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South
Africa
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| Red
hartebeests, Alcelaphus buselaphus |
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South
Africa is widely considered to be one of the more unique bio-geographic
zones on earth. Many plants and animals are found nowhere else. For
example 10% of its flowering plants and birds are endemic to the region
that represents a fraction of the actual global land-surface area.
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collaboration with the Museum of East London (of Coelacanth
fame) and the Strandloper Board we are funding a number of
projects in South Africa. Foremost amongst them is the continued development
of the Strandloper
eco-trail. This route is popular amongst eco-tourist and hikers
but their impact on the environment needs to be managed sensitively.
The coastal and dune forests and the estuaries of the Strandloper
Trail are some of the more exceptional habitats in South Africa but
they are seriously threatened by unsustainable exploitation arising,
directly, from human population pressure. |
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| Coastal
dune forests dominated by the endemic Natal wild banana,
Strelitzia nicolai, protected for future generations
by the local eco-tourism board |
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| Eastern
Cape cycads, Encephalartos altensteinii, and valley
bush euphorbias, Euphorbia grandidens, under serious
threat from introduced highly invasive competitors |
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One World Wildlife is funding an environmental awareness programme
through local education centres and we are also providing the resources
they require in order to function effectively. This project fully
involves local people and their representatives from a number of communities,
all of who agree on the importance of protecting their environment.
The quality of their lives depends upon its more sensitive and sustainable
exploitation and in many instances their livelihoods do too. It is
envisaged that our contribution will result in increased employment
through the recognition by the local people that the Strandloper Trail
represents a means of generating income for themselves and their communities.
One World Wildlife is also committed to providing the resources
and facilities for further education that will enable guides and other
persons employed along the trail and in the education centres to maximise
their potential. The net results will be more informed employees who
will be in a stronger position to provide the educational requirements
of the local communities living in the area and beyond. As a result
of the obvious success of this conservation model we are keen to apply
it in similar locations throughout the world. |
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addition we have offered the resources to fund an archaeological research
project as part of the development of the Strandloper Trail. The Trail
is not just rich in plant and animal life but also has a long history
of human occupation too. Several archaeological sites of international
importance are situated along it. It may just transpire that anatomically
modern people actually evolved in this region. |
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| Meerkats,
Suricata suricatta |
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| Our
researchers support the work of local scientists and conservationists |
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One World Wildlife is also funding a project aimed at reducing
the impact of introduced plants in the Eastern Cape Province of South
Africa. A number of highly invasive and domineering alien species
such as the Australian Port-Jackson Willow (Acacia saligna)
are reducing the numbers and diversity of the unique South African
flora to the point where the native plant communities will be unable
to recover. It is estimated that the situation will be irreversible
within three years, hence the necessity of acting now. These forests
are unlike what is normally described as ‘forest’ containing
tree-like Euphorbias (e.g. Euphorbia grandidens), primitive
cycads (Encephalartos altensteinii), tree ferns (Cyathea
dregei) and tree-aloes (Aloe barberae). We have funded
a working group that will address the scale of the problem and then
report back to us. We anticipate providing the resources for the removal
of non-native plants in the most threatened areas and this should,
with continued monitoring of the situation, enable the local flora
to recover. These efforts will also provide local employment opportunities.
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| One World Wildlife has committed itself to many other environmental
projects in South Africa. All involve the local communities and the
primary intention of them all is to see the environment and its resident
species of plants and animals conserved as well as to provide important
employment opportunities for currently impoverished groups of people. |
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| Common
sugarbush, Protea caffra, an endemic upland species
threatened by land clearance and grazing |
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