Cape Winelands Biosphere Reserve joins provincial effort to protect mountain catchments from invasive plants

Invasive plants represent one of the most pressing threats to the biodiversity and water security in the Western Cape. While gains have been made in addressing this in certain areas, conservation agencies and landowners remain on the back foot, with invasive species spreading their reach in many areas. In high altitude, hard to reach mountain areas, this challenge becomes increasingly acute. In the rugged mountains of the Limietberg Reserve, pine and hakae infestations are spreading into some of the last bastions of pristine Cape Mountain fynbos.

 In recognition that a massive, multi-stakeholder initiative is required to deal with this challenge, the Cape Winelands Biosphere Reserve has been active in supporting research into invasive management in the Cape Mountains. To date this support has been through its drone mapping support work. This year the CWBR sought to take a further step in supporting the collective effort, getting involved on the ground with clearing efforts. 

In collaboration with Cape Nature, the CWBR has developed a pilot initiative that seeks to address invasive encroachment in high altitude regions of the Limietberg Reserve. The key principle underpinning this work, is that there are huge wins to be made by acting early. When trees are young and population densities are low, the effort involved in clearing can easily be cut 10-fold. This means that acting swiftly to hold the line against encroachment can mean big long-term wins in the joint effort to save the Limietberg and other mountain catchments.

A target area of 700ha was identified which will be used to test a model of using volunteers supported by CWBR staff.

In the first trial, a team of five volunteers and CWBR staff started work on this section over the course of a weekend resulting in 40ha of pine and hakea being cleared.

In the lead up to this, a collaborative effort from the biosphere reserve team helped to source all the necessary equipment and supplies. This included light weight chainsaws and other mechanical clearing tools. This equipment is now available and will make future efforts of the CWBR much easier.

Having tested this volunteer-based model and established relationships with landowners, the next steps in this process will be to resume clearing efforts with an expanded team of volunteers in the spring. Using a base camp model, in which more experienced team leaders who were involved in this first effort will recruit and manage teams of their own friends and family. Using this model of training volunteers through practical working weekends, and then resourcing the most experienced of these to then lead their own teams in future, we hope to be able exponentially ramp up our impact.

The next clearing effort is earmarked for late October when we hope to triple our efforts with three teams setting off to take the next bite out of the 700ha pilot site identified.

Those interested in joining the CWBR’s volunteer efforts in future action should add their names to this list here.