Latest Renosterveld News

Latest Renosterveld News

OVERBERG RENOSTERVELD CONSERVATION TRUST NEWS

Newsletter 27 | Mar 2022

by Dr Odette Curtis-Scott.

I still can’t quite believe it… it’s our 10-year celebration

This is a special newsletter. Because this year (16 April to be precise), we celebrate 10 years as the Overberg Renosterveld Conservation Trust. I have to pinch myself to remind myself that this is actually real – that a dream which seemed like an impossible feat 10 years ago actually manifested! We are making major inroads into Renosterveld conservation and we are here to stay! We have over 4000 ha of Renosterveld under our shared care. I say ‘shared’ because this custodianship is shared with our farming partners – without whom this would not be possible. And we share this with our supporters and donors too, as without them, we would not be here and we would not be able to offer assistance to landowners who come on board. We are thrilled to share with you our new Renosterveld film – a film about our work over the last 10 years. This is a year for reflection – an opportunity for us to focus on what we HAVE achieved, because, let’s face it, we have something to be proud of! We seldom take the time to acknowledge it. We are so wrapped up in negotiating for more easements, fighting illegal ploughing and other ecosystem abuse, and fundraising to keep this all going, that we sometimes forget to take a moment to look back and acknowledge how far we have come together.

WATCH THE SHORT FILM HERE:

 

(Or watch the full 15-minute video, which joyously looks back on the past 10 years)

Nevertheless, this is no time to be complacent – our work is far from complete (and sadly, it probably never will be). There are many people still to reach about protecting this landscape, and  much renosterveld to fight for! Looking forward, our focus needs to be on building sustainability: a challenge for every non-profit organisation. That’s why we’re launching some of our latest fundraising initiatives which we’ll be focusing on in this wonderful anniversary year. We hope you’ll get involved: to secure, restore and connect the remnant Renosterveld patches and watercourses of the Overberg Rûens. We need all the help we can get – and we are looking to our community of followers to help us make this happen. So here’s to the next decade – and all those that follow. And here’s to keeping our precious Renosterveld far away from the edge of extinction. Kind regards, Dr Odette Curtis-Scott Overberg Renosterveld Conservation Trust