andré beetge...
TRANSCRIPT
1
NEWSLETTER
February 2012
Vision
“To ensure a co-operative approach to and the promotion of environmentally
sustainable management of wetlands in Mpumalanga Province”
Mission “Promoting the wise use, effective
management and rehabilitation of wetlands in Mpumalanga Province through co-
operative governance by engaging all public and private sectors to achieve its objectives”
André Beetge, the new MWF Chairperson
2012 The year ahead André Beetge (Chairperson)
To all Mpumalanga Wetland Forum members, wetlanders and friends a rather belated happy new year and I trust that everybody had a restful holiday over the festive season! We have a very exciting and busy year ahead of us with the planned celebrations for our 10th anniversary.
2011 was a very successful year for the MWF and under the leadership of Gavin Cowden the forum was awarded the Mondi National Wetland Award in the Wetland Education & Skills Development Category at the National Wetland Indaba at Didima Lodge. On behalf of all the members of the forum I would like to extend our gratitude to Gavin Cowden and especially also Kim Webb for their effortless contributions throughout the year! The success of the forum can be largely contributed to their efforts in 2011.
The year ahead comes with its own challenges and I would like to extend my gratitude also to Daleen Strydom from WfW and Gavin Cowden for their willingness to act as secretary and vice Chairman respectively.
All the working groups survived the planning session in December and I urged everyone to support the conveners of the different groups and to get involved where you can; the groups cannot survive and be meaningful without your support. Thanks to Hannes Marias (Wetland Inventory WG), Ursula Franke (Monitoring & Compliance WG), and Charlotte Nkosi (Education & Awareness WG) for their willingness to lead the groups.
Numerous events will be planned for during the year to commemorate the Forum 10th year anniversary! The celebrations will kick off on the 2nd of February 2012 with a World Wetlands day event hosted by EWT, BirdLife South Africa and Working for Wetlands in Chrissiesmeer. Throughout the year we will aim to host some sort of activity during each month ranging from Wetland & Bird awareness days to mountain bike trails! Fun events will also be catered for with quizzes, interpretation trails and spitbraai’s!
We will aim to spread the events in the province to give everyone a fair share and chance to participate. I urge everyone to participate during the year and to make yourself available to assist with the organizing and implementation of these events. The forum only exists because of its members and it is you who have made it the success that it is!
Happy wetlanding and get your feet wet this year!
MWF Newsletter February 2012
2 The 2200 ha Gustav Klingbiel Nature Reserve, outside Lydenburg, features the Klipgatspruit River,
surrounded by a diverse combination of habitats, and has ± 320 bird species recorded!
The Gustaff Klingbiel site was identified by Hein Geldenhuys and JP Cilliers as a potential site for Working for Wetlands for rehabilitation. The dry land erosion sites were initially targeted for work, but were at that time set aside due to high cost in constructing gabions in them. Alternative methods have since been identified and work in stabilizing the erosion sites will commence after April 2012 when silt fences will be erected across the dongas to catch any sediment moving down the system and to create areas conducive for re-vegetation.
A very unique peatland wetland (photo 1) was also identified by Anton Linstrom, which was under threat of erosion. The peatland is sitting higher in the landscape than the stream flowing on its side and it was decided to protect its banks by means of bio-engineering, where riparian plants supplied by MTPA were planted to stabilize and protect the banks of the peatland from erosion.
As the project is in a nature reserve and protected it is considered as a partnership with Mashishing Municipality and extra help was extended in protecting existing dams which were under threat of collapse. These dams were all upstream of the residential areas and were considered at risk. Two structures were constructed at two dams, one replacing the existing spillway with a proper planned spillway (photo 2) and the other a structure below a dam wall protecting the dam wall itself from erosion eating up the stream towards the dam.
Other work consists of gabion structures stabilizing head cuts. Well done to Aaron Masilela from EWR for implementing the project successfully!
Photo 1. Peatland
Photo 2. Old and new planned spillway
Gustaff Klingbiel Nature Reserve Wetland Rehabilitation André Beetge
MWF Newsletter
3
February 2012
World Wetlands Day celebrations in Chrissiesmeer Charmaine Uys
The theme for World Wetlands Day (WWD) in 2012 is Wetlands and Tourism. After developing a Tourism Plan for the Mpumalanga Lakes District (Chrissiesmeer) in 2011, what better place to celebrate WWD 2012 than in an area with over 320 pans and lakes! And who better to celebrate with than the local school children!
BirdLife South Africa, the Endangered Wildlife Trust, Department of Education and Working for Wetlands - Eastern Wetland Rehabilitation (EWR) organized the day’s events. First we visited Inyomani Primary School, where we gave a talk on the value of wetlands, sang a song about water, showed the learners some invertebrates from Lake Chrissie, and handed out old Africa Birds & Birding magazines to talk about wetland birds. The joy and excitement from these kids was moving and made our efforts so worthwhile!
We spent the afternoon with the EcoClub learners from Lake Chrissie Secondary School. Again we spoke about WWD, wetland values and conservation. EWR gave an inspiring talk on rehabilitation methods and job opportunities in wetland rehabilitation. We then all walked down to the KwaChibikhulu township wetland, where we did a miniSASS wetland health evaluation, seeing what little creatures live in the wetland compared to Lake Chrissie. This was a valuable practical lesson relevant to their life science curriculum. After a litter clean up in the wetland, we ended with lunch and a quiz (to reinforce important lessons for WWD). A big thanks to Don Cater and W4Wetlands for sponsoring hotdogs and cooldrinks.
World Wetlands Day 2012 Pontso Pakkies: SANBI Working for Wetlands
Theme: The global theme for 2012 World Wetlands Day (WWD) is Wetlands and Tourism. This theme is linked to the broader theme for the Convention's 11th Conference of the Parties (COP 11), which is, ‘Wetlands, Tourism and Recreation’ taking place in July 2012 in Romania.
Venue: The event will take place in the Makuleke village in Limpopo. This region was formerly known as the Pafuri Triangle, and it is the best place to showcase this theme because of its rich history. In the 1960s the community was dispossessed of their land, when it was incorporated into Kruger National Park. In 1998 the Makuleke community regained the title to their land through a land restitution process. For the purpose of conservation and related economic development, the community decided to retain the land as part of the Kruger National Park and manage it jointly with the South African National Parks through a Joint Management Board (JMB). Title to the land now rests with a Communal Property Association (CPA) established in 1999 and consisting of about 11 000 previously dispossessed residents as members.
Celebration and site visit: The 2012 WWD site visit will take place in the morning with delegates visiting the Reedbuck and Mapimbi pans within the Kruger National Park. This region will showcase what has been happening since it was designated a Ramsar site and how wetland tourism has benefitted the communities of this area. The actual event will take place within the Makuleke community after the early morning site visit.
World Wetlands Day marks the adoption of the Convention on Wetlands on 2 February 1971,
in the Iranian city of Ramsar. Hence Ramsar sites are wetlands of international importance.
Charlotte Nkosi singing with Inyomani Primary School
Ursula Franke showing a water sample
Lake Chrissie Secondary School EcoClub cleaning their wetland
Don Cater & the Eastern Wetlands Rehabilitation team
WWD poster
Wakkerstroom Birding Weekend (9-11 March)
Presented by BirdLife South Africa in celebration of the MWF 10th Anniversary
Friday 9th March Arrive at BirdLife South Africa Wakkerstroom Centre by 17h00 18h00 Talk by Chris Smit (Wakkerstroom history) 19h00 BYO braai (braai fires will be provided) Saturday 10th March 06h00 Birding with André and Lucky 12h30 Picnic at BirdLife South Africa Centre 14h00 Talks on insects, snakes, birds and cranes 15h00 Birding with André and Lucky 18h30 Dinner at Bistro Sunday 11th March 06h00 Practical bird atlassing 12h30 Braai at Mucky Duck Birding and talks: Adults R180 and children (under 12) R100, meals and accommodation not included. Booking for the picnic lunch, dinner at Bistro and/or braai at Mucky Duck is essential. All bookings must be finalised with Kristi by 1 March 2012. Contact Kristi on 083 227 0128 or [email protected]
Please bring your own binoculars
MWF Newsletter
4
ANNOUNCEMENTS FOR 2012
Crocodile Catchment Forum 10 February Sembcorp Silulumanzi
7 April SANParks 8 June MMC
10 August ICMA 9 October DWA
9 November Irrigation Board
MWF NEXT MEETING Friday 17 February 2012
Gustav Klingbiel Nature Reserve Auditorium
10h00 – 15h00
CONTACT DETAILS Chairperson: André Beetge (SANBI) Tel 084 240 2264 / (013) 262 8140
Email [email protected]
“Life is not about waiting for the storms to pass… it’s about learning how to dance in the rain” Anon.
February 2012
The quaint village of Wakkerstroom, straddled by the
± 700 ha reed-marsh wetland (Photo: A. Steenkamp).
Come get your feet wet in Wakkerstroom
(Photo: A. Steenkamp).
The MWF is very grateful to JP Cilliers (Gustav Klingbiel Reserve Manager) for hosting the next Forum meeting. Your kindness and generosity is sincerely appreciated.