TMF Visits the Groenlandberg Conservancy
In November 2016, the TMF Board of Trustees visited the Groenlandberg Conservancy in the Elgin Valley. The visiting delegation was hosted by Alison Green, the Chair of the Groenlandberg Conservancy, Nature Guide Evan Kortje and local farmer Mike Du Toit. The day was filled with collaborative discussions regarding alien clearing and potential value-added economic models to support the efforts, a guided tour by nature guide Evan, a deliciously fragrant harvest table lunch and rose-scented sculpture sprinkled gardens of the Wildekrans Guest House in Elgin.
By way of introduction to the conservancy, Alison asked “How can you describe a conservancy other than by what it does?”. Thanks to TMF funding, the Groenlandberg Conservancy now has many relevant projects which have helped to define and identify the conservancy. This funding is, for example, assisting with alien clearing of the Jakkals River. The project has already proven to be catalytic through un-locking significant co-funding from the land owners adjacent to the river. A second round of investment from TMF will assist in strengthening the functioning of the Jakkals River Ecosystem through integrated restoration, which includes producing a Jakkals River Management Plan, as well as rolling out a mentorship and training programme, to assist stakeholders and farmers to implement recommendations in the management plan. A further TMF investment in the area is the Firewise Awareness Education Programme, which targets schools in the Elgin Valley. The 12 month education programme, which is funded through a project grant from Nedbank, has already reached 12 schools in the Valley and over 3000 scholars. Targeting learners from grades 4 to 7, it covers various topics including: fire awareness and indigenous and alien invasive species, and has, to date, been very well received by both learners and educators.
TMF is very pleased to be associated with the conservancy and feel that with its champions, it can only grow from strength-to-strength.
For further information on the projects, conservancy or Guest house, please visit:
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