As COVID-19 threatens farming communities across Africa already struggling with climate change, the continent is at a crossroads. Will its people and their governments continue trying to replicate industrial farming models promoted by developed countries? Or will they move boldly into the uncertain future, embracing ecological agriculture? It is time to choose. Africa is … [Read more...]
Equipping African decision makers with biodiversity data
It is easy to go through each day without ever comprehending the stability of the ground we walk on, the quality of the air we breathe or the state of the soil that nourishes our next meal. The assumption of nature’s endless abundance and the carefree attitude many carry about the environment makes the need to equip African governments, businesses and policymakers with … [Read more...]
Science guides smart decisions about ocean protection
A new peer-reviewed study published in Science provides a novel scientific framework to consistently understand, plan, establish, evaluate and monitor ocean protection in Marine Protected Areas (MPAs). Authored by 42 marine and social scientists from 38 institutions across six continents, The MPA Guide: A Framework to Achieve Global Goals for the Ocean enables the global … [Read more...]
A run for conservation and heritage
The WILDSERIES Mont-Aux-Sources Challenge is one of the pioneering trail events in South Africa with its first event held in 1992. This set a precedent for trail running as this was a unique, sold-out event which was limited to 100 runners. It soon became the most sought-after event with an endless waiting list raising funds for the conservation efforts of Ezemvelo KZN … [Read more...]
Planting seeds of success for new woman researchers
Every morning at 8 undergraduate students stream into the University of Witwatersrand’s biology lecture hall, weaving through the sea of wooden desks to find their seats. Today’s lecture: plant physiology. The next generation of biologists sits attentively as the complex processes through which plants function unravel before them, new words like “RuBisCO” and “mesophyll” … [Read more...]
African youth unifying for ocean protection
In the first-ever virtual event of its kind on the continent, a youth driven marine group called Youth4MPAs in partnership with WILDOCEANS, and supported by World Surf League PURE, The Pew Charitable Trusts and Oceans 5 has launched an African Youth Summit focusing on unifying youth across Africa, engaging with global marine experts and amplifying their young voices to advocate … [Read more...]
Recycling project demonstrates the value of effective collaboration
In a combination of passion for the environment, a drive for economic opportunities, and the need for people to make a living, a number of civil society organisations, government structures, businesses and informal waste pickers are working together to do clean-ups, recycle and repurpose waste material that benefits all, in what promises to be a workable prototype for the City … [Read more...]
Boosting wildlife security at Somkhanda
As game reserves continue to struggle in dealing with the impact of Covid-19 through the loss of income from the tourism model and the loss of manpower to combat wildlife crime, the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Save our Species African Wildlife initiative, co-funded by the European Union (EU), recently approved an investment that will see a rapid … [Read more...]
Concerns raised about Saldanha gas-to-power plant
While South Africa struggles to survive the impacts of the CoVid-19 pandemic, along with being ravaged by all the corruption that continues to be exposed, the Green Connection questions our government’s reasoning for pushing through Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs), when there is little or no chance of meaningful engagement with those communities who will be most … [Read more...]
Sea Shepherd ships attacked at Vaquita Refuge
At about 07:00 on the morning of Thursday 31 December, a group of assailants in 5 - 7 fishing boats launched a violent attack on Sea Shepherd vessels Farley Mowat and Sharpie inside the Zero Tolerance Area of Mexico’s federally-protected Vaquita Refuge. The incident began as the crew of the Farley Mowat undertook efforts to retrieve a gillnet from the protected region, home … [Read more...]
Mountain biking permits for Bottelary Conservancy available
The annual Bottelary Hills Renosterveld Conservancy (BHRC) mountain bike permits are now available online. Enjoy a 92km trail network through rolling hillsides, conservation areas, vineyards and farmland in the Bottelary Hills just outside Stellenbosch in the Cape Winelands. Multiple route options cater for various skill and fitness levels. Fees range between R400 and R700 … [Read more...]
African conservation documentary wins at film festival
South African conservation documentary, The Edge of Existence, by Black Bean Productions, has scooped a top award at the 10th annual Wildlife Conservation Film Festival (WCFF), taking place from 1 October to 8 November 2020. Out of 150 documentaries at the festival, The Edge of Existence – which took three years to film, with the crew sometimes spending days or even weeks … [Read more...]
Increased transparency needed in management of Cape baboons
In a recent letter to Cape Town Mayor Dan Plato, the Southern African Faith Communities’ Environment Institute (SAFCEI) highlighted a number of its concerns regarding the City of Cape Town’s (CoCT) protocols in its management of baboons in the Cape Peninsula. The multi-faith NGO says that in recent years, members of the public have raised the alarm over aggressive baboon … [Read more...]
