The Wildlands Relief Project

Comrades to leave a green legacy

By the time you read this article, 13 000 trees in 3 days: would have been planted, by the official Comrades Charity, the Wildlands Conservation Trust, as part of their Bonitas Medical Fund Releaf campaign this year. The KZN-based organisation had a vision to plant a tree for every runner in an ultra-marathon of a different kind. The trees were planted in the buffer area around the Buffelsdraai Landfill Site near Verulam during the three days running up to the Comrades Marathon, which took place on the 24th of this month. Reforestation around the landfill site has already begun as part of the eThekwini’s Municipality’s Greening Durban 2010 Programme, to help mitigate the carbon emissions associated with hosting the 2010 FIFA World Cup™ and it is hoped this initiative will give the project a huge boost.

The Wildlands Conservation Trust has been one of the official Comrades charities for more than 10 years now. “This year we wanted to make a real difference, something that will leave a legacy, for our projects, but also for the runners. With support again from Bonitas Medical Fund, we were able to do just that. As well as planting the 13 000 trees this year all comrade runner and their families were challenged to plant their own seed at the Releaf stand at the Comrades Expo allowing them to leave a legacy for 2010, said Comrades Campaign Manager Heidi Mocke.

The planting site, a 750ha ‘buffer zone’ around the Buffelsdraai Landfill, is where the eThekwini Municipality recently launched the first of their ‘Greening Durban 2010’ reforestation projects using trees grown through Wildlands’ Indigenous Trees for Life Programme. “The contribution of this initiative to the Buffelsdraai Landfill Site Community Reforestation Project will increase the number of trees to be planted from 62,500 to 75,500 trees - increasing in the carbon sink we are creating be more than 20%! No small feat in three days!” says Greening Durban 2010 co-ordinator Nicci Diederichs.

The environmental benefits of reforestation are vital to the area. Dr Andrew Venter, CEO of Wildlands explains: “There are two primary benefits: biodiversity restoration and climate change mitigation. The ultimate aim is to restore 580ha of the 750ha buffer zone to indigenous forest [the remaining land will be restored to natural grasslands and wetlands]; green space that will be very valuable in twenty years time when this area will be surrounded by concrete. The forest will also act as a carbon sink, sequestering thousands of tonnes of CO2 over a period of 20 years, mitigating the effects of climate change.” All the trees were planted and cared for by local community members.

Katy Caldis, Business Development Director at Bonitas explaining the schemes enthusiastic support for this initiative said, “Our aim at Bonitas is to foster lifelong good health and this is not possible without a healthy natural environment. The message at Bonitas is simple: while it is our business objective to grow financially as an institution, Bonitas and the people who work here will always believe that it is only in giving back that we can truly grow as people and as a nation.”

PANEL 1

Skotana Msweli, Age 60, Waterloo Tree-preneur, 5000 indigenous trees grown to date, 2000 of which were used to send his daughter Angel to university.
“I was invited to join Indigenous Trees for Life in 2006. Wildlands explained how to grow indigenous trees and how they would buy them back from us afterwards. I have seven children, and I support the family working as a security officer. I am a temporary worker so there is not enough money to pay for university education but Wildlands has come to my rescue”

Angel Msweli, Age 17, University Student, BComm Accounting, University of Zululand.
“I wish to say thank-you to my father for what he has done for me… I feel enthusiastic because I will be able to fulfil my dreams and be able to support my family. I promise that I will do well in my studies until I graduate.”

PANEL 2

Sibonelo Magwaza, Age 14, Grade 8, Ilembe Secondary School, eSikhawini Tree-preneur, 10000 trees grown to date, participated in his first duathlon in 2008.
“The project has been good for me. I love trees and the other kids at school see me as a role-model. They ask me to teach them to grow the trees. I have been able to trade my trees for groceries, clothes, bikes, a watering can and two school uniforms. Life is better than before”.

PANEL 3

Zodwa Gumede, Age 41, Kwa-Jobe Tree-preneur, Facillitator and Nursery Caretaker, Approximately 20 000 trees grown to date.
“I joined the project four years ago when my sister told me about it. I started planting 200 trees and they paid me R90 - I was so happy! After that, I planted lots and lots of trees. The project has helped my family to get food and clothes and even bicycles. I’ve also been able to pay school fees and buy school uniform for my children. I teach the tree-preneurs to plant trees and to look after them. At the nursery, I water the plants and keep the area clean. I enjoy each and every moment! I am talkative and so I enjoy working with people and if you work for Wildlands you have to talk with people and hear their opinions. I went on a Wilderness Trail in iMfolozi last year and I learnt that if I respect animals they will respect me.”