World Wetlands Day

World Wetlands Day is marked annually to raise awareness of wetlands and their importance to both people and the environment. This year's theme is Forests for water and wetlands, and I wrote this story about some of the work the Wildlands Conservation Trust is doing on the Mkhuze floodplain in Northern KWaZulu Natal.

Riverine Forests such as this one on the Mkhuze floodplain in northern KwaZulu Natal form part of a vital catchment area for the iSimangaliso wetland system.

photo: Maryann Rivers-Moore/Wildlands Conservation Trust

Environment Magazine Article: Community Conservation Areas

I wrote this article for The Wildlands Conservation Trust which appeared in the Spring 2010 issue of Environment Magazine, produced by the grouping of environmental NGOs: Endangered Wildlife Trust (EWT), Wildlands Conservation Trust (WCT) The Cape Leopard Trust, Wilderness Foundation South Africa, The Game Rangers Association of South Africa, SANCCOB, and WESSA (Wildlife and Environment Society of South Africa). Community Conservation Areas play an important role in the creation of larger conservation corridors in Southern Africa.

Poor rural communities need to see the value of placing their land in the hands of conservationists, and should derive real benefits in order to do so. By proactively involving communities in conservation planning initiatives, existing protected areas can hopefully be respected and remain under conservation, and further tracts of land can be included and protected areas expanded.

Click on the below picture to see image at readable size, or e-mail me for a pdf of the story at maryann@maryannshaw.co.za

Maryann Shaw (Maryann Rivers-Moore)

Another trip to KwaJobe in Northern Zululand

I went back to KwaJobe with the Wildlands Conservation Trust this month, this was the first community to take up the Indigenous Trees for Life Project in 2004. KwaJobe is right near Mkhuze Game Reserve in the north of KwaZulu Natal, and hundreds of people in this community now grow indigenous trees from seed and trade them back to Wildlands for food, bicycles, agricultural goods and now people are growing enough trees to purchase Jojo tanks for rain water collection. In a community where water is collected from Muzi Pan, for some a good many kilometres walk, these Jojo tanks are a huge benefit and enable them to have clean drinking water.

The trees grown by the community members, once collected, are then planted back into this same community and the landowners who plant the trees are paid R2 for each planting, and a further R 1 per quarter that they keep that tree alive. I will write more about this side of the project, known as Greening your Future, and post more images, another time.

Maryann Shaw (Maryann Rivers-Moore)

More tree-preneurs, now "at home" in Hilton area

This story I did a little while ago, highlights the Wildlands Conservation Trust's new Indigenous Trees for Life Programme, started in the Hilton area where the NGO is based, and where I live. ITFL was started five years ago in northern Zululand, and has spread to over 23 communities in KwaZulu Natal, as well as pilot projects in Gauteng (Vosloorus) and Mpumalanga (Luphisi near Nelspruit)

Click on image below to view story at readable size:

Maryann Shaw (Maryann Rivers-Moore)

Mobility Magazine article

Mobility magazine cover image of Victoria Mazabuko, aged 16. She bought her bicycle by growing indigenous trees at her home in KwaJobe in northern Zululand. (picture Maryann Shaw)

My story is about the "tree-preneurs", many of them school children, who through the Indigenous Trees for Life Programme are growing indigenous trees and trading them for goods. Many rural school children are "buying" bicycles this way, and no longer have to walk long distances to school each day.

Maryann Shaw

Tree-preneur trades his trees for a bicycle

Spamandla Ndila, aged 14, purchased a bike on Friday 21 August 2009 through the Wildlands Conservation Trust's Indigenous Trees for Life Programme. The programme operates in 23 needy communities across KwaZulu Natal, and children and adults grow indigenous trees that they trade for goods at tree stores. The trees are collected and are then planted in areas identified for reforestation carbon sinks or urban greening projects.

Spamandla is a "tree-preneur" at the Buffelsdraai Indigenous Trees for Life Programme near Durban and has grown 539 saplings. He said he will use his earnings to buy food and things that his mother needs, now that he has his bike. He said he will use the bike to go to school, ride with his friends, and go to the shop for his mother. In this picture he gives his little brother a lift.

Maryann Shaw

Wildlands Conservation Trust's Conservation Space Projects

From 1-3 July 2009 we visited some of the Conservation SPACE projects in Zululand and Maputaland, in northern KwaZuluNatal.

The Asuthuthuke Permaculture Project not far from the boundary of Usuthu Gorge Community Conservation Area, (in the north-west corner of Maputaland near the border with Mozambique) is a beautiful oasis, a vegetable garden brimming with beautiful spinach, huge cabagges, green peppers and other fresh veggies.

To the east, past Ndumo Game Reserve and just south of Tembe Elephant Park, the 2000 hectare Tshanini Community Conservation Area is joining with land to its north, from the Bekhula Community, which means the Tshanini conservancy is now joined with the tar road. Bush is being cleared for fencing to be erected. This extra space added to conservation in the area is hugely important, the Tshanini area has been shown to be very rich in birdlife; the sandforest and woodland of the area providing perfect habitat for endemic species. The community are developing tourism activities and facilities, and community members are being trained as guides.

Maryann Shaw