Hello! We’ve been silent as a 35-degree day at noon. But not snoozing in the sun like Rock Rabbits, fear not.
We promised some hard figures in the last newsletter; here they are:
· We’ve planted 1,038 indigenous trees and over 95% are alive;
· We’ve created 823 days of work, which translates to a minimum of R288,000 paid directly into the worker’s pockets.
· We’ve cleared over 33,000m2 of invasive alien plants, including tough ones like Mauritius Thorn, ‘a danger to people and wildlife’.
· We keep seeing new waterbirds in the wetland / dam area: four species of heron, Little Grebe, Giant Kingfisher, and African Black Duck, are recent welcome visitors.
First up: Our Save Land appeal has taken great strides: we’re 78% there. Until 26 January (an extension!) all donations will be matched, which could quickly take us to our target. Please consider making a small donation here if you haven’t had a chance. Thanks to those who have!
It’s been an interesting few months. The German restoration organisation, Plant-for-the-Planet, sent a representative in November to assess our standards. After a day well-spent at planting sites in the forest, scoping out the shade houses, and interviews (plus a convivial lunch), Dr Peter Borchard sent his findings and data to the review panel, which checks them against the organisations’ standards for biological and social impact. We received a very welcome email just before the holidays saying we’d achieved Top Project status. You can read the report here if you’re a detail person like we are!
Here’s our page on Plant-for-the-Planet with the latest trees mapped (we’re a little behind). Click the link under the map to visit the page, and zoom in on individual trees!
What we hope you notice immediately are all the green dots (new trees) at the top of the map. This is in the vicinity of the primary forest, which has a few pockets of real beauty which are clinging on. But the invasive aliens have been moving in… It’s also the ‘face’ of Ferncliffe, where the public trails and picnic area are, and so really important for public engagement. We’ve made real progress here in the past year: planting almost 200 trees among thinned invasives, and clearing an impenetrable nest of Mauritius Thorn (at least a hectare).
Part of this work was made easier by the second Husqvarna Schools Forest Restoration Challenge, held in September. This time, four schools joined the fray in a sweaty charge to three sites in the forest to dig holes. The dash from Ground Zero, to Gravity’s Edge, to The Outpost, left us with 40 fine holes (each 40 cm x40 cm x 40 cm) to drop indigenous trees into – and so the forest was the winner. The school that claimed glory was Maritzburg College, who were first over the finish line, complete with spades and pick.
There you have it. A non-flowery account. We’ll be back with more news on creatures seen and daily activities soon! Send us questions and comments if you have them, we love feedback.
Thank you for reading,
Connor and Janine
* We can provide Section 18A certificates for bona fide donations
* Help out financially if it would make you happy! The BackaBuddy ‘Save Land’ appeal is right here.
Visit the Support Us section of our website for all sorts of options, including gifts and once-off donations.
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