Grassroots September 2016, Vol. 16, No. 3 | Page 36
Congress
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Mid-Congress Tour: Community Projects and Forest Restoration
Amy Schroeder and Laetitia Piers
University of the Western Cape
[email protected] / [email protected]
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W
ith the venue for the GSSA51 congress
along the most famous Garden Route, it
was most fitting to organise a midcongress tour to witness the ground-breaking
projects which benefit both nature and communities
within the Fynbos and Forest biomes. The initial
pouring rain could not dampen the enthusiastic
spirits of 11 delegates who traveled to the Pledge
Nature Reserve, the Freshstart Swop Shop, and the
Sizamele Indigenous Nursery.
Pledge Nature Reserve, is a natural jewel found
in Knysna. Our hosts, Patricia Nurse and Robert
Smith, graciously welcomed the group and informed
us about the history of the Reserve and the different
challenges they face managing the Reserve. They
make an effort to restore indigenous trees to sustain
the surrounding forest and contribute to the muchneeded finances that the Reserve needs to survive.
Furthermore, we discussed the various indigenous
and threats of invasive trees in the Reserve. Our final
destination was the endangered and highly
fragmented Knysna Fynbos. The transition from the
typical vegetation of the Reserve to the fynbos was
very abrupt and attests to the intricacy of the Fynbos
vegetation. The local prison has a beautiful view of
the Reserve and Patricia Nurse pointed out that the
inmates have a five-star accommodation waking up
to a beautiful view of the Reserve every morning.
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Figure 2: Congress delegates which attended the
Community Projects and and Forest Restoration
Tour
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Figure 3: The Knysna Heads viewed from the top of
the Pledge Nature Reserve where the Knysna
Fynbos is situated
Figure 1: Nurse and Robert Smith at the Pledge
Nature Reserve
Grassroots
The second stop was the Freshstart Swop Shop
located in Smutsville. The Freshstart community
initiative is a non-profit organization that was
established by Lida and Schalk van As. The motto:
“helping people to help themselves” is the prime
focus and is done through projects such as recycling
or upcycling of waste material. The Smutsville
Recycle Swop Shop is one of Freshstart’s
empowerment projects and its purpose is primarily
to help children in the Smutsville Township,
Sedgefield community. This Swop Shop is situated
at Sedgefield Primary School, and operates once a
week, and involves children between the ages of six
and sixteen.
September 2016
Vol. 16 No. 3