Month: March 2005

Last week saw the first major sale of indigenous trees grown from seed by school children participating in the Trees for School Fees project.

School children and parents from communities in KwaJobe, adjacent to the Greater St Lucia Wetland Park in Zululand, received a total of R28 000 for their saplings, which were collected over a two day period by volunteers from Unilever, who also sponsored the vehicles. A consignment of trees was delivered to Robyndale Nursery in Kloof outside Durban, while the balance remained at the mother nursery at the Muzi Pan Adventure Centre near St Lucia.

Wildlands Conservation Trust is appealing to South Africans to support the project by purchasing the trees. Indigenous trees are perfect for gardens as they require less water and care, and attract local birds and insects. By buying these trees, people can also contribute to the economic upliftment of poverty-stricken rural people.

Many children have lost parents to illness and the income they receive from their trees is vital. About 175 growers – including schools, homesteads and individuals – are enthusiastically supporting the programme.

‘Wherever we went, people came to greet us with their trees. Many met us on the road, carrying their little trees,’ said Charmaine Veldman, project leader.

‘The money earned in this way is used to pay school fees. We encourage learners to use what is left over for uniforms and stationery. Sometimes there is enough to contribute towards the family income.’

Initial payouts were funded by Investec and limited to R200 per grower. The sustainability of the initiative will depend on response from the public.

‘We are about to buy our next consignment and we are looking for people who want to buy them,’ said Veldman. ‘We are happy to sell anything from a single tree to hundreds.’

Anyone interested in buying the trees can contact Charmaine Veldman or Richard Mabaso on (035) 562-0061 or 084 5565885.  A detailed price list is available from the Khula Village information office – tel: (035) 550-4072 or contact Robyndale Nurseries on (031) 764-6328.

After two days on the road from Stellenbosch on the back of a specially modified vehicle, a life-size bronze statue of a white rhino arrived in Durban on 17 March to take up permanent residence at the entrance to the International Convention Centre (ICC).

Commissioned by the Conservation Trust and created by renowned sculptor, Dylan Lewis, the statue is a tribute to South Africa’s proud conservation record.

The white rhino is a living symbol of conservation success; the largest animal to be brought back from the brink of extinction by sheer determination and innovative conservation techniques in KwaZulu-Natal game reserves.

‘There is no such commemorative icon anywhere in the country,’ said Dr George Hughes, former CEO of the Trust and the driving force behind the project. ‘The finished life-size bronze will serve as a source of pride to citizens of South Africa, as well as being a drawcard for tourists and delegates to the ICC.’

First conceptualised during preparations for the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) 5th World Parks Congress in 2003, the bronze represents what conservation has achieved in terms of promoting economic growth in South Africa and an aesthetic appreciation of our fauna and flora.