REstoration | Community
Gouritz Resilient Rivers Project
Location
Goukou River Catchment, Hessequa Municipality
Period
2018 – 2025
Partnership
DOB Ecology, Cape Nature; Local stakeholders, Hessequa Municipality, CASIDRA, Working for Wetlands
Total Number of Hectares Cleared (initial)
Total Number of Hectares Cleared (follow-up)
Total number of jobs
Total number of persondays worked
Please note: These statistics are quoted from project inception to to end of April 2025
Project Objective:
To reverse biodiversity loss and connect fragmented habitats in the in Gouritz River and Langeberg region (Riversdale-Herbertsdale-Ruiterbos) through restoration of high conservation value mountain, wetland, and river ecosystems, using multiple methods suited to different landscape management contexts.
This project focuses on restoration of ecologically valuable systems – which are largely located on private land – where limited or no systematic invasive plant eradication or other restoration programmes are being implemented.
Project Implementation:
Strong emphasis will be placed on experimentation and grounded research and development of innovative, efficient methods, building an evidence base to take to farmers and other stakeholders – with a focus on influencing them and changing behaviour. A mix of methodologies will be deployed, appropriate to different landscape management contexts. These include a mix of restoration methodologies, such as:
- Selective clearing of invasive alien plants;
- Chipping biomass and mulching for alien seed suppression
- Soil erosion control and regeneration interventions;
- Rehabilitation and revegetation using indigenous species;
- Creating wetland buffer zones
The project also has a strong focus on job creation, empowering local entrepreneurs and upskilling their teams.
Invasive Alien Plants (IAPs)
