EWT, and we will be forever grateful for the legacy of life he left for conservation. We would like to extend our sincere condolences to his loved ones.
IS THERE A PLACE FOR GENDER IN CONSERVATION?
Megan Murison, Endangered Wildlife Trust Communications Officer, meganm@ewt.org.za
Why should we, as conservationists, be concerned about gender issues? If our mandate is species and habitat conservation, why and how do we incorporate gender without overstepping our mark? While it may appear to some as if gender and conservation are two completely isolated topics, the nexus between the two is undeniable. Gender inequality and environmental degradation have been linked – in areas where human inequality is high, so is ecological degradation. The impact that gender has on conservation should not be understated nor ignored.
So, what is gender? Unlike the biology of the different sexes, gender roles, behaviours, and the relations between women and men are dynamic. Gender is quite complicated, as it determines the socially constructed assigned roles, practices and opportunities given to certain genders by society. It is also essential to note that gender issues do not mean women issues, and we must try to understand the needs of all members of communities we work with, both men and women.
Our understanding of the connections between gender and the environment is broadening as more research is bringing women into the dialogues around resource use, indigenous knowledge, and decision-making processes. Gender plays a massive role in how women and men interact with the environment around them, concerning land, resource rights, career advancement, salary opportunities at work, and opportunities to participate in and influence decision-making processes.
But why should we, as conservation organisations, care? Long-term outcomes. Women account for 50% of the population, and their voices (knowledge, opinions, experiences, perspectives) need to be included in the conservation conversation. If we were to only listen to 50% of stakeholders, our actions would never be effective or sustainable. They may even cause other harmful effects. A study by Leisher et al. (2016) shows how the inclusivity of women in forest and fishery management groups had positive impacts on conservation targets in these sectors.
Another example is the plight of period poverty. Period poverty is a global sanitation issue and a barrier to the education of girl children. Sanitation and water use are linked, and the link with education may not be as obvious but understanding this link is vital for any progress to be made. Overall, including women and providing for and enabling equal rights and opportunities for basic education, positive progress can be made on environmental issues such as climate change and climate resilience, family planning, habitat resilience, and equality in the greater social community. As they say, knowledge is power.
Conservation initiatives should not be limited in scope and consideration to species and habitats, but also give voice to gender equality and equity issues. We as conservation organisations need to effectively include gender in all of our dialogues, as without the active, equal participation of women and men in all aspects of the work we pride ourselves on, we will never be able to move forward.
STRATEGIC CONSERVATION OF THE PEPPER-BARK TREE IN THE SOUTPANSBERG
Jenny Botha, Programme Manager, EWT People in Conservation Programme, jennyb@ewt.org.za
Traditional medicine has evolved over thousands of years, resulting in the development of an extensive herbal pharmacopoeia. Some of our earliest records of ancient herbal remedies were inscribed on clay tablets in Mesopotamia dating back to about 2,600 BC (Gurib-Fakim, 2006). Traditional medicine is still widely used across the world today. African Traditional Medicine Day was celebrated on 31 August 2020. The World Health Organisation describes traditional medicine as: “the sum total of knowledge, skill and practices based on the theories, beliefs ad experiences indigenous to different cultures, whether explicable or not, that are used to maintain health, as well as to prevent, diagnose, improve or treat physical and mental illness”. Over the past 2-3 decades, there have been sustained efforts through the World Health Organisation and others to integrate traditional medicine into international and national health care systems. This health care modality is now officially recognised and regulated through legislation in South Africa, and a directorate of Traditional Medicine has been established by the National Dept of Health.
In South Africa, over 2,060 plant species have been recorded as being used in traditional medicine – approximately 10% of the total number of species that occur here (Williams V.L., Victor J.E. and Crouch N.R. 2013). Many species are facing increasing pressures in the wild through high levels of use as well as other human pressures, including loss of habitat through urbanization, agriculture, industrial expansion, and other activities. Amongst these species is the Pepper-bark tree, which is now classified as Endangered on the Red Data List.
The Pepper-bark tree is an evergreen tree that typically grows to about 5-10 m in height. It occurs in temperate climates in forests and woodlands in mountains and hills in eastern and southern Africa, including parts of KwaZulu Natal, Mpumalanga and Limpopo Provinces, Mozambique, Swaziland and Malawi. Its English and Afrikaans names refer to the peppery taste of the bark and leaves. ‘Salutaris’ means ‘healthful’, alluding to the reason it is so widely sought after not only for traditional medicine but also as an alternative remedy in tablet form on the shelves of pharmacies. The scientific name of Pepper-bark tree is Warburgia salutaris. It is known as Mulanga or Manakha in Venda; isiBaha/isiBhaha in Zulu, Peperbasboom or Peperblaarboom in Afrikaans, and Molaka in South Sotho. The Endangered Wildlife Trust recently embarked on an exciting project to conserve this significant tree in the Soutpansberg, Limpopo Province. This multi-pronged project includes the monitoring of existing populations and improving the natural habitat through the removal of alien and invasive plant species that encroach on its habitat. Over 10,000 invasive Sicklebush (Dichrostachys cinerea) trees have been removed since April/May 2020. The wood was made available to local communities for firewood.
We are also assessing the extent of trade in local markets and will be working with traditional healers to encourage the cultivation of this important species in homesteads. Scientists have confirmed that the same active phytochemicals occur in the bark and the leaves of the Pepper-bark tree. This means that the leaves can be substituted for the bark in traditional medicine. Harvesting the leaves of trees more sustainable than removing bark, particularly if the tree is cultivated in homesteads. The leaves are also starting to appear in some markets, which is encouraging from a conservation perspective.
We would like to thank the Fondation Franklinia for their support of this project, which not only contributes to the strategic conservation of the Endangered Pepper-bark tree, but also ensures that people who depend on traditional medicine will continue to access this important species in the future.
References
Gurib-Fakim A. 2006. Medicinal plants: traditions of yesterday and drugs of tomorrow. Molecular Aspects of Medicine: 27: 1-93
Williams V.L., Victor J.E. and Crouch N.R. 2013. Red Listed medicinal plants of South Africa: status, trends and assessment challenges South African Journal of Botany 86: 23-25.
SCIENCE SNIPPETS: AN UPDATE ON THE AFRICAN LION DATABASE
Sam Nicholson, African Lion Database co-ordinator, Conservation Science Unit. samanthan@ewt.org.za
It is generally understood that our knowledge of the status and trends in African Lion (Panthera leo) numbers is relatively poor, and the collective ability of governments and the wider conservation community to identify priorities or to assess the impacts of interventions, is limited. This can largely be attributed to the lack of a single repository of information on Lion abundance, status, trends, and fine-scale distribution. Data that currently exist are often siloed and therefore of limited conservation value. The Endangered Wildlife Trust (EWT) was awarded a grant from the Lion Recovery Fund and National Geographic in 2018 for a project to establish such a database and work began on this in October 2018. The African Lion Database (ALD) Project is endorsed by the IUCN Cat Specialist Group (CatSG) of the Species Survival Commission, and the goal of this project is to create a database that consolidates reliable data on the population and distribution of Lions across the continent. With this database, we aim to provide an essential platform from which to assess priorities, to measure conservation progress, and to monitor trends in Lion populations and their threats in Africa.
The African Lion Database (ALD) has been capturing and recording lion related data for the last 18 months. The distribution mapping component of the project is well underway with ~29% of Lion areas included in the ALD with associated references, meaning that the sources of Lion data are reliable and traceable. In the last quarter, we have more than doubled the number of population records, with ~28% of Lion areas having population estimates in the ALD. This includes 254 protected areas and private reserves across Africa. To collect this data, we have reached out to more than 300 Lion researchers and organisations! In the last year of the ALD, we have received exciting out-of-range records of Lions in areas where they were previously thought to have been extirpated (Figure 2).
- Two male Lions were discovered for the first time at Mpem and Djim National Park in southern Cameroon.
- A male Lion has been resident in Nyika National Park in Malawi and was reported by Central Wilderness Safaris.
- We also received data from Luando Reserve, in Angola, where a small pride of Lions was seen. This is the first evidence in many decades of a successfully breeding resident Lion pride in the area.
To find out more about the African Lion Database, please email samanthan@ewt.org.za
Figure 1: Map of African Lion distribution – 2020
- In the last 25 years alone, Africa has lost almost half its population of wild Lions.
- This iconic African species faces threats such as loss of wild prey, loss of natural habitat, direct persecution and poaching.
- In 2005, it was estimated that there were approximately 33,292 Lions in Africa. That number has shrunk to ~25,105 Lions.
- As many as 5 countries have less than 30 wild Lions within their borders.
- South Africa is one of six countries that has a wild Lion population of more than 1,000 individuals!
- In addition to having a significant population of Lions in large free-roaming systems like the Kruger National Park and the Kgalagadi National Park, South Africa is home to a network of almost 60 reserves that have wild populations of Lions. These populations have resulted in South Africa being home to a healthy population of wild Lions.
- World Lion Day is celebrated annually on 10 August!
A WORD FROM THE CEO: THE EWT CALLS FOR THE URGENT REOPENING OF NATURE-BASED TOURISM IN THE NO-TOUCH ECONOMY
Yolan Friedmann, EWT CEO
yolanf@ewt.org.za
The coronavirus or COVID-19 global pandemic has affected every aspect of life as we know it. There is speculation about whether the world will return to ‘normal’ or if society will ever be the same again. However, we do know that the COVID-19 virus will not merely disappear and until a vaccine becomes available, or until human beings have developed a minimum immunity response rate, the world will not return to normal, if ever.
Despite job losses in major South African industries in recent years, the tourism sector has shown resilience. In 2017 the industry created 31,752 net new jobs, which was the most number of net new jobs generated by tourism within a year in at least the previous eight years.
“Africa’s unique diversity of wildlife and habitat has the potential to radically transform the continent’s economy” (UNEP, 2019).
There were 705,871 persons (or 4,5% of total employment) directly engaged in producing goods and services purchased by visitors in 2016, 681,619 persons (or 4,2% of total employment) in 2017, and 739,657 (or 4,5% of total employment) in 2018. (Tourism Satellite Account for South Africa, final 2016 and provisional 2017 and 2018/ Statistics South Africa). Over 60% of employed people in the sector are women (mostly in the areas of catering and accommodation) with a younger mean average age than all other sectors. Furthermore, Stats SA published data in 2018 show that one in every 22 working South Africans, and more than 2,892,303 people, are employed in the tourism sector.
The tourism industry in South Africa is heavily reliant on nature-based tourism, which is one of the main attractions for travellers in South Africa, as it is for 80% of foreign tourists (Saayman, 2017).
Nature-based tourism refers to all forms of tourism, where relatively undisturbed natural environments form the primary attraction or setting. The wildlife and nature-based sector specifically, supports a vast number of associated industries and sectors such as the conservation sector through generating income for park management, wildlife protection, anti-poaching, and to some degree border control through the management of human movement in transfrontier parks. For years, national and provincial conservation agencies have been generating significant revenue through nature-based tourism that contributes substantially to conservation management. The sector generates 40% more full-time employment than agriculture and provides greater opportunities for women than other sectors. (UNEP, 2019).
Game reserves in South Africa also generate significant benefits to the surrounding communities who contribute to goods and services consumed by visitors. In the absence of economic activity in these parks, there is an increased risk of poaching, illegal resource extraction and park invasion. It has taken years of stakeholder engagement and hard work for communities to have equitable access to benefits arising from conservation and nature-based tourism, and this will be for nothing if our protected areas lose their economic value to the communities who depend on them. To survive, these communities may resort to illegal resource use. It must be noted that many people employed in the nature-based tourism sector are unskilled/semi-skilled and are usually breadwinners in their families. Reopening local tourism ASAP will contribute to securing their employment and to safeguarding livelihoods in the most vulnerable households.
SANParks, as the custodian of approximately 70% of South Africa’s state-owned protected area network, derives 80% of its income from nature-based tourism activities. A significant component of this revenue funds park management, anti-poaching, management of marine protected areas, ranger patrol, and protection services, including the aircraft and associated rhino security technologies, as well as management of wildlife. Many community-owned reserves generate income for clinics, schools, community recreation facilities and contribute many jobs linked to goods and services associated with these reserves, including catering and accommodation. A number of these community-owned reserves are related to national and provincial parks and benefit from visitors to parks, or their own concessionaire managed lodges.
“To preserve their wildlife and wild places, governments should look at protected areas not only as environmental assets but economic ones as well, with the continent’s 8,400 protected areas producing US$48 billion in revenue.” (UNEP, 2019).
Tourism, and in particular wildlife and nature-based tourism, should, therefore, be prioritised in the measures to ease the economic impact of COVID-19. Nature-based tourism is also a major outlet for people who have been confined in urban areas. Many studies have shown a close link between human wellbeing and nature-based tourism. Approximately 70% of visitors to our national parks are local tourists, and the tourism sector can continue to support thousands of livelihoods, even before our borders reopen.
Other consumptive forms of nature-based tourism such as hunting for biltong and game meat also have a local market and might contribute to food security.
The consequences of any extended lockdown for the wildlife and nature-based tourism sector, and by extension to the entire tourism industry, will be dire and potentially devastating as a result of:
- significant job losses (in particular for those with a low skill base and less likelihood of finding alternative employment);
- revenue losses for the parks’ agencies, communities, NGOs, conservation authorities, and government (through taxes);
- eroded protection of South Africa’s biodiversity and protected areas;
- eroded infrastructure (fences, road networks, camp maintenance etc.);
- an increase in poaching, wildlife crime, and illicit wildlife trade;
- reduced benefits to communities whose land has been returned to them in the land restitution process;
- over-reliance on the unsustainable use of natural resources by rural communities;
- potential negative sentiment towards the protected area network should communities lose all the benefits derived from them; and
- reduced income for conservation NGOs who play a significant role in biodiversity conservation and community conservation in South Africa, and are major employers in the sector.
Most of our parks and game reserves are in areas that have lower infection rates and where economic activity could open faster than in metros. It is possible to introduce nature-based tourism into the economic recovery now, through a phased approach that sees this form of tourism being allowed to begin operating, under stable conditions and Standard Operating Procedures. This is based on the fact that:
- guests can participate in almost all nature-based tourism activities in semi-isolation and applying physical distancing principles. People could only visit the parks and reserves within their own provinces and limited numbers can be accommodated at any given time;
- wildlife and nature-based tourism offers guests the chance to self-drive, or go on game drives in open-air vehicles with reduced numbers of guests or family members only; providing a more exclusive and interactive experience;
- adventure tourism offers guests the opportunity to undertake outdoor activities such as hiking, trail running, mountain biking, canoeing/paddling, bird guiding and more, in semi-isolation states and with expert guides, thus reducing social interactions and in low numbers.
- Standard Operating Procedures have been developed for game reserves and parks, specifying acceptable sizes of groups for different activities, and enforcing strict protocol in restaurants and reception areas
The EWT believes that nature-based tourism not only offers guests the opportunities to have enjoyable, safe, and healthy vacation opportunities but is one of the few sectors that stands to revitalise our economy and bring much-needed income back into South African households in the short term.
Allowing a limited but early phased reopening of this sector offers the opportunity to increase the economic, mental and physical wellbeing of millions of people, and sustain the conservation of South Africa’s natural resources for future generations.
FARMING FOR THE FUTURE
Bonnie Schumann, Nama Karoo Coordinator, Drylands Conservation Programme, bonnies@ewt.org.za
The Karoo is an iconic and timeless landscape that has been farmed for large-scale small stock production for almost 400 years. The question is, will the Karoo be able to support agriculture for the next 400 years, given the extraordinary current economic and environmental conditions? The Karoo landscape is largely intact, with natural rangeland forming the foundation for its world class small stock meat and wool production systems. However, it bears the scars of the learning curve that farmers went through to learn how best to manage this rugged but fragile ecosystem, with a loss of species diversity and soil erosion evident across the landscape.
Hard lessons have been learned. Karoo farmers are some of the most resilient, adaptable and resourceful land users in the world. The Endangered Wildlife Trust’s Drylands Conservation Programme (EWT-DCP) launched the Karoo Forever project two years ago. The project aims to capture lessons learned, spark future farming innovation, and share this knowledge far and wide. This year we launched a project specific website to make this information accessible to the broader farming community.
Both the EWT and the farmers with which we are working, believe that the Karoo can be farmed forever, and that sustainable land management and farming efficiency, including the diversification of income streams, are key to ensuring that this happens. The Karoo has the potential to sustain livelihoods in this arid ecosystem indefinitely; unlike alternative unsustainable land uses such as fracking or uranium mining – which are “flash in the pan” sources of income for a limited few, and which invariably leave devastated landscapes and impoverished communities in their wake.
With this in mind, the EWT-DCP embarked on the Karoo Forever project funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF), and supported by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Department of Forestry, Fisheries, and Environment (DFFE), to promote sustainable land management (SLM) in the Karoo.
The project website has links to sustainable land management resources, which include a number of topic-specific webinars. Manie Grobler, Agricultural Advisor for the Department of Agriculture (Western Cape) and Dr Louis du Pisani (all-round karoo farming expert and consultant) have each conducted a webinar series. Manie has been integrally involved in the project from the outset, helping to design the Integrated Farm Planning and Management (IFP) training course which we conducted twice for emerging farmer groups last year. The course is now also freely available online through the Karoo Forever website. The webinars form the advanced content component for the basic IFP course.
The first webinar series was conducted by Manie and focused on the Intensification of sheep production. Dr Bennie Grobler, veterinarian in Beaufort West, shared his expertise on some of the livestock health aspects as well. Intensification of sheep production has some great ecological spin-offs, in that while livestock are kraaled (periods vary according to the production system), the veld gains valuable extra rest days, and ewes lamb safely under supervision, avoiding predation during this critical period. The second webinar series focused on the Recovery of veld following drought in light of climate change. Dr Louis du Pisani, through the National Wool Growers Association, hosted this webinar series. Louis recently published a book titled Smart Drought Management for Livestock Farmers (available here). This is definitely a must-have resource for every farmer. Both Louis and Manie have a lifetime of valuable knowledge gained in the field. Their passion for all things farming is evident, and both have a great way of communicating this knowledge, which is inspiring as well as educational. Henk Cerfonteyn guided viewers through a very insightful webinar on accessing seasonal weather forecasts for South Africa, as well as understanding and interpreting these forecasts. His presentation also helped viewers obtain a perspective on the current climatic and vegetation conditions. Henk, a risk assessment scientist, worked for the Department of Agriculture (Western Cape) for many years. Although Henk has since retired, he is still sharing his passion for weather with farmers.
This digital approach to sharing knowledge not only reduces the carbon footprint of travel, but at this critical time in our country, allows participants to stay safe and maintain social distancing, as farmers can join in the discussions from the comfort of their homes. Fortunately, the Drylands Conservation Programme has a strong focus on technology in its approach to conservation, so we were inadvertently ready for the impact of Covid-19, with an already well-developed online platform to reach even the most remote farmers.
Thank you to the Global Environment Facility (GEF), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and the Department of Environment, Forestry, and Fisheries (DFFE) for making this project possible.
Whether you have a passion for the Karoo, conservation, agriculture, or all three, please visit the Karooforever website to learn more about the exciting partnerships and project activities happening now.
A LEGACY OF LAND: PAPKUILSFONTEIN PROTECTED ENVIRONMENT
JP le Roux, Field Officer , Drylands Conservation Programme, jeanpierrel@ewt.org.za
The proposed Papkuilsfontein Protected Environment is situated in the Northern Cape Province of South Africa. The farm forms part of the Global Environment Facility (GEF) 5 Sustainable Land Management (SLM) initiative implemented by the Endangered Wildlife Trust’s Dryland Conservation Programme and funded by the United Nations Development Programme and Department of Environment, Forestry, & Fisheries.
The GEF 5 project promotes innovative approaches to protecting the vulnerable ecosystems in the dryland areas. Most farms in the drylands rely solely on agricultural income, which makes them particularly vulnerable to adverse climatic conditions, such as the current drought. One of the ways the project assists farmers, is through encouraging diversification of farming activities that are not weather dependent and that can help build economic resilience in the face of negative environmental and economic conditions.
An SLM exchange is used as one of the strategies to implement projects. The latter is an arrangement where the EWT offers assistance to the farmer, in exchange for an SLM commitment. A Small Grant (SG) is made available to fund an SLM project that the farmer wishes to implement. In exchange for this, the farmer must actively contribute to the implementation of the project, usually in the form of materials or labour. In addition, the farmer must also make a land management commitment, normally this will entail the implementation of certain practices, management plans or conservation actions on the property.
In the case of Papkuilsfontein, the Van Wyk family applied for assistance to develop a network of mountain bike trails on the farm to complement their existing guest farm accommodation. The mountain bike trails will contribute to existing activities and will draw a new tourism segment to the farm. This will bring about more visitors which will translate into economic benefits and jobs. In exchange for this benefit, enabled by the Small Grant, the Van Wyk family has agreed to declare their farm a Protected Environment. The declaration process represents a collaboration between the landowner, the Northern Cape Department of Agriculture, Environmental Affairs, Land Reform and Rural Development’s Provincial Biodiversity Stewardship Programme, and the Endangered Wildlife Trust.
Papkuilsfontein will serve as a flagship project to demonstrate the effectiveness of diversifying income streams, as well as actively integrating a biodiversity conservation approach in a living working farming landscape. The Van Wyk family has been farming on this farm for more than six generations and this has always been done with the mindset of conserving this biodiversity hotspot.
What makes Papkuilsfontein such an important area to conserve, is that it lies on the Bokkeveld Plateau, which is known as the bulb capital of the world. More than 1350 species of flowering bulbs occur here. In some areas the density of bulbs reaches more than 20,000 plant per square meter, more than anywhere else on earth.
Four main vegetation types can be found on Papkuilsfontein, Bokkeveld Sandstone Fynbos, Nieuwoudtville Shale Renosterveld, Hantam Karoo and a small area of Vanrhynsdorp Shale Renosterveld. Each of these vegetation types contains a myriad unique species. Approximately 3000 species occur on the Bokkeveld plateau, with high levels of species endemism. More than 80 endemic species can be found here, most of the endemics are geophytes, together with a few succulents and shrubs. More than 30% of the endemics are Red Data species threatened with extinction.
The amazing species richness of the area makes it a high priority to conserve. Looking forward, innovative approaches to protect areas like this will become more important for sustaining farming, tourism and conservation. We are proud to work with conservation champions such as the Van Wyk’s. The success of the project will encourage other farmers to diversify their activities, reduce their risk and conserve biodiversity on their farms. Watch the video of the project here
For more information visit Papkuilsfontein Website
Biodiversity gems on Papkuilsfontein
Besides the incredible botanical biodiversity, Papkuilsfontein is home to 36 mammal species recorded so far, including leopard, black backed jackal, silver fox, bat eared fox, Smith’s red rock rabbit, porcupines, duiker, Cape Clawless otter, pole cat, baboon, rock hyrax, klipspringer and kudu.
Bird species are well represented, with Blue Crane, Lesser Kestrel, Ludwig’s Bustard, Martial Eagle, Black Shoulder Kite, Jackal Buzzard, Cape Pheasant, Namaqua Grouse, Egyptian Goose, Spurwing Goose, Namaqua Pigeon, Rock Pigeon, Bokmakierie, Fiscal Shrike, and Cape Sugarbird all occurring here. Breeding pairs of Vereaux’s Eagles, Blue Cranes and Black Harriers have been recorded on Papkuilsfontein. The Rameron Pigeon, Cape Flycatcher and Southern Water Shrike may also occur along the riverine vegetation. Oorlogskloof Nature Reserve, which borders Papkuilsfontein, has recorded 152 species of birds, most of these probably occur on Papkuilsfontein as well.
Reptiles recorded on the farm include the Angulate Tortoise, Mountain Tortoise, as well as ten lizard, agama and gecko species. The most common snakes in the area include the Black Spitting Cobra, Boomslang, Cape Cobra, Rhombic Egg Eater, Skaapsteker and Whipsnake. Four frog species are found in the adjacent Oorlogskloof River and may occur in the rivers of Papkuilsfontein.
Invertebrates found on the farm include many species of bees, flies, beetles, moths, and butterflies. Many of these are important pollinators and have unique interactions with specific flowering plants. These insects include long-tongued flies that are the important pollinators of species such as Babiana.
