In a victory for biodiversity conservation, Haarwegskloof – which includes the largest remaining connected stretch of renosterveld left on Earth – has officially been declared a Nature Reserve.
Renosterveld, like fynbos, is a fire-adapted ecosystem – but one with its own distinct rhythms and responses.
It is said that ‘It is both a blessing and a curse to feel so deeply’. As an ecologist, on the ‘coalface’, I resonate strongly with this well-known quote.
Some good and bad renosterveld news this Earth Day. Not many know about a major new windfarm that has been approved in the Overberg. It’s to be situated along the N2, close to Swellendam. And it will be South Africa’s largest, privately-owned windfarm.
Three years may seem to pass by quickly. But in the world of nature, it’s enough time for real, tangible change to take root. This is especially the case when humans – both as donors and implementers – lend a helping hand.