South Africans face critical challenges in protecting our unique and highly diverse natural environment, as well as implementing programmes to improve the livelihoods of people within these areas. Many of our more significant and well-known protected areas have been established within the savanna regions of the country, with little emphasis being placed on our grassland areas in the Midlands. This therefore makes the formal proclamation of Karkloof Nature Reserve, a 3500ha area dominated by grassland and indigenous forest mosaic, an incredible achievement and contribution to conservation efforts in KwaZulu-Natal.
This Nature Reserve consists of land owned by the Wildlands Conservation Trust, Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife (EKZNW) and the Hancock family. Up until this point, this land has been run as a nature reserve but has not had the legal protection of a formally proclaimed protected area. Wildlands has assisted EKZNW in formally proclaiming the Karkloof Nature Reserve, which was also signed off by the MEC of Agriculture, Environmental Affairs and Rural Development in KwaZulu-Natal, Dr Meshack Radebe, and officially published on the 30th of August 2012.
“The formal conservation security of the Karkloof Nature Reserve makes a significant contribution to the conservation activities in the Midlands,” states Kevin McCann, Wildlands’ Strategic Manager, “and supported by the Karkloof Conservancy and the Wildlands’ Wild Series Three Cranes Challenge, will continue to contribute ecosystem services to the area, and for species like the three crane species and Oribi antelope.”
Wildlands initiated its engagement with the Karkloof Conservancy, an area covering approximately 40 000ha (which includes the Karkloof Nature Reserve), when it secured funding through the SAPPI Tree Routes programme for the construction of the Karkloof Conservation Centre almost 5 years ago. The Karkloof Conservation Centre is located at the entrance to Gartmore Farm, and the conservancy’s offices can also be found on this farm. Two bird hides have also been built, one of which is situated on Gartmore Farm and the other of which is on the adjacent Loskop Farm. These hides are known for their regular sightings of all three species of crane. The Karkloof Conservation Centre will be celebrating its 5 year anniversary on Sunday the 21st of October, with Dr Andrew Venter, the CEO of Wildlands, due to give a key note address at this event.
The Karkloof Conservancy focuses a lot of its activities around environmental education. The Conservancy has a very active rural school Environmental Education Programme, focusing on different environmental themes each year, involving the four schools within the conservancy area. The Karkloof Conservation Centre has also linked up with the Wild Series Three Cranes Challenge, to help secure funding for these educational programmes, one of which teaches learners and educators alike to grow vegetable gardens. “The idea behind this project is that if you can grow your own food, you are less likely to resort to poaching and other illegal activities in the area that may impact on the area’s biodiversity,” comments McCann. Learners are taught about mulching, how to make compost and shown how to control pests and weeds without using pesticides. Wildlands has donated books, seeds and tools to enable this garden project.
With the continual development of “Green-preneur” projects in the valley and the education of the next generation in sound environment practices; the Karkloof Valley and the Karkloof Nature Reserve, are set to have a very green future!
WILDTRUST (registered as the Wildlands Conservation Trust - IT No: 4329/1991/PMB)