From 25 June to 18 July, Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden is holding its annual Winter Wonders Special where children 17 years and younger receive free entry into Kirstenbosch. A #mywinterwonders competition will add even more excitement to the winter school holiday. Winter at Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden offers the most sensational views and natural … [Read more...]
First successful rooting of Yellow Peeling Plain Tree
2022 has been an incredible year for SANBI and conservation horticulturist and tree expert Mpendulo Gabayi from Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden, Mpho Mathalauga (horticulturist) from KwaZulu-Natal National Botanical Garden, and Ntsakisi Masia (seed collector - Millennium Seed Bank Partnership) from Thohoyandou National Botanical Garden as they were triumphant in their … [Read more...]
Beetle wages ecological destruction in SA
The Polyphagous Shot Hole Borer beetle poses a significant threat to what makes South Africa’s biodiversity unique. It could potentially be one of South Africa’s largest ecological tragedies, judging by the number of trees it has killed since arriving in 2017. No remedy has yet been discovered for this devastating threat. The infestation is spreading nationwide. It is … [Read more...]
A climate case for wood
It’s fair to say that most people, when thinking about the resources we have to fight climate change, don’t immediately think of forestry. But there is a climate case for wood – it is the only material that can naturally and significantly decarbonise our planet by driving down demand for illegally harvested wood, and provide functional alternatives to non-renewable materials … [Read more...]
Protection needed for precious Tapajós River
We cannot talk about the Amazon without recognizing the importance of the Tapajós basin. With continental dimensions, this freshwater ecosystem is rich in scenic beauty, socio-environmental attributes and biodiversity. This territory has been inhabited for thousands of years by traditional communities that protect it. Today the basin and its most famous river, the Tapajós, are … [Read more...]
Eco beds help conserve our forests
The wood used in eco-friendly wooden furniture is sourced from carefully grown and harvested trees from sustainably managed forests. Hence the Slumberland Ecolux Base is made by a company that uses Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified supplies. As the original pioneers of forest certification, the FSC uses their expertise to promote and certify the responsible … [Read more...]
New fashion pact promotes responsible renewable fibre sourcing
The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) launched its Fashion Forever Green Pact today; a call to immediate action for the fashion industry—brands, retailers and manufacturers alike—to adopt responsible sourcing in support of the world’s forests. With the rising need for renewable and sustainable fibres in recent years, man-made cellulosic fibres (MMCFs) have become the fastest … [Read more...]
A gift that gives back to a rare SA forest
Astonishingly, only 0.5% of land in South Africa is forested. And within this, our increasingly rare mistbelt forests occupy an even tinier fraction. On the outskirts of Pietermaritzburg in KwaZulu-Natal lies one such special place. Ferncliffe. It is the precious remnant of a biome that originally stretched over 2000 hectares. In a largely dry country, Ferncliffe is blessed … [Read more...]
When will Africa embrace ecological agriculture?
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...]
Connecting home to nature at the heart of true wellness
Today’s architecture takes its cues from nature. And rightfully so. It’s the underlying ethos of many new North Coast residential estates where developers have rehabilitated land once used for sugar cane farming or now overcome with alien vegetation. This architectural vision mimics natural shapes and forms, makes use of natural materials, and integrates design features that … [Read more...]
Springbok Damian Willemse plants THE SEED
Fresh off his participation in the Springboks World Cup winning campaign and the British & Irish tour success Damian Willemse has announced the launch of his project THE SEED. It was created in partnership with global planting business, One Tree Planted, with a clear goal in raising R500 000 for the planting of trees in local areas that need it most. Damians’ attendance … [Read more...]
Stellenbosch gears up for Arbor Week
Several projects from 2014 up until 2021 have been aimed at greening the communities within the Stellenbosch Municipal boundaries and restoring the ecosystems, especially catchments and rivers in the area. The Stellenbosch Project had its roots in the Million Trees Project, initiated in April 2014 by then Stellenbosch Mayor, Conrad Sidego, as a partnership between the … [Read more...]
Restoring natural landscapes through waste clean-ups
Since the start of the pandemic, South Africa has seen a significant increase in the volumes of medical waste and discarded personal protective equipment (PPE). While most parts of the country receive an adequate waste management service to discard medical waste and used PPE, some towns and communities are afflicted with piles of this waste stream from illegal dumping. “It … [Read more...]
