27^th OUTENIQUA CONSERVANCY FORUM

Minutes of the meeting held at the George Regional Office of CapeNature, on Saturday 10 April 2010 at 09h00

1. WELCOME

Mbulelo Jacobs opened the meeting at 09h15 and welcomed everyone to the meeting.

2. ARRANGEMENTS FOR THIS MEETING

The meeting was chaired by Mbulelo Jacobs (Garden Route Area Manager). A special welcome was made to the invited guest speakers, Mark van Niekerk (Southern Cape Fire Protection Association) and Rhett Hiseman (Hessequa Conservation Services, CapeNature).

3. PRESENT AND APOLOGIES

The attendance register was circulated. Please see list of attendees at the rear. Apologies were received from:

Susan Campbell (Western Heads – Goukamma Conservancy)

Guy Thesen (Western Heads – Goukamma Conservancy)

Angus Greig (Indalo Conservancy)

Wendy Dewberry (Noetzie Conservancy)

Julie Gosling (Noetzie Conservancy)

Aiden Beck (St. Blaize Conservancy)

Vivien Harpur (Herold Conservancy)

David MacIntosh (Herold Conservancy)

Monique van Wyk (Great Brak River Conservancy)

Colleen Noble (Redford Conservancy)

4. MATTERS ARISING FROM THE PREVIOUS MEETING

(14 October 2009, Western Heads-Goukamma Conservancy)

The minutes of the previous meeting were tabled by Mbulelo Jacobs in detail with the following corrections:

4.1. Point 5.5.6 - Noetzie Conservancy Feedback, 10 October 2009:

· Environmental education: 

o Alien clearing took place in the school site. The natural vegetation has re-established itself and we are planning to provide benches so that environmental education could take place..

o Interpretative signing placed at strategic places in the car park area

o 5 Monkey proof bins have been placed in the car park area

· Waste management: 

o The permanent employment of a local person to clean up all the litter at the turn-off to Noetzie from the N2.

o Beach clean ups are done on a regular basis whenever the beach is traversed by a member of the conservancy

· Alien clearing:  a collaborative alien clearing exercise will take place with the SanParks and Pezula from the mouth of the river upstream in December.

· Upgrading of boardwalk:  the walkway from the car park area to the beach will be upgraded for safety reasons

· Documenting environmental events:  storms, freak weather conditions are recorded on a regular basis

· DeerCam monitoring project:  2 stealthcams/deercams have been placed in the conservancy

· Water Monitoring samples:  the Noetzie River has now been classified as an A-Grade River according to water monitoring samples taken

· Implore aircraft to fly above the legal flight elevations

· Illegal trading on the beach:  attempts to stop illegal trading on the beach as well as policing for illegal 4x4 vehicles that drive on the beach.

· Fires:  Noetzie are vigilant and prepared for unwanted fires

· Poaching:  is monitored continuously

4.2 Point 5.5.5 – Sedgefield Island Conservancy Feedback, 10 October 2009:

Tony Hunter informed the meeting that the Conservancy had raised R2000-00 at a very successful AGM meeting held earlier this year and donated it to Carol Walton of the South African Penguin Rehabilitation Centre (SAPREC) in Mossel Bay.

5. APPROVAL AND ACCEPTANCE OF THE PREVIOUS MINUTES

The minutes of the meeting held on the 14 October 2009 were accepted as being a true reflection of the meeting.

6. NEW MATTERS

6.1 WETLAND REHABILITATION “Sleeping Beauty and her Beasts”– Rhett Hiseman, CapeNature

Tel: (028) 713-2366

Rhett Hiseman gave a very informative presentation on wetland rehabilitation taking place in the Goukou and Duivenhoks River Systems. The Working for Wetland project is managed by SANBI (South African National Biodiversity Institute) and is a joint initiative between three Departments namely DEAT, DWAF and DoA . For more information please contact Rhett Hiseman or Heidi Nieuwoudt. The information below has been sourced directly from CapeNature’s web page: www.capenature.org.za:

The Working For Wetland Project “focus on the rehabilitation, wise use and protection of wetlands in a manner that maximises employment creation, creates and supports small businesses and transfers relevant and marketable skills to beneficiaries. In this way, using funding provided by DEAT, WfWet forms part of the Expanded Public Works (EPWP)which seeks to draw significant numbers of unemployed people into the productive sector of the economy, gaining skills while they work and increasing their capacity to earn income”.

Goukou Duivenhoks Project

The Goukou Duivenhoks Working for Wetlands Project started Rehabilitation activities in 2007.  The focus was initially on the Goukou wetlands, North of Riversdale and the project currently rehabilitating wetlands in the Duivenhoks river system North of Heidelberg, Western Cape.  The wetlands in the Goukou and Duivenhoks systems are characterised by PALMIET and PEAT and are extremely valuable contributors to flood attenuation and water storage.  PALMIET is a uniquely engineered plant which is often referred to as the superglue of the rivers and wetland systems in our country.  Its’ root system has an intricate web of mesh which traps sediment and slows down water flow.  The wetlands in the area is also characterised by peat.  PEAT is rich in organic matter and rich in carbon.  They provide great purification and storage value and it is believed that one cubic meter of peat can store up to 900 liters of water.  The conservation of wetlands, peat wetlands in particular, is important in terms of the Climate Change challenge the world is facing.  Degraded peat wetlands can be a negative contributor to climate change as the carbon rich peat is laid bare to the atmosphere.

The Working for Wetlands Project has worked intensively on a Gabion structure of 340m³ in the Goukou to rehabilitate a headcut in the upper reaches of the catchment.  The Project has also eradicated 140Ha of Black Wattle.  Construction of a 830m³ Gabion structure is currently being built in the Duivenhoks river to rehabilitate a headcut in a critical wetland in the system.  The rehabilitation of this headcut will have a positive impact on all downstream communities as it supplys water to the Duivenhoks dam, farming activities, Heidelberg, Slangrivier and Witsand.  The rehabilitation activities will avoid further loss of peat and palmiet and avoid sedimentation and protect the integrity of the intact wetland area.

6.2 SOUTHERN CAPE FIRE PROTECTION ASSOCIATION – Mark van Niekerk

Tel: (044) 382-5466

Mark van Niekerk gave an overview of the SCFPA work progress to present:

· Increase membership

· Division of the area into Fire Management Units (FMU’s).

· Finalisation of action plans for existing management units.

· Raise awareness of fire related issues.

· Develop funding proposals to ensure project sustainability and pursue the membership of parastatals. A total of 6 (six) funding proposals have been submitted.

· Within this last reporting period, the SCFPA has visited 21 management units and compiled draft action plans for 15 management units including the Middle Keurbooms, Wittedrift and Plett South.

· New FMU’s have been established in Eastford, Uniondale, Klaarstroom, Noetzie and Calitzdorp which brings the number of FMU’s up to 26.

SUCCESSES	CHALLENGES
Landowners positive to see action	Landowners unwilling to encourage membership in the area
Landowners show willingness to participate	Some landowners are determined to see the process fail
Fire is easy to “sell”	Large area-service delivery & meeting commitments
Appointment of contract Admin person	Trying to re-establish relationships with parastatals
15 draft action plans (including maps)	Encouraging a champion in each FMU
Champions in some FMU’s pushing success	Implementing action plans
Training for FMU’s	Membership issues
Post mortem for Uitzicht Fire
Greater involvement in compliance related issues
Progression towards obtaining two WOF teams for the region
Assistance with fires in the region

6.3 GARDEN ROUTE CONSERVATION SERVICES – Barend le Roux

(044) 802-5300

6.3.1 Conservancy representatives

The concept of dividing up the Conservancies into regions and each having a dedicated CapeNature Representative was reiterated at the meeting. The table below shows who is responsible for working in a particular region:

CONSERVANCY	REGION	CAPENATURE REPRESENTATIVE	TELEPHONE	E-MAIL
Fransmanshoek	Mossel Bay	Allistair Pietersen	(044) 802-5318	apietersen@capenature.co.za
Hartenbosheuwels	Mossel Bay	Allistair Pietersen	(044) 802-5318	apietersen@capenature.co.za
Dana Bay	Mossel Bay	Allistair Pietersen	(044) 802-5318	apietersen@capenature.co.za
Boggomsbaai	Mossel Bay	Allistair Pietersen	(044) 802-5318	apietersen@capenature.co.za
Aalwyndal	Mossel Bay	Allistair Pietersen	(044) 802-5318	apietersen@capenature.co.za
Pinnacle Point/St. Blaize	Mossel Bay	Allistair Pietersen	(044) 802-5318	apietersen@capenature.co.za
Glenwood	George	Barend le Roux	(044) 802-5316	bleroux@capenature.co.za
Herold	George	Barend le Roux	(044) 802-5316	bleroux@capenature.co.za
Great Brak River	George	Barend le Roux	(044) 802-5316	bleroux@capenature.co.za
Midbrak	George	Barend le Roux	(044) 802-5316	bleroux@capenature.co.za
Kaaimans Corridor	George	Barend le Roux	(044) 802-5316	bleroux@capenature.co.za
Touw River	Wilderness	Barend le Roux	(044) 802-5316	bleroux@capenature.co.za
Eden Coastal	George	Barend le Roux	(044) 802-5316	bleroux@capenature.co.za
Constantiakloof	Wilderness	Barend le Roux	(044) 802-5316	bleroux@capenature.co.za
Phantom-Homtini	Knysna	Natalie Baker	(044) 802-5327	nbaker@capenature.co.za
Gounaland	Knysna	Natalie Baker	(044) 802-5327	nbaker@capenature.co.za
Knysna Coastal	Knysna	Natalie Baker	(044) 802-5327	nbaker@capenature.co.za
Noetzie	Knysna	Natalie Baker	(044) 802-5327	nbaker@capenature.co.za
Phantom Pass	Knysna	Natalie Baker	(044) 802-5327	nbaker@capenature.co.za
Goukamma-Western Heads	Knysna	Natalie Baker	(044) 802-5327	nbaker@capenature.co.za
Cola Conservancy	Sedgefield	Natalie Baker	(044) 802-5327	nbaker@capenature.co.za
Sedgefield Island	Sedgefield	Natalie Baker	(044) 802-5327	nbaker@capenature.co.za
Indalo	Plettenberg Bay	Carlo van Tonder	(044) 802-5333	cvtonder@capenature.co.za
Southern Crags	Plettenberg Bay	Carlo van Tonder	(044) 802-5333	cvtonder@capenature.co.za
Nature’s Valley	Plettenberg Bay	Carlo van Tonder	(044) 802-5333	cvtonder@capenature.co.za
Middle Keurbooms	Knysna / Plett	Carlo van Tonder	(044) 802-5333	cvtonder@capenature.co.za
Redford	Plettenberg Bay	Carlo van Tonder	(044) 802-5333	cvtonder@capenature.co.za

6.3.2 Conservancy meetings

Conservancies are requested to supply dates of future meetings for 2010 as well as supply copies of minutes of meetings to their respective representatives.

6.3.3 Law Enforcement activities in the Garden Route

Garden Route Conservation Services have been involved in numerous biodiversity crime investigations as well as the issuing of Admission of Guilt Fines (J534) since the beginning of 2010. Barend informed the meeting that illegal activities are taking place at a steady pace and requested that conservancies be aware of such events and report illegal activities (hunting of wildlife, harvesting of flora) to the component.

6.3.4 Herbicide available

Garden Route Conservation Services can offer Garlon (5 litre containers) and Actipron (members to supply own containers) to Conservancy members. Please note that there is a limited supply. Southern Crags and Sedgefield Island Conservancy requested herbicide on the day of the meeting.

6.3.5 Photographic Session

The photographic basic introductory course that had to be cancelled due to the unavailability of Peter Chadwick was proposed to be scheduled as a workshop for later on in the year. Natalie Baker will correspond with Conservancies when the workshop will take place.

6.3.6 Sport Hunting Notice 2010

Conservancies were requested to familiarise themselves with the Sport Hunting Notice for 2010. Please contact your representative should you require a copy of this document.

6.3.7 Game Season

The game season (the live capture and movement of game) is now underway. Game Farm Owners must apply for their transport permits well in advance so that applications can be screened in time. Please be reminded that the permit administration fee is R80-00 per application.

6.3.8 State of Biodiversity (SOB) data

Conservancies are to send GPS coordinates and other relevant information to their relevant conservancy Rep of any significant plant and animal. Please refer to the attached SOB spreadsheet for the type of information that should be recorded.

6.3.9 Human-wildlife conflict

Barend informed the meeting that conflict situations between human-beings and wildlife have increased rather significantly due to the present environmental conditions (drought). To minimise conflict situations we should all be aware of our own actions and ensure that we lessen the attraction (in the form of food sources, refuse and other) in and around our homesteads.

6.3.10 Outeniqua Conservancy Forum name change

It was unanimously decided to change the name of the Outeniqua Conservancy Forum to the Garden Route Conservancy Forum due to the inclusion of the Hessequa region in the Garden Route Area of CapeNature. Kindly inform all members of this name change.

7. CONSERVANCY FEEDBACK

Garden Route Conservation Services randomly selected the following Conservancies to supply the meeting with their feedback on projects/activities:

7.1 Kaaimans Corridor – Bruce Jackson

· 2009 Fires: a total of 430 hectares burnt due to uncontrolled fires. 35 hectares of Pine (harvestable material) lost to fires which will now be re-established into Fynbos. Fewer sightings of bushbuck have been recorded in the area since the 2009 fires.

· A total of 12 hectares of wattle have been cleared in the Conservancy

· Access to an area where illicit dumping is taking place the conservancy have decided to fence off this area to prevent easy access to this area.

· The Swart & Kaaimans Rivers water quality has deteriorated due to dumping of refuse/rubbish into the river.

· A noticeable green layer of fungus can be seen on the surface of the river and many river pools. This is concerning.

· Rock pools containing indigenous fish have been netted out by

· The Conservancy are part of a Water Forum trying to ensure that the George Dam is not polluted with the untreated sewage water being pumped back into the dam and to access clean water from the George reservoir.

7.2 Glenwood Conservancy – Margaret Moretti

· Collaboration with Kraaibosch Estates on rehabilitating the river Modderkloof River which eventually joins up with the Swart River.

· The George Riding Club is an open space within the Conservancy belonging to the George Municipality. The Conservancy is trying to maintain this as a green area used for education and recreation purposes.

7.3 Fransmanshoek Conservancy – Damien Coulson and Roland Scholtz

Roland Scholtz has filled Wayne Meyer’s position since January 2009 and presently doing his B.TECH in Nature Conservation over two years through Cape Peninsula University of Technology.  Damien Coulson is a third year Nature Conservation student from Saasveld who is completing his experiential training at Fransmanshoek Conservancy.  Roland explained that the main focus of their work involves ecological work, marine compliance, alien clearing, environmental education, maintenance and acting as an environmental watch dog.  The following topics are the Conservancy’s current and future ecological projects:

· Oystercatcher Breeding Success

· SOB focusing mainly on rare dead specimens that have washed ashore

· Snake DNA sampling

· Caracal scat analysis

· Deer-cam - camera traps

· Roving Creel surveys (Recreational shore based line fish monitoring)

· Marine mammal monitoring – a future project identified

· Intertidal monitoring – a future project identified

7.4 Boggomsbaai Conservancy – Fred Orben, Leon Claassens, Sarah Gibbons & Henry Salt

Fred Orben introduced three students who have recently exited the Nature College training course with Johan Fourie. They will be doing a six month practical with the Conservancy and will gain experience in coastal and terrestrial environments, maintenance of hiking trails and assist Roland and Damien from Fransmanshoek Conservancy. So far the students have drawn up a species database for each house in Boggomsbaai to find out what mammals, reptiles, birds & other species are observed around the premises in order to stimulate awareness amongst residents. A Deer Cam survey has started with the assistance of Roland and Damien. A slideshow was presented showing a wide variety of species recorded in the Conservancy namely Common duiker, Porcupine, Helmeted guineafowl, Caracal, Honey badger and Cape grysbok.

7.5 Touw River Conservancy – Norman Moul

· Expansion of the Touw River Conservancy now includes, with Wilderness Heights, the entire village of Hoekwil & its surrounds, covering 1500 Ha with 350 properties, averaging 4 Ha.

· One of the current objectives of the Touw River Conservancy is to motivate better management of the Touw River water flow and to ensure that the communities that draw from the river in preference to George Dam, have access to sufficient clean quality water.

· With the HRRA we are conducting a monitoring protocol to identify the type and the source of the pollution that is evident.    The HRRA/TRC have built up a team of monitors drawn from the residents, the school and the community of Touws Ranten.

· An in-depth presentation was given on the Conservancy’s Alien Clearing Programme & Strategy showing the phases where the Conservancy plans to start clearing.  With this strategy in place the Conservancy aims to receive financial support from DWAF for the programme is directly aimed at the above water enhancement objective

7.6 Constantiakloof Conservancy – Ilza Louw

· The objectives for 2010 are the eradication of alien invasive vegetation in the conservancy as well as the distribution of relevant information regarding our natural environment in order to create a healthy environmental awareness amongst members.

· In 2008 the Conservancy managed to take out Lantana and in 2009 they formed a hacking group to eradicate Hakea, Lantana, Black wattle and Rooikrans plants.

· Many information sessions were held in 2009 to present where the Conservancy invited many guest speakers (Stefan Hattingh, Susan Swain and Landmark Foundation) who supplied specialist input into various subjects.

· Large volumes of building rubble and other pollution was collected, however the conservancy has had little response from the George Municipality regarding the illicit dumping in the area. It was also reported that more sightings of indigenous wild animals are being observed due to the present drought situation.

· A newsletter that has been circulated by the conservancy includes information on Building regulations. The conservancy feels that very little policing is taking place once a building permit has been issued and has decided to take on the responsibility to actively police this sector.

8. DATE AND VENUE FOR THE NEXT MEETING

Mbulelo Jacobs requested that the next meeting in October be hosted by a Conservancy. Should your Conservancy be willing to host the next Garden Route Conservancy Forum meeting kindly contact Natalie Baker at (044) 802-5327.

Date: October 2010

Time: To be confirmed

Venue: To be confirmed

9. CLOSURE AND THANKS

The meeting was closed at 12h55. CapeNature thanked all the members that attended the meeting.

ATTENDANCE REGISTER

NAME	CONSERVANCY / ORGANISATION	EMAIL ADDRESS
Chris Gow	Western Heads – Goukamma Conservancy	chrisandtinx@telkomsa.net
Mary & Tony Hunter	Sedgefield Island Conservancy	tonymary@mweb.co.za
Damien & Roland	Fransmanshoek Conservancy	ranger@fransmanshoek.co.za
Daniël Cloete	Nature’s Valley Conservancy	info@naturesvalleytrust.co.za
Aussie Eybers	Great Brak River Conservancy	aussie@eybers.co.za
Tina Robinson	Phantom-Homtini Nature Conservancy	tine@knysna.co.za
Louise Milne	Kaaimans Corridor Conservancy	woodilu@telkomsa.net
Janet Holding	Southern Crags Conservancy	janand@cyberperk.co.za
Santie den Boestert	Noetzie Conservancy	denboestert@telkomsa.net
Jessica Hayes	Knysna Coastal Conservancy	j.hayes@pezula.com
Mark van Niekerk	Southern Cape Fire Protection Association	markh.vn@gmail.com
Christopher & Koerien Deacon	Gouna Conservancy	cg.deacon@gmail.com
Norman Moul	Touw River Conservancy	con@flocare.net
Pierre Villain	Great Brak River Conservancy	greatbrak150@gmail.com
Bruce Jackson	Kaaimans Corridor Conservancy	bruce@douglas.co.za
Terry Townsend	Dana Bay Conservancy	terrylinda@telkomsa.net
Leon Claassens	Boggomsbaai Conservancy
Sarah Gibbons	Boggomsbaai Conservancy	snobbig_22@hotmail.co.uk
Fred Orban	Boggomsbaai Conservancy	fjorban@mweb.co.za
Henry Salt	Boggomsbaai Conservancy	henrysalt@yahoo.com
Werner Pienaar	Great Brak River Conservancy	beatnix@ffg.net
Grant McAlpine	Phantom-Homtini Nature Conservancy	grant@mcalpine.co.za
Maretha Alant	SANParks	marethaa@sanparks.org
Bronwyn Botha	Lower Breede River Conservancy Trust	lbrconservancy@telkomsa.net
Rhenia Niemand	St. Blaize Conservancy	niemandia@telkomsa.net
Ilza Louw	Constantiakloof Conservancy	Josua.louw@nmmu.ac.za
John Callanan	Constantiakloof Conservancy	jjcallanan@telkomsa.net
Margaret Moretti	Glenwood Conservancy	sebastian@moredata.co.za
Oliver Purcell	Sedgefield Island Conservancy	opurcell@telkomsa.net
Richard Werry	Cola Conservancy	lynwry@mweb.co.za
Henk van Waglendonk	Phantom-Homtini Nature Conservancy	wagte007@telkomsa.net
Rhett Hiseman	CapeNature – Hessequa Conservation Services	rhiseman@capenature.co.za
Mbulelo Jacobs	CapeNature, Area Manager – Garden Route	mjacobs@capenature.co.za
Barend le Roux	CapeNature – Garden Route Conservation Services	bleroux@capenature.co.za
Natalie Baker	CapeNature – Garden Route Conservation Services	nbaker@capenature.co.za