| Rhenosterspruit Nature Conservancy |
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Community-based conservation - people working through conservancies to look after their areas - is one of the foundation stones of the Magaliesberg Biosphere. There are five active conservancies in the Biosphere area, meaning a good share of the groundwork necessary for establishing a Biosphere and engaging communities is already accessible through people committed to conservation. A valuable network exists among these conservancies with good communication systems in place. The Rhenosterspruit Nature Conservancy lies in the eastern buffer area of the Magaliesberg Biosphere. This 10 000 ha Conservancy was the first to be established in Gauteng, in 1987. Its approach has been to use crises as catalysts to expand and grow. And crises and challenges there have been aplenty! Inappropriate development applications, mineral prospecting by major companies, apathy, law suits from disgruntled developers... The Conservancy straddles three major Gauteng rivers: the Jukskei, the Crocodile and the Hennops River – a unique feature in a water-thirsty province. The varied landscapes feature in the Gauteng Conservation Plan 2, which maps irreplaceable and valuable areas in the province. To the north the Schurveberg range stands sentinel, with the flat-topped Rhenosterkop landmark to the west. To the south lie large swathes of endangered Egoli Granite Grasslands, endemic to Gauteng.  A view of Rhenosterspruit Nature Conservancy from the South West, looking North East. The first feature on the left, is Rhenosterkop. Scores of geology students have done their practicals in the Conservancy over the years – the variety of rock formations offering the perfect outdoor classroom. Heritage and historical sites abound. An active Committee meets once a month, and projects are varied. A Conservation Calendar offers monthly walks and talks, ranging from educational subjects (spiders, scorpions, bats, snakes, geology, botany, birds) to historical tours. The Calendar also includes fund-raising events, such as Ride the Rhenoster, an annual mountain bike ride. A highlight this year is the Living Naturally Festival which the Rhenosterspruit Nature Conservancy is presenting in partnership with the Biosphere on 13 March. VeldTalk, the Conservancy's e-zine, appears monthly and is distributed to 1 000 readers. It carries news, information, notices and stories featuring local people and happenings. The Conservancy also has two websites - the official site showcasing the Conservancy, and a residents’ site which has information of specific interest and use to those living in the Conservancy. The Rhenosterspruit Nature Conservancy has a number of key projects each year, while others have a “maintenance” function. A concerted effort over the past eight years has focused on alien invaders such as Pompom. While this is still a serious problem, the level of awareness and involvement among landowners has grown. The Conservancy is actively involved in local schools, such as the Bathabile Primary School, where this year the Conservancy is collaborating in the erection of a “green” strawbale classroom. Donations from local residents and interested members of the public are funding the project. The Conservancy also entered the school for the MmaTsepo Khumbane greening awards and the school walked off with the first prize of R15 000 in the category “Greening Schools”, plus winning half of the overall prize – another R10 000! One of the most promising projects is a future Grassland Reserve in the heart of the Conservancy. About 300 ha of endangered Egoli Granite Grassland (EGG) had to be bought by a developer as an “offset” for similar grassland being destroyed in a Midrand development. The land was given to the Province, which handed it to the Gauteng Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (GDARD) to manage. While this could have been an awkward situation to manage with scarce resources, the fact of it being part of a vibrant Conservancy makes it a viable proposition. Biodiversity Stewardship options are being introduced to landowners. This will be a long process, but after keeping the flame bright for 23 years, not impossible! |
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