Rewilding the Valley

Did you know? You live in a UNESCO Biosphere – The Cape Winelands Biosphere Reserve. Not only that, all the mountainous areas in the Cape Winelands are part of a UNESCO Natural World Heritage Site.

While we are acutely aware of the immense beauty of our surroundings a great deal has been lost over the years to provide for our enviable lifestyle of fine wine, fine food and loads of fun. Besides clearing for agriculture and urban development the remaining ecosystems are increasingly threatened by the onslaught of invasive, water-thirsty, sometimes toxic plants such as Port Jacksons, pines, certain gums, syringas, Australian myrtles, beefwoods and Spanish broom.

What remains of our natural ecosystems needs protecting and restoring to its original state, giving breathing space for fynbos to flourish and birds, bees, amphibians and all manner of fauna to recolonize. It’s a process or approach called ‘rewilding’.

Several people and organisations are doing rewilding and can help you do the same. One such person is Stanley Engel of the WWF and the Berg River Irrigation Board.

Stanley and his dedicated teams are doing great work removing invasive plants and restoring ecosystems on farms in the area and along the riverbanks (riparian zones) of the upper and lower Berg River. Riverbanks are important ecological corridors and are particularly rich in biodiversity. Unfortunately, they also provide ideal conditions for many invasive plant species whose seeds then spread by floating down the rivers.

The WWF and BRIB have some excellent assistance options for landowners: Free Herbicide Assistance Programme. Free-ofcharge herbicide is provided to farmers clearing invasive plants on their properties. The farmer is responsible for his clearing doing as much as his budget allows. He can opt to engage Stanley to train his workers in correct pesticide application, chainsaw use etc.

The Land Care Programme. Farmers pay only R28 000 for a structured and quality-assessed alien clearing project. A reliable contractor with welltrained teams is appointed and all the harmful invasives are cleared for the farmer. A follow-up plan is then drafted and implemented. All data is captured: location map, species removed, the herbicide used etc.

An area-specific Restoration Programme is implemented after clearing along the riverbanks, using the indigenous plants of the area propagated by an expert. This is an added option for the landowner. River Management Maintenance Plan (RMMP). Stanley and the team would like to engage with farmers along the Franschhoek River to support and assist in the maintenance of the ecosystem. In the long run farmers – and the broader society – stand to derive major benefits from being free from the constant invasion of unwanted plants. For a relatively small financial outlay, the benefits are considerable: Dramatic increase in water availability, less fire damage, more income as agricultural land is freed from invasive plants, as well as ecological benefits as fynbos/wilderness corridors are created.

Restoring fynbos can also boost winter tourism by drawing visitors to marvel at its floral display, much as with the spring flowers along the West coast. For additional information or to find out how you can contribute to rewilding, please contact Stanley at: stanley@bergriverib.co.za.

Other organizations and eco-warriors will be covered in future issues.

Text: Linda Cumming | Image: Supplied