The Conservation NGO the Wildlands Conservation Trust continues to make a difference through their Indigenous Trees for Life Programme, creating opportunities for people to earn a living through projects both growing and planting indigenous trees, and one project in the Richards Bay area sees that thousands of indigenous trees are replacing invasive alien plants each month.
Nokthula Mdletshe is a facilitator with the Indigenous Trees for Life Programme and manages the two “Green Teams” that each plant 1000 trees a month in Dube and eSikhaweni near Richards Bay. “The green team members are paid 30c per alien plant they remove. They are paid R2 for every indigenous tree they plant, but importantly they receive 20c per tree per month that they monitor and ensure it stays alive and healthy. We are planting the indigenous trees in wetland areas and next to rivers and dams,” she said.
Ntombifuthi Skhakhane is from the Empangeni area, and at the age 25, she has recently started as a Green Team member. Her income supports her mother and seven siblings. She explained that the trees they are planting in Dube are helping because the indigenous trees do not use as much water as the alien invasive plants. “The aliens absorb all the water from the rivers and the dams. We are removing the aliens, and we are planting trees next to the dams and rivers which is helping to save water.”
Green Team members have also received training in order to develop their skills beyond the work they do planting trees and removing alien invasive plants. “The Green Teams attended a Business Information Workshop recently, presented through Future Works,” said Charmaine Veldman, Programme Manager of the Indigenous Trees for Life Programme.
BHP Billiton Aluminium South Africa has renewed their funding of this programme for the third year running. Supporting the Wildlands Conservation Trust as the implementing partner has proved successful for the company: “ BHP Billiton Aluminium South Africa is proud to be associated with the Wildlands Conservation Trust project since this project has significant biodiversity benefits while promoting sustainable community development and upliftment at the same time,” said Venecia van Loggerenberg , Community Relations Specialist for BHP Billiton Aluminium South Africa.
WILDTRUST (registered as the Wildlands Conservation Trust - IT No: 4329/1991/PMB)