Message from leadership: What would my father say?

Dirk van Papendorp, Chair:

Many people have influenced me, and my love of the natural world, over the years. But none had quite as big an impact on me as my father. From a young age, he opened my eyes to nature’s miracles. He showed me how farming and nature are connected; how the one doesn’t have to come at the cost of the other. 

My father would have been 98 years old this year. He left this earth nearly 20 years ago. And when I look at how much this world has changed in two decades, I often wonder what he would have thought about things today. What would he say about the loss of nature – not only in the Overberg, but around the world?

What would he think about our global need to use more and more of earth’s resources – at great cost to nature? And how would he respond to the ever-increasing threat of farming in a way that harms nature?

Because we have lost so much in the last 20 years. And I believe that globally, we now stand at a crucial juncture – to keep going as we have, or to do things better – to the benefit of both humans and our natural world. I also believe that while we can still act for a better world, the time to act is becoming ever shorter.

It’s clear that I’m not alone in these thoughts. The international recognition that the Overberg Renosterveld Trust enjoyed in the past year is a sure sign that there’s a global push for nature. To see international organisations come together – as they did to buy the renosterveld landscapes on the farm, Plaatjieskraal – gives me much hope. As does the news of more farmers signing up to the ORT’s conservation easement programme to protect their renosterveld forever.

I also see the positive in the continued funding support provided by wonderful donors from around the world – from individuals who have left the ORT bequest funding, to organisations who see the value in the ORT’s work. And in the incredible volunteering spirit of my fellow ORT Board members, who give so much of their time to support our incredible, hard-working and committed management team, led by Odette Curtis-Scott.

Given the many threats to the environment, it makes the work of the ORT all the more important and urgent. I remain involved and committed to this vision because my father showed me the value of a living, natural world. And because, like my father, this is a lesson I believe my children will benefit from, and will hopefully be able to share with new generations in the future.

Protecting renosterveld through partnerships

After 16 years of negotiations, a 500-hectare stretch of renosterveld was bought in the financial year by a powerful collective of like-minded conservation organisations. A section of the farm Plaatjieskraal, between Bredasdorp and Swellendam, was bought through a partnership between the ORT, the World Land Trust, WWF South Africa, IUCN NL Land Acquisition Fund and WildLandscapes International, to add to the hectares under ORT care. READ MORE

Soutrivier signing: A win for renosterveld

Four commercial farmers in a joint venture called Klipdale Boerdery signed a conservation easement – bringing 160 hectares of Critically Endangered Central Rûens Shale Renosterveld under protection forever. These four champions and Klipdale Boerdery Manager, Franco le Roux, have taken the vital step to protect this veld all along the Soutrivier. READ MORE

Successful Black Harrier taggings

The ORT managed to tag four Black Harriers in just three days in November 2023. In total, 15 birds have been tagged by the ORT, with the help of Dr Rob Simmons. Through these satellite tags, considerable data is being collected on how the birds move, and the threats they face every day. READ MORE

The cost of wind turbines on Black Harriers

However, shortly after a Black Harrier called Peter was tagged in November 2023, he was killed by the blades of a wind turbine, on a wind farm between Bredasdorp and Swellendam. Peter is the third recorded Harrier death at the wind farm – however research suggests that the real cost is likely to be higher: It is likely that the number of actual deaths is at least double the number of carcasses found (due to scavengers and difficulty with locating dead birds when crops are taller). The ORT is now urgently calling for blade patterning (painted blades) to be implemented at this wind farm as a second tier of mitigation to their existing Shut Down on Demand programme. READ MORE

Our Veld School brings nature to children

In the last year alone, the ORT reached 219 learners in our Veld School Programme, bringing nature to life for them. READ MORE

Training the teachers for nature

What better way to reach more kids than by involving their teachers too? The ORT hosted a group of educators from De Heide Primary School in Bredasdorp to engage in a think tank to see how the ORT can strengthen its partnerships with local schools. READ MORE