The Greater Simonsberg Conservancy

Spotlight section:
Youth Environmental camps

The conservancy is acting as a Service Provider and hosts environmental education camps for the underprivileged youth of the Stellenbosch Municipal area. The conservancy organized a total of 12 Youth Environmental Camps thus far, with funding from Cape Winelands District Municipality and Landcare. Through these camps, approximately 800 kids have had the opportunity to attend one of these three-day camps, and learn more about our environment and the value of protecting it.

Events:
Conservancy Calender:

27 April 2011 - Eagle Encounters show at DelVera hosted by the Conservancy

5 - 8 May 2011 - Rietenbosch Primary School attends Youth Environmental camp in Franschoek

12- 15 May 2011 - Groendal Primary School attends Youth Environmental camp in Betty's Bay

19 - 22 May 2011 - AF Louw Primary School attends Youth Environmental camp in Stellenbosch

26 - 29 May 2011 - Klapmuts Primary School attends Youth Environmental Camp in Franschoek

6 - 9 June 2011 - School outreach activities to be scheduled

23 - 26 June 2011 - JJ Rhode Primary School attends Youth Environmental Camp in Stellenbosch

July 2011 - AGM to be scheduled

September 2011 - National Arbor Month

Newsletters:

Projects:

Fire Management Plan
The Conservancy has appointed a contractor to compile a Fire Management Plan for the 19 farms in the Conservancy. Once this Fire management plan is in place, the conservancy will operate according to the plan. We intend to have this plan ready soon. The Conservancy is also part of the Stellenbosch Fire Protection Association (SFPA) that is busy being registered. The SFPA will form the umbrella body for all fire issues in Stellenbosch.

Alien Clearing – Most members of the GSC are very actively involved in alien clearing initiatives on their farms. The GSC tries to help members as far as possible to get funding and herbicides, since alien clearing is a very expensive exercise. The conservancy has received herbicide from the Department of Water Affairs to assist our members. The conservancy was also granted funding from Landcare, to further assist members in covering labor cost of alien clearing. The conservation officer together with an environmental specialist identified priority farms within the Conservancy with light alien vegetation infestation, where assistance will be provided

		Skills Development – The GSC tries to develop the skill and knowledge of the people working on the farms within the Conservancy as well as people outside of the Conservancy. Training courses that have been held thus far were: Chainsaw course, Snake management course, Alien Plant Identification course and Fire Training courses.			Environmental Education – The GSC believes in the principal of the kids being the next generation and we thus invite children and schools in the area to attend day outings in the conservancy. The conservancy has applied for funding from Landcare for Junior Landcare camps. These camps are over a three day period, and will cover various aspects of conservation.

Rehabilitation
The Conservancy has a greenhouse on DelVera property. This greenhouse is used to propogate plants for rehabilitation purposes. We are hoping to put this greenhouse to full use, with the proposed Green Futures College that we are in the process of setting up in the Conservancy

Owl Boxes - Wildlife Education Conservation helped the Conservancy in 2009 to put owl boxes up on some Conservancy farms. We implemented the boxes, to see if the owl boxes will help provide safe breeding space for the owls.

The Greater Simonsberg Conservancy T: 079 276 36 38 F: 086 6613746 E-mail: conservancy@delvera.co.za