Month: April 2014

We are all very aware of the senseless killing of our precious Rhino population in South Africa, with 294 Rhino slaughtered this year already! The world Rhino population has fallen by more than 90% in the past 30 years. Whereas 30 species of Rhino once roamed the planet, only 5 species remain today, and all of them are threatened in some way, with 3 species being listed as critically endangered.

We are constantly overwhelmed by the support we get from YOU – friends of the trust, but we must admit the most recent offer to help us fight this fight, was extraordinary!

Wildlands are proud to announce that Mr Robert Le Brun has raised his hand to RUN THE COMRADES MARATHON (89km’s) in a RHINO SUIT to raise funds and awareness for Wildland’s anti – poaching efforts!

We would be grateful for any contributions (big or small) towards Robert’s journey for us on the 1^st of June! We aim to raise R50 000 which will be split between our 3 Rhino Conservation projects, namely:

• Project Rhino Tracker
• Project Rhino Aerial Support
• Project Rhino Investigations & Prosecutions

CLICK HERE to DONATE – In the comment section of the donation form please use the reference ComradesRhino

If you would like some brand coverage in return for your support – feel free to email your PROOF OF PAYMENT to Simon Winn simonw@localhost/import-data-post and we will be sure to mention you on our social media platforms! Thank you for your continued support!

The Wild Series team are excited to announce the launch of a new event called the “Midlands Mudrun.” This is a 5km, fun filled obstacle course which is challenging enough to be enjoyed by adults and fun enough to be enjoyed by children.

There is also a shorter 2km, kid friendly course for 6 – 12 year olds. So this is definitely a challenge that caters for the whole family!

The course offers opportunities for team work, self-discipline and pushing yourself past your comfort zone. Be prepared to dodge electricity, push yourself up a “killer” hill and wallow through some mud.

The course appeals to the fast, athlete type individuals, as well as the ‘weekend warrior’ looking for a fun outdoor event. Based close to Pietermaritzburg and Hilton, it is a short trip away from doing something different with the whole family. Enter now to avoid disappointment!

Event Date: Sunday the 22^nd of June 2014 at 09h00

Online entries NOW OPEN – www.wildseries.co.za

Distance: 5km (Age Restriction 13 years old)

Format: Obstacle course (not for the faint hearted!)

Venue: BSW 12A, Birnamwood, Merrivale Heights (Racefood headquarters)

Province: KwaZulu – Natal, South Africa

Entry Fee:  R300

* Food and drink will be available for purchase at the event

The Kids Mudrun is for children aged 6 – 12 years old and is a 2km course with an entry fee of R150 per entrant. Parental supervision is compulsory for children aged 8 and under.

South Africa has a major challenge in conserving unique and threatened biodiversity with its significant socio-economic challenges. Historically, conservation was viewed as a luxury but is now being seen as an essential component of our daily lives, especially with the looming extinction of key species, climate change and its resulting food and water scarcity issues. In order to secure the natural environment, and improve our socio-economic position, we need to be creative in our responses.

Most of these creative responses are coming from the conservation sector, linking natural resource management with job creation and social upliftment.

One of these programmes has emanated from the current Rhino poaching crisis. Ask any reserve with Rhino what their greatest need is, and the response will be unanimous – more feet on the ground to patrol and protect these reserves!

As a result, the Environmental Monitoring (EM) programme was started in 2012 through funding received by the Department of Environmental Affairs’ Environmental Protection and Infrastructure Programme (EPIP) Branch. The aim of the programme is to increase conservation capacity within under-resourced SANParks, provincial, private and communal reserves and areas bordering these parks. The programme is providing job opportunities in the conservation sector for over 800 people, all performing environmental monitoring activities, day to day patrols and community awareness.

Wildlands Conservation Trust is a key partner in this programme, providing conservation job opportunities to 70 of these field rangers and environmental monitors in 6 key community conservation areas or reserves, namely Somkhanda Game Reserve, Usuthu Gorge Nature Reserve, Tshanini-Bhekula Nature Reserve, Nambiti Private Game Reserve, the Umgano Project and the Karkloof Nature Reserve.

“We need to acknowledge the Department of Environmental Affairs and SANParks for developing this innovative approach which provides a pro-poor solution to a much needed capacity issue on protected areas and Rhino reserves,” comments Kevin McCann, Strategic Manager at Wildlands.

With around 250 Rhino already poached in 2014, this programme will go a long way to providing additional security for our Rhino.

The community conservation area, Somkhanda Game Reserve, has joined a long list of reserves in South Africa to have lost a Rhino to poaching this year. This is a very sad day for both the Gumbi community and the Wildlands family.

The reserve is owned by the Gumbi community of KwaZulu-Natal and is managed with the support of Wildlands Conservation Trust. The field rangers, Rhino monitors and other staff of Somkhanda, with the assistance of Wildlands and Wildlife ACT Fund, have put in an amazing effort over the past several years to avoid such a loss.

“We have been trying by all means to combat Rhino poaching on the reserve,” said the Reserve Manager Nkosinathi Mbhele, “ but unfortunately it has not been enough against such a crime but we will keep pushing to make sure that this incident is just a once off.”

“Project Rhino KZN’s ZAP Wing has also shown incredible support, assisting us with law enforcement and aerial surveillance services following the incident,” commented Dave Gilroy, Regional Manager for Wildlands.

The adult male white Rhino was found poached with both its horns removed. The Organised Crime Unit responded to the call and has collected all available evidence for further investigation. INkosi Gumbi, the tribal leader of the community has requested that the community assist with any investigations. “I would like to see the Gumbi community coming together to work with Wildlands and Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife to combat this crime and prevent any future poaching” he said.

In 2012 the National Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA) issued a call to Non-Profit Organizations and Training Institutes to participate as Implementing Agents in the Youth Environmental Services (YES) programme. The main objectives of the YES programme is to expose youth to the green economy, build capacity through training, enable future employment through education, provide experiential learning in the workplace and create eco-entrepreneurs.

The Wildlands Conservation Trust responded to the call to enable youth participation in the Green Economy in KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape provinces.

A year later Wildlands and DEA are proud to have hosted the graduation of 179 youth participants of the YES programme. The graduation ceremony was held on the 10th of April in KwaZulu-Natal for uMgungundlovu and eThekwini Municipalities at the Buffelsdraai Landfill Site, and one is due to follow soon in the Eastern Cape.

“We were honoured to have Nomfundiso Giqwa, Director of Programme Training and Youth Development from the Department of Environmental Affairs, as the guest speaker at the event,” said Dr Roelie Kloppers Executive Director at Wildlands.

Nomfundiso Giqwa of DEA spoke very fondly of the graduates. “You have all come a long way and it gives me great pleasure to be here today to celebrate a tough yet such a successful journey with you. Do not give up on your dreams, you have taken the first step now push to reach your goals,” said Giqwa.

“It has been a long and tough year for all of us involved and especially for the participants. We are very proud to be hosting this event and honouring you as beneficiaries of this programme. We also understand the complexity of the programme, but you have made it against all odds,” commented Dr Roelie Kloppers.

Nikiwe Gcabashe, one of the graduates of the YES programme was ecstatic – “There were challenges along the way but we managed to overcome them with good mentorship. Thanks to Wildlands and the Department of Environmental Affairs for the opportunity, I am looking forward to the future after this programme,” Nikiwe said with a big smile on her face.

Graduates will be receiving a National Certificate in Nature Conservation Resource Guardianship from the Services Sector Education and Training Authority (SSETA).

On the 8^th of April Wildlands Conservation Trust, a leading environmental non-profit organisation, set up a “Green Future Store” for Durban based community members involved in their ‘Recycling for Life’ project. The store was setup at Bassa’s Wholesale Store in Mayville.

Wildlands call these community members Waste-preneurs, as they collect recyclable waste and barter it with the NPO for items they need (at a Green Future Store such as this one) such as, food, bicycles, building supplies and education support.

Deserving Waste-preneurs arrived from Cato Manor, Umbilo, Isipingo, Umlazi, Nazareth and Dassenhoek to reward themselves with the vouchers given to them by Wildlands.

The Waste-preneurs that came to barter their redeemable vouchers for goods collectively bartered 16 238kg’s, valued at R7000. Wildlands spoke to a few of the community members (Waste-preneurs) and asked them how they felt.

“This is an exciting day for me because my hard work has paid off. I plan to collect more recyclable waste in order to buy more groceries so that my family never goes to bed hungry again,” said Thobile Janet Mthembu, a Waste-preneur from Umbilo.

Waste-preneur Ntombikanina Zikalala from Cato Manor was over the moon, “this is such a blessing for me because this will feed my whole family as no one is employed, we rely on my pension most of the time but I’m very grateful to have joined this project. I make a difference in my community while earning a living for my family too,” Zikalala concluded.

Wildlands Conservation Trust (a leading environmental NPO) Ubuntu Earth Ambassador Nokuthula Mdletshe, together with Mbuso Khambula (Trainee Graduate Ecology) at Richards Bay Minerals, embarked on a ‘River Health’ campaign in primary schools around four communities – namely Sokhulu, Mbonambi, Dube and Mkhwanazi, in March this year.

Their initiative forms part of celebrating ‘National Water week’ (17 March – 23 March) which encourages people to look after this scarce resource.

“We have identified the need to educate school kids on how to assess the health status of their streams by using the miniSASS test,” said Ubuntu Earth Ambassador, Nokuthula Mdletshe.

MiniSASS, Mini Stream Assessment Scoring System, is a simple tool developed by GroundTruth in conjunction with WESSA which can be used by anyone to monitor the health of a river.  A sample of macro-invertebrates are collected from the river, and depending on which groups are found, one can measure  the general river health and water quality.

The Wildlands Conservation Trust run an Ubuntu Earth Ambassador project, an initiative sponsored by Rand Merchant Bank (RMB), which works hand in hand with communities nurturing freshwater conservation and custodianship, Nokuthula Mdletshe is a part of this project.

“This campaign is part of a long term goal of motivating community members to adopt these sustainable ways of living,” said Mdletshe.  “We also hope to plant the seed of love for the environment and help people aspire for careers in the environmental field.”

“We visited 9 primary schools around these communities for this campaign,” said Mbuso Khambula. “The activities started by teaching them the importance of saving water and the importance of small insects living in water. Then we took them to the nearest stream to conduct the miniSASS tests with them,” said Khambula.

The miniSASS system uses the composition of macro invertebrates (small animals) living in rivers and is based on the sensitivity of these animals to water quality.  Children go to the river and use a net to collect the invertebrates; this is done by disturbing the water and rocks then sifting with a net. The small animals are then transferred to the holding container. The animals collected are then identified using the identification key and magnifying glass. A sensitivity score is then calculated and the quality of water is estimated in a four pint scale of natural, fair, poor or very poor. “We took 30 kids per school from grade five to grade seven, said Mdletshe.

“After scoring the stream we give the children the chance to come up with some ideas on what should be done to improve the health of their stream, by doing so we want them to feel a sense of ownership for that stream so that they will look after it long after the campaign has ended,” concluded Mdletshe.