Support from the Green Trust enables community conservation in KwaZulu-Natal

Ongoing support from The Green Trust has enabled the Wildlands Conservation Trust to secure new areas for Black Rhino and Wild Dog conservation and prevent the loss of a 16,000ha community conservation estate in KwaZulu-Natal.

Between 2006 and 2009 The Green Trust funded a post-land reform intervention in KwaZulu-Natal, led by the Wildlands Conservation Trust. The project’s aim was to expand the conservation footprint in KwaZulu-Natal by working closely with rural communities in designing a future for land awarded to them after successful land claims.

Programme Manager for Wildlands Conservation Trust’s Conservation S.P.A.C.E and Biodiversity Management, Dr Roelie Kloppers said: “Significant successes included the creation of the Mduna-Royal Thanda Game Reserve and the consolidation of Somkhanda Game Reserve. The creation of the Mduna-Royal Thanda Reserve in 2009 ensured the introduction of Black Rhino to the enlarged estate through the WWF Black Rhino Range Expansion Project”.

Together with Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife’s Biodiversity Stewardship Programme, Wildlands Conservation Trust has also been able to finalise the imminent proclamation of Somkhanda Game Reserve as a Nature Reserve later this year.

However this nearly did not happen when in January 2010, Somkhanda faced a real threat of invasions from neighbouring communities as management was forced to retrench a significant component of its workforce and cut of support for communities in the form of water supply.

“At that stage it became evident that the reserve’s operating budget had been depleted and, although a model had been designed to ensure sustainable ecotourism in future, a solution for immediate needs was called for.

“Thanks to renewed support from The Green Trust for a new project, aptly titled, Enabling Communities to Conserve, the Wildlands team could act quickly to support local management and prevent the loss of valuable conservation land. Negotiations were entered into with a leading Ecotourism and Safari Hunting operator, Zululand Hunters, and in February 2010 a partnership agreement was signed that secured the conservation status of the land that will enable its proclamation later this year,” added Kloppers.

The agreement includes a lease and development fee that will be used to support community development activities outside the reserve. In addition, the reserve will be upgraded over the next 10 years and stocked to full carrying capacity, thus leaving the community with a real asset at the end of the lease period.

Kloppers concluded: “The Green Trust support for community conservation projects such as these is proving to have real benefits in the development of sustainable livelihoods and the conservation of critically endangered habitats and species.”