‘Our aim is to work with government and private landowners to have the high water yield grassland areas in the southern Free State, which are also Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas (IBAs), proclaimed as Protected Environments,’ says BirdLife South Africa’s Daniel Marnewick who manages their IBA Programme and the WWF Nedbank Green Trust-funded programme.

 

The priority areas, which have been identified by the Free State government in partnership with BirdLife South Africa and WWF-SA, include the grassland areas around Memel extending southeast towards Ingula.

 
‘These areas are critical for providing eastern South Africa’s water – for agriculture, industry, rural communities and cities. They are irreplaceable ecosystems and it is essential that we secure them for South Africa,’ says Marnewick.

 

Key grassland endemic bird species here include the Yellow-breasted Pipit, White-winged Flufftail, Southern Bald Ibis, Grey Crowned Crane and Wattled Crane.

 

The Wattled Crane is classified as Critically Endangered with only about 265 left in South Africa.

 

The intended Protected Area includes a large number of private landowners and farmers who are being encouraged to sign their land into a Protected Environment agreement through the government’s Biodiversity Stewardship Programme. ‘It is extremely important to have the individual landowners’ support and we are gratified that the majority have supported this initiative,’ comments Marnewick.

 

The programme is also funding the work of the mining engagement officer to proactively engage with the mining industry around inappropriate mining applications in this vulnerable region, and to vigorously react where necessary.