We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children.
What we do
What We Do
The Overberg’s lowlands today are dominated by a combination of crop- and livestock farming, interspersed with small pockets of Renosterveld, which are severely fragmented, isolated, and generally poorly managed. Renosterveld is not only under threat from inappropriate agricultural practices, such as overgrazing, illegal ploughing of virgin land, and inappropriate fire regimes, but also extremely vulnerable to the damaging impacts of fragmentation and mismanagement, putting it at high risk of extinction. The combination of extremely high biodiversity value and very high threats make this system one that requires urgent conservation attention.
The ORCT was set up in order to address this urgent conservation priority. The ORCT is uniquely positioned to bring landowners, communities, NGOs, and wildlife agencies together to conserve the last of the Renosterveld in several strategic locations. Our aim is to bring agriculture and conservation into harmony by establishing long-term, positive relationships with landowners and creating awareness of the importance of ecosystem functioning and integrity and the benefits of ecosystem services.
Read more for the full Renosterveld story.
Our activities can be divided into three broad themes.
1 – Living Landscapes in the Overberg’s Wheat-belt, including helping farmers with Renosterveld management, conservation easements and land purchase.
2 – Collaborative Research.
3 – Education & awareness raising.
Please find more information on Renosterveld and past Overberg Renosterveld Conservation Trust activities in our Renosterveld library.
