Read our latest posts and news.
Win R3000! Wanted for bounty reward: find the Honey Mesquite tree
Can you identify the Honey Mesquite tree? Take a photo of this invasive alien plant and share it with our hashtag #badmesquite on social media platforms. Tag @gouritzbiosphere and tell us how you identified this IAP to stand a chance to win a R3000 bounty reward!...
Stopping the Honey Mesquite Tree (Prosopis) Invasion
The invasion caused by the Prosopis tree damages the ecosystem by affecting resources like water supply and grazing. The diversity and biology of smaller animals like birds and invertebrates are also negatively affected by the Prosopis invasion, ultimately...
How to Identify Prosopis Glandulosa var. Torreyana
The Honey Mesquite Tree (or Prosopis Glandulosa var. Torreyana) is an invasive species that is fast becoming one of the more threatening, invasive plant species in South Africa, putting down roots across many of our arid regions such as the Karoo and Klein Karoo....
Why You Need To Know About The Honey Mesquite Tree.
The Honey Mesquite tree (or Prosopis glandulosa var. torreyana) is an invasive alien plant (IAP) species that is taking over large tracts of overgrazed rangelands in South Africa’s more arid regions. Prosopis is a highly successful invader. Originating from an arid...
Why are Invasive Alien Plants (IAPs) bad?
Invasive alien plants are defined as such when they are resistant to local diseases and have no natural enemies.
GCBR Micro Fund: Sowing the seeds of change and sustainability
Towards the end of last year the Gouritz Cluster Biosphere Reserve (GCBR) provided funding for 20 organic vegetable-garden starter kits where 10 were donated to Gerrit du Plessis High School in Riversdale and the other 10 donated to 10 households in Railton,...
GCBR Micro Fund Report: Aloe claviflora population status monitoring project in Wolwekraal Nature Reserve
Background Wolwekraal Conservation and Research Organisation (WCRO) applied to the GCBR Flexible Micro Fund for funding to carry out a repeat survey of drought and porcupine damage to the Kraal Aloe (Aloe claviflora) population in Wolwekraal Nature Reserve. Funding...
We Need Your Vote for an exciting new project
The GCBR has a new project that stands a very good chance of receiving funding from the European Outdoor Conservation Association (EOCA), but we need your help to secure the funding. The project has been selected as a finalist along with five others, and the winner...
Looking Ahead: 2022 – 2025
Message from the Chair As important participants in the Gouritz Cluster Biosphere Reserve’s (GCBR) realm, we are excited to engage you in this newsletter to describe our plans for the next four years. This is on the back of a number of successful projects...
Living on Faith in a Changing Climate
Leliefontein livestock herding The Leliefontein communal area is one of five communal areas in Namaqualand where livestock herding is still a common practice in a vast unfenced grazing lands. In these communal areas you will find many Nama herders with their dogs,...