WILDLANDS
Greater eThekwini & Durban Port
BuffeLsdraai Restoration Project
Through the Buffelsdraai Reforestation Project, established in 2008, this 800-hectare buffer landfill site which was previously sugar cane land is being rewilded and restored into a natural mosaic of forest, woodland, and wetlands. In addition to the biodiversity conservation value, the restored habitat is sequestering carbon to offset the climate change impact of Durban hosting the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
KwaZulu-Natal Midlands
Dartmoor Nature Reserve Project
The Dartmoor project, started in 2009, is an integral part of the Karkloof Nature Reserve, owned and managed by WILDTRUST, protecting 700 ha of important grassland and wetland habitat for all 3 Crane species and Oribi.
UKhahlamba - Drakensberg World Heritage Site
Upper uThukela Project
The WILDTRUST Upper uThukela project is an ongoing ecological restoration and rangeland management initiative (initiated in 2013 and set to end in 2026), working with the amaNgwane and amaZizi communities to improve the grasslands and reduce the anthropomorphic pressure on the strategic water source. The uThukela catchment, while contributing significantly to KZN’s water supply is also one of the primary sources of water for Gauteng through an inter-basin transfer into the Vaal River. The primary activities to improve water retention in the system and reduce the impact of human development in the area include invasive alien plant removal (primarily woody vegetation, which has the highest impact on water reduction), improved rangeland management through better burning practices and rotational grazing and donga/erosion rehabilitation. In contribution to the global 30x30 target, the community have also set aside 32 000 ha of pristine mountain area to be proclaimed as a formal Protected Environment, to be realised over the next three years.
