PLETTENBERG BAY NEWS - The Garden Route Biosphere Reserve (GRBR) held its first AGM at Piesang Valley Hall in Plettenberg Bay on Thursday 23 August.
Four board members were appointed at the meeting attended by about 40 stakeholders and interested parties. They are retired Sanparks manager Peet Joubert; head of the sustainability research unit at Nelson Mandela University (George Campus) Dr Bianca Currie; resource economist Myles Mander; and Japie Buckle from the department of environmental affairs.
An additional four directors representing different spheres of government will be elected to the GRBR board. Public information meetings held from 14 to 17 August in Joubertina, Knysna, Jeffrey’s Bay and George were well-attended and the first members of the GRBR signed up.
“The purpose of biosphere reserves is to serve as landscapes in which biodiversity is conservation alongside socioeconomic development, and to serve as examples for emulation elsewhere, of how sustainable development can be achieved,” said conservationist and GRBR member Dr Steven Evans.
Current projects
The GRBR currently has three existing projects:
- Langkloof Recycling Project, managed by Jessie Naidoo who is based in Joubertina. Naidoo collects recyclable items, including paper and plastic packaging material from municipalities, businesses and farms, which is baled and sold to large recycling companies.
- Langkloof Indigenous Food and Backyard Nursery Project, managed by Gradwell Fourie, who is based in Misgund. The project aims to grow seedlings of indigenous plants that are edible or have medicinal qualities, and sell it to the public. They plan to open a stall along the R62 where these plants will be sold.
- The Haarlem Compost Project is managed by Thelani Grant, based in Haarlem. This project is testing the feasibility of turning removed alien invasive vegetation into compost. The efficiency of the compost at increasing crop yields is also being tested.
The GRBR covers a total area of 698 363ha, of which 665 885ha is terrestrial and 32 478ha marine areas. It falls within the Cape Floristic Region and includes the Garden Route National Park with its three marine protected areas, as well as two World Heritage Sites, a Ramsar wetland, the Nelson Bay Cave and the Langkloof Valley. The biosphere reserve is presently funded by the WWF, Table Mountain Fund and the Western Cape Government.
Find out more
Contact Dr Steven W Evans on 082 520 3909 or email to stevenwe@vodamail.co.za for more information.
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