ECOSYSTEM RESTORATION

Ecosystem Restoration: Giving Nature a Break

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Based here at Klipinnibos Nature Farm, our restoration project named ReCover Wild, a WESSA Friends Group, is committed to the slow, patient, difficult, yet utterly rewarding process of restoring over a hundred hectares of mountain landscape here in Schoemanskloof, Mpumalanga.

Since starting this work in early 2020, species diversity has bounced back significantly, and groundwater reserves are becoming increasingly stable as a byproduct of clearing alien invasive species such as eucalyptus, wattle, bugweed and pine, introducing a less intensive veld burning regime, and allowing those areas to regenerate with native species.

Ecosystem restoration refers to human activities, active or passive, that assist in the recovery of ecosystems that have been degraded or destroyed, as well as conserving the ecosystems that are still intact. Healthier ecosystems, with richer biodiversity, support soil fertility, improve pest and disease resistance of farm crops, as well as improve the soil and landscape’s ability to sequester carbon.

There has never been a more urgent need to revive damaged ecosystems than now.

Ecosystems support all life on Earth. The healthier our ecosystems are, the healthier the planet - and its people. The rallying cry of the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration calls us to action to prevent, halt and reverse the degradation of ecosystems, which could help combat climate change and prevent a mass extinction. It will only succeed if everyone plays a part.

The land rehabilitation project at Klipinnibos is an answer to this call. Restoring and protecting grassland, wetlands and forests that were degraded by misuse and mismanagement, and consequently overgrown by invasive trees.

This is a multi-decade commitment which takes long-term vision, trust in the process, lots of labour and planning. It is easy to become discouraged and disillusioned when faced with such a daunting task, but joining forces with a community of like-minded organisations, like WESSA Lowveld and the Sudwala valley-based environmental NPO GeaSphere, with its ReWild Mpumalanga project, has helped to keep the collective spirits high and the vision clear. 

Klipinnibos has hosted the WESSA Lowveld Bosberaad twice, with a third gathering planned for the end of November, where an inspired and passionate group of environmentalists will roll up their sleeves and support a grand vision in this tiny corner of the planet. 

To quote the late, great Jane Goodall: “What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make.”