The Table Mountain Fund was started in 1993 by Sir Edmund Hilary to provide capital for conservation projects. The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) provided the original start up capital with South African custodians contributing R10 million to date. To date TMF has provided R 90 million for over 300 projects
In April 2022 the Western Heads Goukamma Conservancy submitted an application for funding to the TMF with the title ‘Saving Knysna Sand Fynbos’. This proposal was short-listed and a second round application submitted in June 2022. This proposal was successful and the ‘Knysna Sand Fynbos’ will commence in September 2022.
Knysna Sand Fynbos is a NEMBA listed Critically Endangered vegetation type, and occurs entirely within the Garden Route National Park. Only 17% (2 750 ha) of the original 15 000 ha remain untransformed. Most of this (1 750 ha) is within the Western Heads Goukamma Conservancy (WHGC).
This 3 year project will run from September 2022 to September 2025.
Objectives of the project:
- Conservation – assisting landowners to establish formal or voluntary conservation biodiversity agreements, in partnership with SANParks and CapeNature;
- Threat reduction and biodiversity conservation – by establishing a database of the natural and alien vegetation baseline status; by developing an alien eradication and fire management plan; and by recommending appropriate area development policies.
- Restoration – by developing a restoration plan based on model restoration reference sites and agreed upon restoration methods and outcomes; and
- Raising public awareness – of the conservation value and tourism potential of Knysna Sand Fynbos, its flora, fauna, and ecosystems; alien plant control; fire management; conservation and protection; restoration; and development policies
The kick-off meeting for this exciting project was held on 2 September 2022. Click here to access a presentation describing the project.
Click here to access a background information document