By GCBR Freshwater Conservation Coordinator ,Nelisiwe Khusi and GCBR MAB Youth, Shannon Johannes, Faith van Aswegen, and Ashanti Erasmus Over the past year, our MAB Youth have become more involved in freshwater monitoring, creating opportunities to build practical...
By Nelisiwe Khusi, GCBR Freshwater Conservation Coordinator March, recognised as Water Month in South Africa, came at a time when the catchments within the Gouritz Region were already under pressure. Over the past year, parts of our region received little rainfall,...
By: Claude Schippers, Donovan Kotze, Lee-Ann Pretorius and Mark Jantjies Wetlands are special ecosystems where land and water meet, often called the “kidneys of the landscape” because of the important ecosystems services they provide. They regulate streamflows,...
By: Purnille Albertyn On the 17th and 18th of October, the Gouritz Cluster Biosphere Reserve (GCBR) team Jolandie Buck (Extension Officer), Nelisiwe Khusi (Hydrologist), Claude Schippers (Extension Officer), and Purnille Albertyn (Intern) went to Groenfontein...
By Nelisiwe Khusi, Donovan Kotze, Lee-Ann Pretorius GCBR monitoring team, Lee-Ann, Claude, and Nelisiwe recently visited Ladismith to monitor an area that has been cleared of hakea and other invasive alien plants since 2019. The clearing was initiated by volunteers...
By Nelisiwe Khusi This past month, our restoration team invited two MAB Youth members, Noluthando Zikishe and Jasmine Moses, to join us in the field for a follow-up plant biodiversity assessment along the Vals River. The two MAB Youth members were identified by our...
14th of March − At the Gouritz Cluster Biosphere Reserve, we are committed to protecting and restoring our rivers and wetlands for future generations. In honour of International Action for Rivers, we recognise the dedication of our contracting and restoration teams in...
By Nelisiwe Khusi The restoration team kicked off the year by conducting follow-up plant biodiversity assessments at two sites in the Upper Goukou Catchment. Initial baseline assessments were conducted between June and July 2024 to document the pre-clearing conditions...
Nelisiwe Khusi 1, Rita Liebenberg 1, Dr Donovan Kotze 2 1 Gouritz Cluster Biosphere Reserve (GCBR),2 Barry Street, Riversdale, 6670, Western Cape2 Centre for Water Resources Research, University of KwaZulu-Natal 1. Broomvlei Wetland Overview The Broomvlei wetland,...
by Nelisiwe Khusi This week is National Invasive Species Week, from October 7 to October 14, 2024. This week serves as an important reminder of the ongoing threat posed by invasive species to our ecosystems and water sources. We encourage everyone to learn more about...