Month: May 2018

 

 

The WILDOCEANS’ Research Vessel Angra Pequena is all set to begin an exciting expedition (Canyon Connections) and the filming of the ‘Our Oceans’ Series in Sodwana this week.

WILDTRUST, a leading environmental NPO and Off The Fence, a world class production company crossed paths at NEWF 2017 (Nature, Environment and Wildlife Filmmakers Congress) an on-screen romance ensued, and the partnership has since birthed a documentary series called ‘Our Oceans.’

It is recognized that we know very little about our marine ecosystems, and that these systems are under severe pressure from unsustainable fishing, mining exploration and mineral extraction, and climate change. The impact of climate change is particularly noticeable, through ocean warming, acidification and sea-level rise. There is little doubt that humankind’s relationship with the marine world is rapidly changing.

WILDTRUST – through its WILDOCEANS Program, is working closely with local, National and Provincial government to improve our knowledge of our South African marine systems and to develop the capacity of a new generation of marine scientists, managers and policy makers. Support from the African Coelacanth Ecosystem Program (ACEP) funded by the National Research Foundation of the Department of Science and Technologies (DST), has enabled a series of marine expeditions exploring the Indian Ocean off KwaZulu-Natal. These expeditions will be led by a collective of South Africa’s top marine scientists and will also include a cadre of WILDOCEANS’ Ocean Stewards, students drawn from Universities across the country that will have the opportunity to participate in these expeditions. The expeditions will use the Research Vessel Angra Pequena, a 72ft vessel that can accommodate 16 at sea for 4 weeks.

The ‘Our Oceans’ marine documentary series will profile these expeditions, raising awareness and knowledge about KwaZulu-Natal’s spectacular marine ecosystems, charismatic animals and the learning journey of the scientists and Ocean Stewards on-board the RV Angra Pequena.

The first episode, Our Oceans: Dinosaurs in the Deep, will be filmed over the next 2 weeks in Sodwana and will profile the elusive coelacanth. 79 years ago, scientists made a discovery that would capture the imagination of the world. A coelacanth, thought to have been extinct for 65 million years, was pulled out of the ocean on South Africa’s east coast. Since then, the thirst for knowledge about these fascinating fish has driven men to risk their lives diving to the blackout depths they inhabit. With only 32 individuals known to exist in South Africa in the deep canyons of iSimangaliso, the crew of the RV Angra Pequena set sail for dark underwater canyons, 100 miles off shore, where they hope to find number 33 and establish a long-term monitoring project. Nobody has ever captured a juvenile coelacanth on camera either and this passionate team hope to make history by doing so within the next two weeks.

The crew will deploy a Remote Operating Vehicle (ROV) to search for the coelacanth in places where they are known to exist, as well as at other canyons where the caves and habitat suggest they should be. A Baited Remote Underwater Vehicle (BRUV) will also be deployed to document these systems and the incredible diversity that characterizes them, from colourful coral gardens where endangered sea turtles find refuge, to rocky pinnacles teeming with life. This transect will effectively demonstrate the change in systems with depth and pressure, culminating in the canyon habitat which the coelacanth are known to inhabit.

ACEP a research platform which provides access to research infrastructure (e.g. ship time, coastal craft, remote operated vehicles, etc.) will provide the equipment and associated funding to undertake this hugely valuable research along the east coast of South Africa.

“My journey with the coelacanth actually started when I was 13 years old and I read, and was inspired by, the book ‘Old Fourlegs’ by JLB Smith. The coelacanth is now a natural emblem which we have built a research programme around,” commented Angus Paterson, Managing Director at the South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity (SAIAB). “We are proud to have been involved in the research around cataloguing the 32 known individuals (of coelacanth) and are excited about the potential of finding others in the canyons off Sodwana on this cruise.”

If the team finds the 33^rd South African coelacanth its unique markings will be documented and this information will contribute to a vital database for the conservation of the species and its habitat. High definition 3D visuals of the canyons will be used to explore incisions and caves at the depths the fish inhabit.

Providing additional substance to the story will be the inclusion of Nelisiwe Manukuza on the expedition. Nelisiwe is an Ocean Steward who grew up in a rural community living along the coast line of Sodwana Bay, adjacent to the site where the coelacanth were discovered. The crew will spend time with Nelisiwe in her community, chatting to her family and friends and finding out how they feel about her working on the ocean and becoming a marine scientist one day.

WILDOCEANS’ Executive Director Dr Jean Harris commented, “We are very excited about doing this work in the iSimangaliso Wetland Park, a World Heritage Site. We are looking forward to understanding more about the canyon ecosystem that the coelacanth inhabits. We suspect that the deep canyons that incise our continental shelf all along the east coast are important productive features in the ocean landscape and deserve special attention.”

Our Oceans:  Dinosaurs in the Deep will be shot and edited by Off The Fence, an independent production company producing outstanding non-fiction programming for the international market from their network of global offices. Charlie Luckock (Off The Fence and Director of the ‘Our Oceans’ Series) said: “I am incredibly excited to be collaborating with the WILDTRUST on a brand new documentary series showcasing South Africa’s underwater worlds. The aim of the series is to encourage the protection of our oceans by highlighting what could be lost. I hope we can inspire a generation to fall in love with their natural surroundings again and ultimately, help protect them.”

Project Rhino, an association of like-minded organisations established in 2011, facilitates vital rhino conservation interventions to support KwaZulu-Natal game reserves and their anti-poaching operations. WILDLANDS is part of the affiliated organisations of Project Rhino. This past week, Project Rhino, Love Africa Marketing, Wildlife ACT, WILDLANDS and Emvokweni Community Trust (ECT) hosted key national and international media on a 3-day site visit in Zululand, KwaZulu-Natal.

The objective of this visit was to give the media real conservation experience in the hope of enabling them to tell the ‘action story’ around anti-poaching interventions in securing the survival of the rhino populations.

“Wildlife ACT has had a long association with Somkhanda since the first rhinos were introduced and we commend the Emvokweni Community Trust for proactively protecting their rhino population by dehorning every rhino on the property. In addition, Wildlife ACT assists with ongoing daily monitoring of both the white and black rhino populations, making use of state of the art technology in the form of tracking foot collars that WILDLANDS and the ECT elect to fit to every single rhino. These measures, in conjunction with high field ranger densities, mean that the risk of poaching to this important population is greatly reduced,” comments Taryn Gilroy, Wildlife ACT Director.

On day 1, the media visited the Zululand Anti-poaching Wing (ZAP Wing) base and the Project Rhino K-9 Unit. The K-9 Unit aims to assist Zululand member rhino reserves, which includes private, state and community owned reserves, with an additional law enforcement tool. At the ZAP Wing base, they learnt about the importance of aerial surveillance in supporting the 25 member reserves in KZN. ZAP Wing are the crucial ‘eye in the sky’ which assists the team on the ground with coordinating a quicker response time should any emergency arise.

“Project Rhino, now in its 7th year, are still facing the rhino poaching and wildlife crime challenges.  The perception might be that the poaching problem has dissipated, but in fact we have seen a continual escalation with 2017 being the worst year the province has seen this century. Project Rhino continues to bring together organizations with a common vision and goal, identifying synergies through an integrated, common approach and is collectively a representative body that carries powerful leverage ability. We will continue to work towards the ultimate goal of stopping wildlife crime”, added Project Rhino Coordinator, Chris Galliers.

The media were taken on game vehicles around the Somkhanda 12 000ha reserve on day 2 where rhino were darted, dehorned and fitted with new trackers. During a dehorning activity, DNA samples are taken, and young “clean” individuals are ear-notched. This process enables the monitoring team to uniquely recognise the individual.

The de-horning process is conducted by an experienced wildlife veterinarian and a team of specialists whereby the rhino is sedated, and the horn is removed and shaped to take off as much horn material as possible in a quick and painless procedure. The safety and well-being of the animal is always the top priority.

The rhino horn is made of keratin, which is the same type of protein that makes up hair and finger nails. The horn regrowth should be trimmed approximately every 18 months to deter poachers. This costs an average of R7000-8000 per rhino, which can be costly considering the tight and over stretched rhino reserve budgets.

On day 3, the conservation in action team visited the Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park Horse Unit. The unit’s section ranger and management met with the media and educated them about the challenges facing the rangers. These rangers cover long distances on horseback as some of these areas are not ideal on foot. These are the men and women at the coal face of conservation; they play a crucial and necessary role in the protection of rhino.

Poaching methods are always changing and becoming more sophisticated, and so counter-poaching interventions must adapt. While these figures are alarming, the de-horning intervention has achieved positive results over the last two years since it was initiated in a many of the private reserves in KZN. For five years since 2011, the rhinos poached on private reserves made up 24% of the total lost in the provinces. Since dehorning started, this number has dropped to an average of 4.5% over the past 2 years.

“WILDLANDS and the Emvokweni Community Trust are extremely fortunate to have partners like Project Rhino and Wildlife ACT to help us manage our rhino population at Somkhanda. We are also very grateful to the Green Trust and the Global Nature Fund who support our work in the neighbouring community, spreading the benefits of conservation to the owners of Somkhanda.  All our partners immediately rallied to our cause when they learnt that we lost a rhino due to poaching last month and assisted with the safeguarding of the calf that was orphaned. Through this week’s operation they have also assisted us with ensuring all the rhino in the reserve are dehorned as a safety measure to poaching,” concluded Dr Roelie Kloppers, WILDLANDS Executive Director.

A huge thank you goes to On Safari Africa for transporting the media to and from King Shaka Airport. Project Rhino KZN, LoveAfrica Marketing, Wildlife ACT, Green Trust, Global Nature Fund (GNF), Ezemvelo KZN, Africa Conservation Trust and Emvokweni Community Trust for being our long term partners in conservation, protecting our heritage and fighting wildlife crime.

A group of nine hard-working residents in Colesberg (Northern Cape) signed up as WILDLANDS’ Waste-preneurs in 2016 with a goal of keeping their communities clean and green, while providing for their families. Continuous efforts made by this group have resulted in them forming a company known as A9. This allows them to be formally recognised as a business and draw more attention to their hard work. They are self-driven and committed to what they do daily.

This initiative has been made possible by WILDLANDS in partnership with the Gary Player Invitational (GPI). WILDLANDS’ work focuses on the transformation of the lives of thousands of people in communities around the country, and Colesberg is one of these communities.

“This team has been inspirational and have shown true tenacity, patience and enthusiasm,” said David Moldenhauer, WILDLANDS’ Strategic Manager. “The team collect waste on foot making use of the trollies donated by PETCO to help with the collection and transportation process. The journey that they are on is slow and challenging yet they face each day with a smile and focus!”

PETCO Collections and Training Project Manager, Belinda Booker said, “At PETCO, we greatly value the work these Waste-preneurs do. We believe they are true entrepreneurs and contribute significantly to growing the recycling industry. It is encouraging to see the Waste-preneurs grow to own formal businesses and employ others in their communities – which is our vision for all Waste-preneurs.”

Last week, a truck load of sorted plastic, paper, cardboard and tins was sent to Bloemfontein to be recycled. This team have also managed to collect and put together the first load of glass which will be collected by Consol Glass.

WILDLANDS will continue to mentor the team and offer logistic financial support for their efforts.

Should the initiative gain further momentum, the aim is to grow the operation through the supply of important recycling equipment which will improve efficiency and payload.

The team really appreciate the support from the GPI, Umsobomvu Local Municipality through the office of the Mayor, the Tourism Department and Economic Development Department, as well as PETCO.

 

 

Many underdeveloped communities in KwaZulu-Natal have very poor access to clean and reliable sources of drinking water. The Gumbi and Mandlakazi communities are two of many communities with very limited water access.  The Gumbi community is located to the North of the Somkhanda Game Reserve while the Mandlakazi community is located to the South. Somkhanda is owned by the Emvokweni Community Trust (ECT) and co-managed in partnership with WILDLANDS. WILDLANDS, through its partners – The Global Nature Fund and the WWF Nedbank Green Trust, is working hard towards addressing the concerns of water security and natural resource management in these two communities.

The Global Nature Fund (GNF), one of WILDLANDS long standing supporters through the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) project framework, has committed to assisting the Gumbi community and its surrounding villages with improved access to safe drinking water through the Trinkbecher fur Trinwasser programme. This initiative (translated as drinking cups for drinking water) is a collaboration with the GNF and the premier league football club, Hannover 96.

This project aims to contribute to sustainable community development and water security by improving natural resource management. Historically poor land management, the spread of alien invasive plants and severe drought in recent years have transformed and degraded the land of the Gumbi community. People from the villages surrounding Somkhanda are directly dependent on the reserve to pump water to the communities from wells based inside the reserve in times of drought. This places a lot of pressure on the reserve’s ability to supply water for the wild animals and has a detrimental effect on the sustainability of the reserve as an employer of local people in the tourism and safari industry.

“This project will be focusing on the development of appropriate solar powered borehole pumps to supply domestic livestock watering points and central community water collection points,” said Dave Gilroy, WILDLANDS’ Strategic Manager of Conservation. “With the introduction of more game to Somkhanda and ultimately an increase of tourists visiting the reserve we need to ensure we have a sustainable water supply (i.e. drinking water). Not only for the reserve (and all its occupants) but also the surrounding communities.”

Engeolab, a geoscientific service provider, has been contracted to characterize the current status quo of water supply and quality in the area, as well as to identify appropriate sites for the installation of high yielding bore holes for domestic supply through recognized geohydrological methods. This process will ensure that some 5000 beneficiaries from the three Gumbi villages (Zonyam, Cotland and Hlambanyati) are supplied with clean drinking water. The installation will have many other beneficial impacts, like shortening the time spent daily walking to fetch water at centrally located and poorly serviced municipal points. This also means that people who use water for agricultural purposes and cooking staple food will use healthy clean water.

“We are really happy that through the partnership with Hannover 96 supporters and WILDLANDS, we are able to provide access of clean drinking water to the Gumbi communities in the neighbourhood of the Somkhanda Game Reserve,”said Thies Geertz, Programme Manager at the Global Nature Fund (GNF). “Ultimately, we hope that this action will help to improve the daily lives of the Gumbi people and at the same time contribute to the preservation of the outstanding wildlife at Somkhanda,” Geertz concluded.

The Mandlakazi communities to the South of the reserve have some access to water in the Mkhuze River, and are therefore not as dependent on Somkhanda for water supply.  Their concerns lie with retaining the quality of water and other resources through more effective management strategies.  To this end, the WILDLANDS/WWF Nedbank Green Trust project was established to support and ensure effective management of community lands.  The process includes a community resources mapping exercise in which natural resources are mapped to better understand the interconnectedness of systems and processes and to better plan for sustainable use.

“This project epitomizes the WWF Nedbank Green Trust’s goal to ignite new ways for people and nature to thrive. Our passion is for people and nature to coexist in harmony and we achieve impact through working with partners such as WILDLANDS and the Emvokweni Community Trust (ECT).  We are excited about the immense potential that this project will unleash within these communities and how it will empower individuals within this landscape to better understand and utilize the natural resources they have available to them in order to ensure prosperity for their community,” said Angus Burns, Senior Manager of WWF-SA’s Land and Biodiversity Stewardship Programme.

The water wells will officially be declared opened and handed over to the community on the 16th of June 2018.

Through the support and assistance of the GNF and the WWF Green Trust projects, WILDLANDS is helping the communities surrounding Somkhanda Game Reserve to secure their water resources and sustainable land management for future generations.