Climate mitigation in KwaZulu-Natal

Communities benefit too

By Amanda Bourne, CAP Project Officer and Simisha PatherElias, CAP Intern
CAP partner, Wildlands Conservation Trust (WCT), re-forests, restores and conserves threatened forest systems while benefiting the surrounding communities. Through their Indigenous Trees for Life (ITFL) and Greening Your Future (GYF) programmes, WCT works with local people to holisitically address rural development and poverty alleviation, biodiversity conservation, as well as climate change mitigation and adaptation. CAP recently visited the new WCT carbon sink project at Ongoye Forest Reserve in northern KwaZulu-Natal. The reserve, managed by Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife, is a site of high biodiversity value. The 3900ha forest, about 10 km long and 4 km wide, runs along a high ridge parallel to the ocean and is home to a variety of rare and endemic plants and animals including the Red Squirrel (Paraxerus palliates ornatus), the Yellow-streaked Greenbul (Phyllastrephus flavostriatus), the Forest Green Butterfly (Euryphura achlys), and the giant Woods Cycad (Encephalartos woodii). It is also the only place in the world where the enigmatic Green Barbet (Stactolaema olivacea woodwardii) can be found. WCTs investigations at the site and a recent Important Bird Areas (IBA) assessment carried out by BirdLife South Africa show that large scale deforestation is not an immediate threat in the area. There is, however, evidence of the intensive selective harvesting of particular tree species by local residents around the reserve area, particularly for construction materials. Poorly managed grazing, mounting development pressure, and the encroachment of Paraffin Bush (Chromolaena odorata) into disturbed areas on the forest edges, also poses potential threats. WCT and the WWF-SA team have been investigating various options for an Ongoye-specific tree-growing approach that achieves conservation, climate mitigation, and socio-economic aims for the new Ongoye treepreneur programme. Mark Botha (WWF-SA) proposed that tree species for planting in buffer areas could also include non-

ABOVE: Local children grow trees to trade for school fees. Photo: CAP. indigenous (but non-invasive) fruit-bearing trees such as mangoes and guavas, or trees grown for their timber and fuel wood value, such as indigenous Umzimbeet (Milletia grandis) and Sneezewood (Ptaeroxylon obliquum), or even alien Turpentine Gum. All of these species already grow in the area and could reduce pressure from resource harvesting on the forest itself. WCT also involves the local WESSA Eco-schools in the treepreneur and re-forestation programmes. CAP partners work together, building resilience to climate change by ensuring the conservation of ecosystems and the development of sustainable livelihoods for local communities.

GET CONNECTED The authors Amanda Bourne and Simisha Pather-Elias can be contacted at a.bourne@conservation.org.and s.pather-elias@conservation.org. Indigenous trees for life
Wildlands Conservation Trust (WCT) trains individual treepreneurs to grow indigenous trees from seed. When these trees reach a certain height, WCT trades them for goods and services such as staple foods, bicycles and school fees. The trees are stored in central nurseries and supply local WCT re-forestation projects.

Greening your future

WCTs forest restoration and climate mitigation programme uses the trees grown by treepreneurs to restore degraded land. Local landowners and community members are employed to plant and care for the trees.

Trees of the year 2011

Common tree: Jacket-plum or Doppruim (Pappea capensis). Rare trees: Brides Bushes, Bruidsbome (Pavetta species) and Common Wild Elder or Gewone Wildevlier (Nuxia congesta).

BOTSOC PARTNERSHIP
The Climate Action Partnership (CAP) is an alliance of South African environmental Non-Governmental Organizations that aims to reduce the impact of climate change and increase the resilience of South Africas biodiversity and communities by promoting intact co-systems that are connected at a landscape level, building human capacity and implementing climate change adaptation and mitigation. Visit the website at www.cap.org.za.

ABOVE: A species of Forest Brides Bush (Pavetta) growing alongside the Timbavati River in Mpumalanga. Photo: C. Voget.
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