Bio-Diversity PROJECT

Creating Opportunities Through Clean Energy

municipality. The CMNR delivers important ecosystem services and is a source of spiritual and cultural wellbeing as well as outdoor recreation for the local community and visitors to Ceres.

Healthy ecological infrastructures provide critical ecosystem services that support economic and social development including freshwater supply, buffers against flooding, as well as climate and air quality control.

The reserve includes 6985 hectares of rugged mountain terrain and river catchments between the towns of Wolseley and Ceres.

The CMFNR is a water catchment area underpinning a diversity of wetland types,

The ecological importance of the Breede River is high and it plays a vital role in the driving of local economic activities in the agricultural and the tourism industry.

Biodiversity and healthy ecosystems within the CMNR are currently under serious threat due to various anthropogenic activities.

Negative impacts

The mentioned activities include the illegal occupation of vagrants that cause negative impacts such as the destruction or loss of protected flora and fauna, the occurrence of regular uncontrolled fires, illegal dumping of waste, and occurrence of human waste that leads to soil and water pollution.

Other negative impacts are the spreading of invasive alien vegetation and soil erosion. Interventions are needed to restore and maintain ecosystems and their supporting ecological infrastructure in the CMNR.

The safeguarding of biodiversity and ecosystems on a local level is also one of the most effective ways to mitigate the impacts of climate change.

A short breakdown of what is going to be done:

● Implementation of EE program at schools in Witzenberg (educational material, equipment, transport, plants, etc)

● Appointment of 4 x unemployed youth to assist with the conservation & management activities in the CMNR

● Appointing Nature conservation officer to assist Environmental Inspector with Biodiversity management and team management

● Training of 4 x unemployed youth (health & safety, first aid, chain saw operation, brush cutter, herbicide application, basic firefighting)

● Equipment (brush cutter, chainsaw, hand saws, spray cans)

● Refurbish hiking trails and signage

● Installation of baboon proof recyclable refuse bins & benches including seeps, streamlets, and larger watercourses. The Dwars River is the biggest watercourse with the Koekedouw River as the second largest and is impounded by the Koekedouw Dam. The Koekedouw dam is situated at the northern border of the reserve and mainly supplies water to the residents of Ceres.

The Tierkloof weir is located on the southwestern border of the reserve and supplies water to the Wolseley residents. The upper catchment of the Breede River originates in the Skurweberg mountains, east of the CMNR.

To ensure biodiversity conservation, the conservation of water resources, maintenance, and restoration of ecosystems within the reserve, the establishment of a reserve management team (RMT) through job creation is essential.

The RMT will assist the Environmental management and law enforcement section of the WLM with implementing and executing effective management, maintenance, conservation, and restoration activities within the CMNR.