Projects

• The Bokkeveld Stewardship Project
• The Biodiversity and Wine Initiative: farming in harmony with nature
• Biodiversity in Environmental Assessment

The Bokkeveld Stewardship Project

This project is a collaboration between the Botanical Society (BotSoc), the Northern Cape Department of Tourism, Environment and Conservation (DTEC) and the landowners of the Bokkeveld Plateau. The project encompasses conservation planning, facilitating implementation and influencing policy and legislation. Funding is provided by the Critical Ecosystems Partnership Fund and the project vehicle is sponsored by the Mazda Wildlife Fund.

What is stewardship?

Stewardship is aimed at assisting landowners to conserve globally important areas of biodiversity on their properties.

• A stewardship agreement is a legally binding conservation commitment between the landowner and DTEC.
• Participation is voluntary and for an agreed period of time.
• There is no transfer of property ownership rights.
• A unique management plan is developed in partnership with the landowner, and takes into account landowner needs and aspirations.

Why the Bokkeveld Plateau?

Due to changes in elevation, temperature, substrate and rainfall across the area, the Plateau supports an incredibly diverse flora.

• 1 350 plant species occur on the Plateau with 80 endemics, of which 28 are Red Data species threatened with extinction.
• The Bokkeveld Plateau is extremely rich in bulb species diversity and abundance.
• The plateau falls in the succulent karoo and fynbos biomes, both internationally recognised biodiversity hotspots. The area has also been identified as a priority conservation area by SKEP and C.A.P.E.

Aims of the project

• Promote knowledge of the biodiversity, ecological interactions and ways to maximise eco-system services and benefits amongst landowners.
• Through information sharing, increase knowledge about conservation practices, as well as understanding the long term significance of wide scale biodiversity conservation on private properties.
• Promote landowner willingness to undertake conservation practices and develop “know how” to benefit from available stewardship options.
• Develop partnerships and encourage a joint vision for the Bokkeveld plateau.

Project roll out

• The establishment of one-on-one relationships with landowners in priority areas.
• Facilitating opportunities for landowners to share ideas and agree on common objectives, visions and processes.
• Facilitating workshops to identify landowner issues and research needs.
• Working with landowners to identify and assess indicators of environmental impacts.
• Networking landowners with scientists and specialists to address land management issues.

Project location

The project team is based in the Oorlogskloof Nature Reserve offices, Nieuwoudtville. Due to the limited two year funding period, priority areas have been identified in order to maximise impact with available time and staff.

Contact information

Project Manager
Kirsten Fourie
Tel: 027-2181159
Cell: 083 554 1514
Email: kirsten@hantam.co.za

Stewardship facilitator
Mandy Schumann
Tel: 027-2181159
Cell: 083 272 8756
Email: mandy@hantam.co.za

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The Biodiversity and Wine Initiative: farming in harmony with nature

The BWI is a pioneering partnership between the South African wine industry and the conservation sector. Approximately 90% of South Africa’s wine production occurs within the Cape Floral Kingdom (CFK), the smallest yet richest plant kingdom on earth. Since 80% of the CFK is privately owned, landowner participation in conservation efforts is essential.

Due of mounting concern that some of the region's most vulnerable natural habitat might be targeted for vineyard expansion, the wine industry and the conservation sector have undertaken to conserve the rich biodiversity of the CFK. The total area conserved by the members and champions (50 278 ha) - the equivalent of 50% of the total vineyard footprint in the Cape winelands.

The BWI aims to:

• Prevent further loss of threatened habitat in critical sites
• Increase the total area set aside as natural habitat in contractual protected areas, by identifying and enlisting interested producers as members or champions of the initiative
• Promote changes in farming practices that enhance the suitability of vineyards as habitat for biodiversity, and reduce farming practices that have negative impacts on biodiversity, both in the vineyards and in surrounding natural habitat, through the adoption of biodiversity guidelines by the South African wine industry
• Create marketing opportunities for the wine industry by positioning the unique biodiversity of the CFK, and the industry's proactive stance on biodiversity, as a unique selling point to differentiate Brand South Africa.

How to join BWI

BWI has two levels of membership, namely a BWI member level (entry level) and BWI champion level (exemplary level).

The two minimum pre-requisites to become a BWI member (entry level) are:

1. The first requirement is that the property needs to have an area of unploughed, natural habitat or restored natural habitat or riparian area greater than 2ha in size.
2. Producer needs to be registered with the IPW scheme
3. Implement the Biodiversity Guidelines (as described in Chapter 2 of IPW Guidelines). (summary of these biodiversity guidelines attached)

Whilst BWI champions are required to put a minimum of 10% of their farm area aside for conservation and develop an environmental management plan to effectively manage these areas.

Please also refer to www.bwi.co.za for any further information on the specific criteria for BWI membership, as well as the BWI application forms and instructions on how to apply for BWI membership.

Contact

BWI Project Co-ordinator
Inge Kotzé
Tel (021) 886 8428

BWI Extension Officer
Joan Isham
Tel (021) 886 8428
Fax (021) 882 9510

Email: bwi@sawb.co.za

Website: www.bwi.co.za

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The effective consideration of biodiversity in environmental assessment is a crucial aspect of our efforts to conserve threatened ecosystems in agricultural and other developed landscapes. The overall goal of Biodiversity in Environmental Assessment is to ensure that environmental assessment processes are aligned with biodiversity priorities and give early, pre-emptive effect to biodiversity considerations in project planning and authorisation. The project aims to achieve its objectives through strategic partnerships with the environmental assessment fraternity, government departments with biodiversity-related functions, and provincial conservation authorities. The project focuses on biodiversity priority areas within the Cape Floristic Region and the succulent karoo and thicket biomes. Project highlights have included:

• Editing and co-authoring the Fynbos Forum Ecosystem Guidelines on Environmental Assessment in the Western Cape
• Introducting key biodiversity questions to the Western Cape Department of Environmental Affairs and Development Planning’s Basic Assessment Questionnaire which covers about 80% of all development applications in the province
• Undertaking a groundbreaking review of the treatment of biodiversity comments in environmental assessment processes
• Providing vocational training for a Table Mountain Fund intern who was subsequently appointed as the first-ever biodiversity and land-use advisor in the Western Cape Departement of Environmental Affairs and Development Planning
• Initiating a project to expedite agri-environmental decision-making by aligning LandCare area-wide planning, fine-scale biodiversity planning and environmental management frameworks
• Co-presenting with SANBI’s B-GIS Unit the IAIAsa’s first-ever training workshop for environmental assessment practitioners on the application of biodiversity plans and products to environmental assessment.

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