Restoring a dream: the journey of a smallholder into regenerative farming – Part 1
ReStory narrator: Jaap Knot, Ladybrand I am an agriculturist facilitating the implementation of Conservation Agriculture (CA). It is relatively easy
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Hebron Mango Tree Growers
ReStory Narrator: Precious Chauke Cooperative background Hebron Mango Tree Growers is a cooperative based in Hebron, in the North West
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Saving Critically Endangered Peninsula Granite Fynbos from extinction at Tokai Park, Cape Town
Peninsula Granite Fynbos is wholly confined to the City of Cape Town and found only on the lower, more fertile slopes of Table Mountain on the Cape Peninsula. Peninsula Granite Fynbos is perhaps best symbolised on Table Mountain by the Silver Tree, but is also incredibly rich in plant species and contains nine endemic species, all threatened with extinction: Unistem Aristea (Critically Endangered), Granite Cape Flax (Critically Endangered), Crown-climbers Friend (Rare), Small-flowered doll-rose (Rare), Spreading Everfig (Vulnerable), and Bakoven Brightfig (Vulnerable). Peninsula Granite Fynbos was also the home of the Wynberg Conebush and Table Mountain Widow Reed, but these species have been wiped out as a result of housing and agricultural developments and are now extinct.
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Cork oak forest restoration in the Maamora cork oak forest in Morocco (June to December 2019)
While working on a management plan for a hunting farm (situated between the Mediterranean Sea in the North and the Atlas mountains in the South) in Morocco, North Africa, we came across a valiant effort to restore the Maamora cork oak forest. This forest has been subjected to overharvesting and overgrazing for many decades.
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Passive restoration of Critically Endangered Cape Flats Sand Fynbos at lower Tokai Park section of Table Mountain National Park, Cape Town
ReStory narrators: Megan Smith, Dr Alanna Rebelo & Dr Tony Rebelo Cape Flats Sand Fynbos (CFSF) is the most threatened
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Returning past glory: How the Cape Mountain Zebra returned to the Baviaanskloof
Amidst increasingly challenging environmental and economic conditions, the reintroduction of a herd of Cape mountain zebra brought inspiration to the western Baviaanskloof farming community.
Read moreBaviaanskloof: Where the Lionheart dwells
ReStory narrator: James Blignaut [This article was first published by The Daily Maverick. The article can be found here: https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2019-12-09-baviaanskloof-where-the-lionheart-dwells/]
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Breeding resilience amongst all odds
I have decided that the degradation that took place will not determine my future. The sun is setting on a degraded past and rising to a restorative future. We are the generation that must act; I acted on my farm. This is was able to do with the help of a large number of people, including the Subtropical Thicket Restoration Programme, the restoration unit of Rhodes University, Living Lands, and the Government of South Africa.
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The Herding Academy in Graaff-Reinet
We started the Herding Academy as a holistic platform to share the ancient skill of herding livestock to sustainably preserve nature. Through herding we anticipate and address environmental, socio-economic, cultural and financial challenges on both livestock and game farms as well as reserves.
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Cranburn Farm – Regenerative Sugar Farming
After more than 100 years of tillage, the sugarcane fields of Cranburn Farm’s soil organic carbon is at healthy levels. Ever since the ground was first turned the soil carbon levels of KwaZulu-Natal’s sugar cane fields have plummeted. Despite the fact that sugarcane is a perennial crop and the fields don’t have to be ploughed every year, the extensive tilling work done every ten or so years when then crop is replanted results in considerable carbon oxidation into the atmosphere. Other management practices that contribute to further carbon oxidation from the soils include burning of the trash (dead leaves) before a field is cut and the application of synthetic fertilisers.
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