Help preserve our natural splendour

If you've ever found yourself shaking your head at the condition of various provincial reserves in our country and would like to do something about it, Neels van Heerden has some advice for you.

-  Neels van Heerden

It’s astounding how many nature and wildlife reserves, managed by provincial governments, essentially exist only on paper. According to research by the EndangeredWildlife Trust (EWT), poor management is the primary reason for their decline, leaving virtually nothing of these reserves.

Poor fence maintenance, for instance, has given poachers almost free reign, while cattle and goats are able to graze ever deeper into the reserves. This takes a significant toll on precious habitats, some of which are even being destroyed.

Naturally, this spills over into matters such as endangered plants, trees, and various insect and bird species, whose survival seems increasingly unlikely. It will take years and years for these ecosystems to recover.