Grootbos Foundation Monthly Update | January and February 2024

14 February

Foundation

Grootbos Foundation January and February Update

The start of the new year always brings with it a sense of renewed energy. With new students at the college, new entomology projects on the horizon and our ever-growing passion for uplifting nature and our community, we have so much to look forward to in the coming months.

A Fresh Start at Green Futures College

In February, the Green Futures College welcomed its 11th group of hospitality and eco-tourism students. Out of 179 applications, these 12 successful applicants proved they were eager for work and excited about the hospitality and tourism industry.

These students will spend the next six months in the Lobster Ink programme, learning about the tourism industry in Gansbaai and the Overstrand, gaining practical skills and being personally mentored. We wish them all the best as they embark on this educational journey. 

A Hockey Star In The Making

Qhama Dyakophu was awarded a full scholarship from Glenwood High School in KwaZulu Natal to join its specialised hockey programme. Qhama joined Grootbos Foundation’s sports programme at the tender age of seven years old, a decade ago. He is dedicated, hard-working and an extraordinary ambassador for sport, having volunteered to help coach and build a beginner's hockey programme with us in 2023. 

Qhama is now in Grade 11 at Glenwood High School and we, his family and his friends couldn’t be prouder. This young man has set himself high goals: to achieve a top-quality education and to make the most of this opportunity which may lead to him being selected to play hockey for a Provincial or a National team. For now, he is already a hero and an inspiration.

Future Scientists At Work

The Grootbos Environmental Centre is an off-grid research centre nestled deep in a hidden
valley of Grootbos Private Nature Reserve. It is operated by the Grootbos Foundation to deepen our understanding of the biodiversity of the Cape Floristic Region through scientific research, and for independent research into the human impact of Grootbos Foundation community programmes. Research conducted at the Centre helps our conservation management plans and informs the broader understanding of this landscape. 

This month, undergraduate Biodiversity and Ecology students from Stellenbosch University conducted mini-research projects at the Grootbos Environmental Centre. They represent a vibrant group of future scientists passionate about conserving wild places on Earth. Working in teams, 30 students completed five mini projects while at the same time, enjoying the fynbos biome, getting to know plants, soil arthropods, grasshoppers and frogs. Some students ventured into the coastal marine projects in the beautiful Walker Bay region. 

In The Business of Conserving Fynbos

Our biodiversity stewardship programme offers training and support to teams of women who work independently within the fynbos landscape and actively protect and conserve the landscape. 

As experienced Biodiversity Stewards, these teams can operate as independent contractors within the Walker Bay Fynbos Conservancy. Their skills training includes how to effectively clear invasive plant species, identify indigenous plants, operate chainsaws, build and maintain hiking trails building and control erosion.

Through this training, we provide skills that make these teams sustainably employable and we ensure that these teams know the value of their work in conserving the biodiversity of the fynbos biome. 
 

The teams began clearing invasive species within the Walker Bay Fynbos Conservancy this month, and we are proud to see their passion and dedication to the task at hand.

Under The Dome At The Eden Project

Grootbos Foundation has a long relationship with the Eden Project in Cornwall. Since the foundation started in 2003, students from the Green Futures College have visited the project to gain work experience and learn more about the plants and vegetation it showcases from around the globe.

The Eden Project, built in a former quarry, consists of two climate-controlled domes, one representing Mediterranean climates and the other, tropical climates. Our horticulture students have used their training to assist in the fynbos section of the Mediterranean Dome.

The Eden Project has honoured the Grootbos Foundation by erecting an information board which displays information about our projects and programmes. We are grateful for this long partnership and friendship, and for the experiences which the Eden Project has made possible for our students.

A New Entomology Project

Grootbos Foundation’s Entomology Research programme was established in 2018 fueled by our ongoing desire to understand the natural biodiversity of the fynbos region. 

Grootbos Foundation currently employs four entomologists whose primary tasks are to survey and conduct research on the insect population of Grootbos Private Nature Reserve. One of the key roles of insects in the fynbos region is to perform the function of pollination, a function that benefits both plants and the insects themselves. These relationships are deeply important for the health and longevity of the fynbos biome. 

Our entomology team is currently running a pilot project to find the ‘enigmatic pollinators’ of three fynbos species, Zaluzianskya capensis, Corycium bicolorum and Lapeirousia anceps. To do this, the team will set up motion sensor camera traps which they modify with a lens from a pair of reading glasses to magnify images of the small pollinators. A recent pilot project was a success, our team captured images of a small solitary bee (Allodapula sp) visiting Aristea spiralis!