Month: August 2014

Unilever South Africa has continued to grow their bartering partnership with Wildlands, by holding a successful second handover day in August in the Esikhawini community in Kwa-Zulu Natal.

The Unilever Health & Well-being barter project is led by members of the Unilever Future Leaders Program (UFLP), who work together with Wildlands , a non-profit organisation that promotes ‘green-preneurship’ by enabling disadvantaged communities to collect recyclable waste and grow trees which they then barter for livelihood support items such as groceries, bicycles, Jojo tanks, building materials and school fees.

This project, launched in May this year, builds on the Wildlands model and allows Green-preneurs to barter waste collected and / or trees grown for packs containing some of Unilever’s most popular nutrition and hygiene products, including Lifebuoy soap, Sunlight laundry bar, Knorrox, Domestos, Rama and Vaseline.

The latest handover day took place on Friday, 1^st August in the Esikhawini community, on the outskirts of Richards Bay at a site where one of Wildlands’ tree nurseries is located. The handover saw over 340 community members in attendance to barter for 876 hampers (worth a combined value of over R190 000) for approximately 26 000 trees. It represented the Unilever project’s largest handover to date.

UFLP project member, Andrzej Ogonowski, commented on the growth of the project, stating that “In May we did a pilot handover for the first 60 health and well being packs, and now 3 months later we are having handovers where we are bartering close to 900 packs at a single handover. The scale and demand for the packs is just incredible.”

The handover day also included demonstrations on the products contained in the Unilever packs, where community members interacted with and learned how to more effectively use Lifebuoy Hygiene Soap, the multiple uses for the Sunlight laundry bar and the nutritional benefits of Rama margarine.  As Ogonowski highlighted “[the tree-prenuers] have worked hard to earn these products, so by teaching them how to use them more effectively, we ultimately create more value for them. We are also generating awareness for serious health and hygiene issues which affect them and their communities.” The project is currently on track to barter over 6000 hampers by the end of 2014.

Kingsley Heath, a well-known African luxury clothing brand, are initiating an exciting campaign to raise funds to support rhino conservation. The campaign will run from the 22^nd of August until World Rhino Day, which falls on the 22^nd of September 2014.

In the last 30 years, more than 90% of the rhino population has been wiped out; Of 30 species, only 5 remain today and all of them are threatened in some way. This year alone has seen 659 rhino poached (statistic as of the 17^th of August 2014) this is why Kingsley Heath has started #KH4RHINOS.

“The figures are staggering. We are losing more than are being born in the wild annually. We feel strongly that we all need to support the anti-poaching cause and help save our rhinos in any way possible – before it is too late”, said Mr Bruce Joubert, MD Kingsley Heath.

#KH4RHINOS launched 22 August 2014 and ends 22 September 2014 (World Rhino Day).

To raise funds Kingsley Heath have had model rhinos hand painted that their celebrity ambassadors will auction off to YOU, the general public. Bismarck du Plessis, Flip van der Merwe, Francois Steyn, Elma Smit, Shaun Pollock, Bok van Blerk and Sias du Plessis will each compete to see who can raise the most funds for rhino conservation. The artwork on each rhino depicts elements inspired by Africa, rhino conservation and personal elements tying back to each ambassador.

The public will be able to donate to the cause by SMSing the name of the specific rhino they wish to support to 49794 or through www.kingsleyheath.com and clicking through to the Rhino page. Donations cost ONLY R30!

All proceeds (net of service provider fees) will be donated to Wildlands Conservation Trust for their Project Rhino Tracker initiative.

“By fitting the latest tracking technologies to Rhino in protected areas, we allow for a more efficient use of field rangers, as we have a better knowledge regarding the Rhinos movements and behaviours, and can deploy field rangers at strategic locations to counter any vulnerable situations,” said Kevin McCann, Deputy Director of Conservation at Wildlands. “This includes the use of satellite transmitters and UHF data-loggers, which provide the most real-time information on the Rhino that is available to date.”

For more information visit www.kingsleyheath.com or http://www.localhost/import-data-post/our-work/our-rhino-projects and don’t forget to get voting to support this worthy cause.

Ms. Barbara Thompson, Deputy Minister of Environmental Affairs, Dr Andrew Venter (CEO of Wildlands), Mntu Nduvane (Stakeholder Engagement Manager for Corporate Affairs at Engen), Councillor Lindiwe Ntaka Mhlongo – representing the Mayor’s Office and local community members gathered in Cato Manor on Friday the 22^nd of August, to launch the opening of a new recycling facility in the area.

This recycling depot has been built and equipped under a multi-million rand enterprise development partnership between Engen Petroleum and Wildlands Green-preneurs (Pty) Ltd. Tasneem Sulaiman-Bray, GM: Corporate Affairs at Engen, says the facility is the latest initiative to come out of the leading fuel company’s R4.5 million investment deal with Wildlands Green-preneurs, which was announced in October 2013.

“Engen’s investment will significantly boost recycling efforts while promoting black empowerment and local enterprises,” says Sulaiman-Bray. “In return, we will receive carbon credits, supporting our sustainability and planet change agenda. The partnership aims to benefit multiple initiatives serving a variety of key causes, namely black economic empowerment (BEE), local enterprise development (ED) and green issues,” she says.

The first such undertaking came with the upgrade of Wildlands’ recycling transfer station near Midmar in Howick last year, and now, the Cato Manor facility, which has been erected for around R600 000.

Urvashi Haridass (Project Manager for Recycling at Wildlands) says the funds from Engen went towards a range of infrastructural interventions at the Cato Manor site. “We built two sheds, one of 10 by 12 metres and another of 12 by 12 metres. In addition we concreted the full yard, refurbished our containers, three in total, and installed a water line and ablution facility.” Electricity has been installed which will allow the facility to commission additional machinery to enhance efficiencies.

Wildlands Green-preneurs (Pty) Ltd also developed a significant partnership with the Department of Environmental Affairs under the auspices of the Green Fund, of which the Department is the custodian. The Fund is investing into the operation of the Cato Manor recycling facility. This follows on the heels of the Waste-preneur programme which is also implemented through the Fund with Wildlands Conservation Trust as the appointed Project Developer and which has exceeded the employment target of 4400 jobs.

The Green Fund was established to facilitate investment in green initiatives in support of the transition to a low carbon economy for mitigation of climate change, poverty reduction and job creation. The Green Fund have also enabled the purchase of (and running costs for) four 8 ton trucks, the employment of four drivers, eight loaders, one project manager and one local facilitator in the greater Durban area.

Deputy Minister, Barbara Thompson said that the opening of the Cato Manor facility will contribute to Commitment 5 of the Green Economy Accord which focuses on waste recycling, re-use and recovery.  She also added that the private sector and civil society were key partners in addressing the matter of job creation and transitioning to a green economy.

“The opening of the Depot will encourage the matter of further sorting, separation and subsequent recovery of waste generated in during the production process. Government cannot manage and fund the transition to a green economy and address unemployment and poverty alleviation alone. Private sector and civil society play a key role and hence we celebrate the partnership and launch of Cato Manor.”

Wildlands CEO, Dr Andrew Venter, says the organisation’s recycling initiatives make use of Waste-preneurs, who barter recyclable waste which they collect from in and around their homesteads, with the organisation (Wildlands) in exchange for vouchers that can be redeemed for livelihood items such as food, clothing, education support, Jojo tanks and solar panels.

From July 2013 to June 2014, 290 Waste-preneurs in Cato Manor have traded 951 000kg’s of recyclable waste, and have been rewarded with R144 764 worth of livelihood support items.

“Engen’s investment, together with the investment of the Green Fund, will greatly benefit this cause as it allows us to equip plants with infrastructure that will increase our output, thus boosting recycling in the region, benefiting more Waste-preneurs and ultimately allowing us to employ more people,” said Venter. “We are very excited about our partnership with Engen and Green Fund. Thanks to these key partners Wildlands is better equipped to do what it does best – green the economy.”

On the 19^th of August a group of high level individuals passionate about conservation, gathered at the Birkenhead Lodge grounds at Gansbaai in the Western Cape, to launch a significant partnership aimed at providing a sanctuary for the endangered African Penguin and Seabirds.

“The African Penguin and Seabird Sanctuary (APSS) will be dedicated to the unconditional welfare of distressed seabirds in the Overstrand region,” said Wilfred Chivell of the Dyer Island Conservation Trust (DICT), “and words cannot express how grateful we are for the support of our donors which have made today possible.”

The Dyer Island Conservation Trust is driving the establishment of the rehab centre supported by Volkswagen South Africa (VWSA), Wildlands, Grindrod Bank and the Blue Fund.

The Dyer Island Conservation Trust has expressed a desperate need for a rehab centre. “Currently any birds found injured are sent to SANCCOB (Southern African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds) in Cape Town where they are rehabilitated and then released in the Cape Town area,” said Civell of DICT. “SANCCOB do a fantastic job however, it is a fair distance away from Dyer Island and results in unnecessary stress for the birds as well as difficulty in finding their home colony due to the distance on release.”

Land has already been purchased and DICT have received funding from VW for infrastructure. The next step is a laboratory, an education centre, equipment and specialised flooring.

“Our funding of the APSS is the continuation of our long standing partnership and a commitment to continuously support the great work of DICT in conserving our Marine Big 5 – African penguins, great white shark, seals, dolphins and whales. The partnership with DICT forms part of our Think Blue initiatives which aim to support organisations that are involved in environment sustainability programmes,” said David Powels, Managing Director: Volkswagen Group South Africa.

“We are delighted to expand our sponsorship of the Dyer Island Conservation Trust, now in its fourth year. One of the key strategic objectives of the Think Blue brand is to position Volkswagen as a company with meaning and impact through activities with various community and environmental partners and this partnership does just this.” said Bridget Harpur, Brand Manager at VWSA.

“Grindrod has its roots in the maritime industry and with this comes an intense understanding of the environmental issues that pose a threat to communities in general,” said David Polkinghorne, MD of Grindrod Bank Limited. “Grindrod Bank and Grindrod Financial Services have an active interest in transforming and enriching South Africa, and as such have created The Blue Fund which is proud to be associated with a project such as APSS,” said Polkinghorne.

The Blue Fund is a strategic partnership between Grindrod Financial Services and Wildlands Conservation Trust and has been created with a focus on the sustainable development of coastal communities and conservation of coastal marine ecosystems.

 

“Wildlands have always been driven by a vision to transform and uplift communities and the environment,” said Wildlands CEO Dr Andrew Venter. “When we were approached by Grindrod with the idea to develop The Blue Fund the synergy with the sustainability work we already implement across the country could not be ignored, and we decided the Blue Fund was a perfect fit for us.”

The Blue Fund is also offering support to two projects driven by WESSA (the Wildlife and Environment Society of South Africa), namely, the Blue Flag Beach Drive on the KZN Coast and their Port St Johns Crafter Product Development and Support in the Eastern Cape.

The urgent need to mitigate the risk of extinction of the highly threatened Bearded Vulture species in South Africa, has led to various initiatives by conservationists to safe-guard existing vulture populations. These attempts include the construction and management of Bearded Vulture hides to create safe feeding areas, provide greater public awareness of the threats they face; and to conduct essential research into the species.

Bearded Vulture populations are fast declining. They are now being considered as a critically endangered species in South Africa, Lesotho and Swaziland and will be listed as such in the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List of Threatened Bird Species which will be published later this year.  Only about 400 individual Bearded Vultures and 100 breeding pairs remain in the wild in South Africa and Lesotho.

This bird species is particularly vulnerable due to threats posed by poisoning, power line electrocutions, wind farms and traditional medicine.

Despite having core breeding areas in the Maloti Drakensberg Park World Heritage site, Bearded Vultures’ ranges often extend beyond the boundaries of the Park, where they face significant threats. The effects of the ongoing threats have been highlighted by the Maloti-Drakensberg Vulture Project.

Of the 25 Bearded Vultures fitted with satellite transmitters over the last six years, 10 have been killed – either in power line collisions or by poisoning. This translates to 40% of the birds originally included in this project having been lost.

“In the race to save South Africa’s vultures, a second vulture hide will be opened on the 14^th of August near Giant’s Castle in the Maloti Drakensberg Park. This follows the opening and success of the first hide at Cathedral Peak in 2013,” says Kevin McCann, Deputy Director at Wildlands Conservation Trust. “The hides offer a means to safe-guard Bearded Vulture populations by providing a safe and stable source of food.” N3 Toll Concession (N3TC), the company that manages the N3 Toll Route between Heidelberg in Gauteng and Cedara in KwaZulu-Natal, is keenly aware of the need to protect the species, our environment and natural heritage as infrastructure development and people continue to encroach on natural habitats.
“While our commitment is to invest in the maintenance and expansion of the N3, it is essential that we contribute to the protection of the natural habitats that the Route transects,” explains the company’s Commercial Manager, Con Roux.

N3TC has partnered with Wildlands Conservation Trust and Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife in the Bearded Vulture Project to help fund the construction of vulture hides in designated sensitive areas. “It provides us with an opportunity to link tourism initiatives with conservation interventions,” says Roux

Both the Giants Castle and Cathedral Peak vulture hides were designed by Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife’s Glenn Harboth and constructed by Lawrie Raubenheimer (Heritage Design and Creations cc). The Giants Castle hide has been modelled on the local rocks and blends in beautifully with its surrounds.

“It is hoped that through the investment in vulture hides we can help ensure that these majestic birds continue to grace our skies, playing their crucial role in the Drakensberg ecosystem. The incredible support of funders such as N3TC and the passion of the staff at Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife, bring us closer to realising our goal,” concludes McCann.

On Friday night, a group of high profile individuals including Sibusiso Vilane, Dominic Ntsele (CEO of Classic FM) and South African Rugby Legends – David von Hoesslin, Attie van der Linde and Dean Hall, gathered in the spirit of conservation at the Montecasino Ballroom for the Johannesburg leg of the “Earth Night” series.

Earth Night is a fundraising event concept pioneered by Wildlands to make people aware of the conservation efforts of around 8000 community members, in over 100 communities across South Africa. In addition to Earth Night, Wildlands also hosts “Wild Series” endurance sports events, dedicated to the cause of conservation.

At the event, Old Mutual announced its sponsorship partnership with Wildlands. Said Mokaedi Dilotsotlhe, General Manager of Marketing Old Mutual Emerging Markets, “Old Mutual is proud to be the new title sponsor of the Wild Series endurance events and Wildlands’ Earth Nights. We have a long-standing partnership from many years ago when the Old Mutual Foundation became involved with their community-based Trees for Life project.”

“Old Mutual has always believed in partnerships that support a worthy cause and Wildlands’ initiatives are dedicated to giving back to conservation, protecting our heritage and securing our future. Old Mutual is excited about this partnership as it strongly resonates with our philosophy to do business responsibly, giving back to the communities where we operate and to focus on sustainability.”

Activities throughout the evening included an auction of 24 lots by well-known auctioneer Ian Wyles, consisting of travel packages to glamorous destinations, art pieces and unique conservation experiences. There was entertainment from Lelo, who performs on the television programme “Strictly Come Dancing”, as well as an inspirational speech by celebrity, expedition guide and mountaineer – Sibusiso Vilane. Vilane is also an ambassador for the Wildlands cause, specifically around their rhino focused projects. A highlight of the evening was when a ¾ life size rhino sculpture, endorsed and inspired by Sibusiso, was auctioned off to loyal and long standing donor – Rand Merchant Bank.

Other popular auction items included 3 mini rhino sculptures, all donated and decorated by local artists namely, Giorgio Trobec, Margie Kaufmann and Christelle Pretorius. In total, the event raised R 329 000 through pledges and the auction.

Said Dr Andrew Venter, CEO of Wildlands, “Our intention is to ultimately transform the 100 plus communities we currently work in, into benchmark sustainable communities. This is a seriously big task given poverty population pressures and environmental degradation, but with our determination and the amazing support of donors such as Old Mutual – our vision is possible.”

The next Earth Night experience will be held at the Elangeni Hotel in Durban on the 12^th of September.

On the 26th of July we saw 340 mountain bikers from around the country arrive in the historical Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park in KwaZulu-Natal, to take part in the 10^th Old Mutual Radox iMfolozi MTB Challenge. The Hluhluwe- iMfolozi Park is one of the oldest reserves in the world, having been proclaimed in 1898, and is also the reserve where the last White Rhino were found in the 1890’s.

The iMfolozi Challenge was started by Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife as a way of exposing the general public to the reserve and all its beauty – including the Big 5! This event is more than just a gruelling mountain bike ride and brings a group of passionate people together to assist in the conservation of South Africa’s incredible heritage. The funds from this event go directly towards conservation projects taking place in Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park as well as other areas in and around KwaZulu – Natal. The ride focuses on the endangered African Wild Dog, a species which is in dire need of conservation assistance, with only 412 individuals remaining in South Africa.

The iMfolozi Challenge raised around R 400 000 which will be used for the conservation work of Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife and Wildlands.

Over the past 10 years this event has raised over R 2 000 000 for conservation and allowed thousands of riders to experience the spectacular natural and spiritual beauty of the Imfolozi Wilderness area.

This race is not for the feint hearted, with rather steep climbs on rocky trails and the chance of encountering one of the Big 5 common, but for those that arrive at the finish line to a cold Powerade having accomplished such a challenging ride – it really is priceless.

Michael Trusler took first place in a time of 3 hours, 4 minutes and 34 seconds with Fred Paynter in second place and Peter Hodgkinson in third. Landy Puddu was the first lady to cross the finish line in a time of 3 hours, 23 minutes and 32 seconds with Tanya McKenzie in second place and Tracy Ibbetson in third.

With the help of dedicated Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife staff,  Honorary Officers, the event organisers, Impi Concept Events and Wild Series (run by the Wildlands Conservation Trust), they put together an outstanding and unique experience for riders this year, not forgetting to include celebrations around  the 10^thanniversary.

“The introduction of Old Mutual as our Title sponsor is particularly exciting as it heralds a new era for the Wild Series,” said Dr Andrew Venter, CEO of Wildlands. “Over the past decade Old Mutual have helped us develop our ‘Trees for Life’ and Community Challenge initiatives. Their support will enable us to expand the Series Nationally whilst insuring that the existing events continue to support local conservation and community development initiatives.”

“Old Mutual is proud to be the new title sponsor of the Wildlands Conservation Trust’s Wild Series events,” said Karen Thomas, Marketing Executive at Old Mutual. “We have a long-standing partnership with Wildlands from ten years ago when our Old Mutual Foundation became involved with their community-based Trees for Life project. This new sponsorship has strong links with our business on many levels. Firstly, endurance sports are a key pillar of Old Mutual’s sponsorship portfolio. Secondly, we believe in investing in partnerships that support a worthy cause – and the Wild Series is about giving back to conservation; it’s about protecting our heritage and securing its future. And thirdly, this partnership strongly resonates with Old Mutual’s philosophy to do business responsibly and focus on sustainability,” said Thomas. “We are very excited to see our partnership move into action. It was fantastic to spend the day in the beautiful iMfolozi game reserve, and to share in the experience and passion of the cyclists, their families and supporters.”

Radox Man, Mondi and Powerade (ABI) also contributed significantly towards making the iMfolozi MTB Challenge such a huge success. “The generosity of our sponsors, and the fact that they recognise the value of fundraising for such a worthy cause means the world to us as an organisation,” commented Wild Series Co-ordinator Xanthe Holmes. “The partnership of Wildlands and these event sponsors ultimately determines the survival of a species,” said Holmes.

“The 10^th iMfolozi MTB Challenge was another great success, reinforcing the status of this event as one of South Africa’s premier one day mountain bike events,” said Dr Venter. “Not only does this event profile the spectacular natural beauty and spiritual value of iMfolozi, but it also raises significant funding for the conservation efforts of Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife and the Wildlands Conservation Trust. This is only possible through the combined efforts of the riders who support the event and our event sponsors, Old Mutual, Radox Man, Mondi and ABI.”