FOCUS ON FORESTRY 2023

Simon Shackleton (left) of John Deere provides insight into the impressive JD eight-wheeled harvester that was on show at the field day. Operating the harvester for the demo was CMO’s mechanised harvesting instructor Gilbert Khumalo.

New forestry equipment, strategies & insights

The big international forestry brands plus local equipment manufacturers and service providers as well as mulchers, chippers and grinders made their presence felt at the Focus on Forestry 2023 event held in the picturesque KZN midlands in early November. Against the backdrop of the magnificent Karkloof mountains and surrounded by Sappi’s well kept gum and pine plantations, forestry stakeholders gathered from far and wide to see the latest equipment up close and gain some keen insights from dozens of presentations that covered just about every aspect of the forestry business.

There was also a lot of networking, socialising and catching up with old friends on the fringes of the conference, as there has been a long gap since the last Focus event that was held before COVID hit.

The overall message from the conference was that forestry businesses have and will continue to encounter hard times in the form of international trade disruptions, weak economic cycles, logistics bottlenecks, rising input costs, fires and extreme weather events, but at the end of the day forestry is part of the solution for many of the world’s biggest challenges and is on an upwards trajectory.

In his keynote address, Dr Ole Sand, Managing Partner of Criterion Africa Partners (CAP), which has invested millions of dollars in forestry businesses in sub-Saharan Africa, says forestry assets have been and are still undervalued. But the positive impacts forestry makes on the global climate balance, the protection of biodiversity, employment and infrastructure are in the early stages of being recognised, valued and monetized.

(Left to right) Mark Barnado, manager of Sappi’s KZN plantations, Dr Ole Sand of Criterion Africa Partners, who delivered the keynote address, and Michal Brink of CMO.

He said plantations constitute just 3% of global forest area, but account for 47% of global industrial roundwood supply, while natural forestry is already beyond capacity. The demand for industrial roundwood is expected to increase by 600 – 900 million m3 per year by 2050.

Africa is a continent where forestry plays a massive role in providing people with goods and services, but there is a critical need for more efficient and more sustainable management practices.

Population growth in Africa is driving wood demand and unsustainable forest use. The continent accounts for 20% of total global wood consumption and 36% of global fuelwood consumption. However much of Africa’s fuelwood production is unsustainable, said Dr Sand.

He said subsistence agriculture is the biggest driver of global deforestation. In Africa natural forests are harvested beyond capacity, and as a result deforestation and degradation is continuing.

“Fuelwood consumption with charcoal the driver will continue, while new plantation development that is taking place is insignificant.”

In this regard, he says that the private sector is doing a better job managing plantations than the state.

Dr Sand said that the CAP team believes there are only two solutions: scale up smallholder plantation development, and improve efficiencies in charcoal production.

He says the scarce resource in African forestry is knowhow and management capacity – not capital.

“When given the market opportunity, smallholders will respond,” he concluded.

Wayne le Roux of Hintech, proudly South African manufacturers of a range of grabs as well as the Urus cable yarding systems, loaders, loggers and shovel yarders.

Wood replacing fossil fuels

“Everything made from fossil fuels today can be made from a tree tomorrow,” said Brazilian forest engineer Marcos Wichert of Stora Enso.

Intensification of forest management is happening, producing more from less is the objective, while making forests more resilient by:-

• Reducing use of agro-chemicals
• Improving soil health
• Reducing CO2 emissions.

Forestry operations are developing fast with GPS devices on planting tubes and even spades to map each tree, AI thinning selectors on harvesters, remote machine operation and unmanned autonomous timber trucks.

And the new frontier, he suggests, is about gaining a better understanding of the role of beneficial microbes and fungi in the soil. At the end of the day growing anything - including trees – is all about soil health.

Empowering smallholders

Michal Brink of CMO endorsed Dr Sand’s opinion on the role of smallholder tree farmers.

“Future forestry expansion will be driven by smallholders, because the land belongs to communities,” said Michal.

The role of corporates is to serve as anchors to support and empower smallholders.

He says CMO is providing simple, affordable and scaleable solutions to enable smallholders to get their operations certified.

“Empowered smallholders are the vehicle to expansion of sustainable plantation forestry into the future,” he concluded.

ProMac is another proudly SA made logger manufactured in Richards Bay.

Resilient forestry

Independent forester Michael Henson talked about resilient forestry and the fact that reducing the risk of failure is much more than just about site and climate.

He said clones are “impressive when they work, and equally impressive when they fail”, and are a “roll of the dice” as they have a very restricted genetic base and carry a higher biosecurity risk than seeds which are genetically more diverse.

Nelly Ndlovu of Mondi Zimele spoke of the need to do more research into agro-forestry to help small-scale growers to improve their cashflow.

Bongiwe Mafuya of Emabhaceni Development and Nature Solutions described how clearing of alien vegetation in the Eastern Cape has created jobs and improved rangelands and agricultural fields. Further good news for the community is that since the alien plant removal, the local river is flowing freely again.

Philip Hall of Mbombela-based Forestry Plant & Equipment shows off the Summit grapple carriage for high productivity yarding. It even comes with a camera attached so the operator can follow the load safely to the landing.

FPA’s on the edge

Addressing the perennial topic of fires in forestry, Ian Henderson lamented the lack of support for FPAs from the Forestry Department and the fact that only 46% of state owned landholders are members of FPAs, while private sector membership is keeping many FPAs afloat. He suggested small FPAs should join forces to establish bigger, more viable FPAs.

Gideon van Lill of Amathole Forestry explained how they reduced fire damage in their Eastern Cape plantations from 5 894 ha burnt between 1999 to 2004 while it was under Safcol management– to 340 ha burnt between 2005 to 2023 while under Amathole Forests management. The key, he said, was meticulous, detailed risk assessment and a very focused and structured approach to risk reduction. Also improved, co-ordinated involvement of external role players.

Andre Scheepers from Anco Manufacturing displays the new bakkie-sakkie made in SA and equipped with a Husqvarna pump for powerful fast-action firefighting.
Andre Scheepers of Anco Manufacturing talks up the advantages of their 4000 litre high tech firefighting unit which comes complete with all the bells and whistles.
Side-view of the Anco firefighting unit.

PBS trucks

The sudden termination of the highly successful PBS truck pilot project by the Department of Transport in September 2023 - without giving any reasons - has put forestry logistics at the crossroads. The benefits of the PBS timber trucks to growers, to the economy, to the environment and to the safety of road users has been plain to see.

“With freight rail in South Africa failing us, the PBS trucks have saved our lives,” said Francois Oberholzer of Forestry South Africa.

He acknowledged that the ‘Pilot Project’ status of the PBS trucks had to end at some point, and is hopeful that the programme’s termination signalled that the PBS trucks would be absorbed into the legislation so that they can continue to improve the efficiency of road transport.

Francois said that 56% of conventional trucks currently operating on SA’s roads would not pass the PBS safety tests.

Loggers and loaders from Zululand-based Bell Equipment.

Rail

David Taylor of Tailor Rail company expressed his optimism that private sector participation in freight rail in South Africa is coming, but that the stakeholders need to move forward with extreme caution as there are multiple infrastructure and operational challenges.

By the way, 170 metres of cable theft takes place in SA every hour of every day. That is just one of the challenges that freight rail operators will face. Will we see the return of the green uniforms of the Railway Police?

One-pass harvesting

Andrew Cooper of Mondi explained their journey to single-pass harvesting. This has largely been achieved with extensive trial and error and working closely with the manufacturers of harvesting heads.

The aim is to reduce stem processing time, wear and tear on equipment, and stem damage. He reckons that two to four tons of fibre per hectare is lost from excessive stem damage during multiple-pass processing.

The trick is variable pressure control on the rollers which need to be finely tuned to the tree characteristics and conditions at the time of harvesting, coupled with fewer rollers and more knives.

The heads endorsed for one-pass harvesting are:-
• SP 661E
• Waratah H225E
• Log Max E6
• Ponsse H7 Euca

Andrew said that the system balance is critical, and edge trees are a problem for one-pass harvesting.

“The journey to one-pass harvesting is very complicated and difficult to manage, but very worth it in the end,” he said.

Major learning: one size DOES NOT fit all.

Waratah head, mounted on a purpose-built John Deere harvester, is one of the iconic global brands.
New Ponsse head capable of rotating through 360 degrees with members of the local and international Ponsse support team (extreme right) Janne Tarvainen of Ponsse Finland, and second right Chris Odendaal of MTS Parts, principle Ponsse dealer in South Africa, based in Mbombela, Mpumalanga.
The Log Max 10000 XT head for extreme heavy duty logging, attached to a Tigercat tracked harvester, distributed and supported in South Africa by AfrEquip.

Biomass processing

Willem van der Merwe of Africa Biomass Company is a pioneer of chipping, mulching, grinding, shredding and billeting everything from post-harvest forestry slash to prunings, bush clearing and alien vegetation reduction in forestry and agriculture.

He says three hectares of cleared alien vegetation gains enough water savings to irrigate one ha of farmland.

Furthermore, 1.7 tons of good quality woodchips has the same energy value as one ton of coal, and reduces the carbon footprint by 95%.

He says markets for processed biomass material need to be found close by, on farms, in factories and in local small towns where more and more opportunities are opening up.

The big Bandit chipper, dubbed the ‘Beast’, reduced medium-sized pine logs to a neat pile of woodchips with effortless ease. It is operated by Africa Biomass Company.
This is the business end of the Bandit chipper …
SA manufactured Wuhlf 960-2 mulcher put through its paces at the field day by Grant Moodley.

Community-focused carbon project

Candice Taylor of the New Forests Company provided insights into a community-focused carbon project in Uganda which will provide small-scale growers with additional income from carbon credits earned in their operations. One of the objectives of the project is to encourage the small growers not to harvest their trees too early before they reach maturity, which is what they tend to do in an effort to boost their cashflow.

She said the project has taken three years to monetize, and will take five years to break even.

“Carbon shouldn’t be your side business – it should be a part of your core business,” she said.

And finally a word of advice: beware of the ‘carbon cowboys’ … so-called expert consultants who charge a fortune when you can do it yourself with a bit of effort. It’s complex, but it’s not rocket science.

Fanie Viljoen (left) and Jacques van der Watt of George-based Novelquip Forestry with one of their pitting attachments.
Jody Ivins of KZN midlands-based LP Engineering with one of their grabs … they also support Ponsse harvesting equipment in the Midlands.

SA Forestry 2024 Desktop Calendar NOW AVAILABLE

To order your copy of the iconic SA Forestry 2024 desktop calendar, send a request by email to:-
chris@saforestryonline.co.za

Please state your name, contact number and delivery details.

We can arrange for delivery by door-to-door courier, PostNet to PostNet, or SA Post Office – please indicate your preference.

COST: R 75 PLUS cost of delivery

The calendar includes:-

• 12 months: January – December 2024
• Stats about forestry in South Africa
• Fire Danger Index
• FPA contact details
• Forestry Directory
• Useful forestry info, including:-
Conversion tables
Moisture loss calculator
Slope & gradient
Planting spacement
Thinning regimes

Monitoring & reporting emissions empowers growers

There is a lot of carbon locked up in the growing trees and roots as well as the harvested logs, and even the harvest residue lying in-field.  Emissions generated during the harvesting operation and the burning off of harvest residue will be off-set against the carbon locked up in the wood to calculate the carbon balance.

Plantation owners in South Africa with more than 100 ha of trees in the ground are required to report their carbon emissions on an annual basis, in terms of Greenhouse Gas regulations gazetted in 2017.

This requirement is likely to send a shiver down the spines of tree farmers, who are already burdened with dozens of laws and regulations requiring their attention and compliance. More red tape, more admin … and calculating carbon balance is a daunting prospect as it is not something they learned in forestry school. This is why only a few big plantation owners in South Africa are currently reporting their carbon emissions, while the majority of growers have not yet complied with the GHG reporting regulations.

And don’t for a moment think that you can bury your head in the sand and wait for the carbon reporting thing to go away. It won’t! It is going to become a bigger issue going forward all around the world as greenhouse gas emitters come under increasing pressure. They will be taxed, punished and eventually shut out of international markets.

But fear not! The Sustainable African Forestry Assurance Scheme (SAFAS), in collaboration with the Paper Manufacturers’ Association of South Africa (PAMSA) and the Department of Forestry Fisheries & Environment (DFFE), has unpicked the knot and developed a protocol to make carbon reporting for plantation owners do-able, effective and relatively simple.

“But forestry is sustainable, renewable, it sequesters carbon out of the atmosphere and stores it in the wood, and so why do we now have to jump through these carbon reporting hoops?” I hear you cry.

Exactly! Forestry is located on the positive side of the carbon equation and this is going to become a massive advantage for this sector going forward. But first we have to monitor our emissions, calculate our carbon balance, so that we can access those advantages and reap the full benefits of growing trees. This process is going to become a way of life for foresters.

Sappi mill ...one of the key aims of the SAFAS protocol is to enable wood processors to offset the carbon locked up in third party timber against their carbon tax.

Dave Everard, chair of the SAFAS Council and former Group Environmental Manager at Sappi Forests, has been involved in the development of the SAFAS carbon reporting protocol. He gave a very succinct presentation at the recent SA Institute of Forestry AGM on the ‘why’ and ‘how’ of carbon reporting.

Some background: PAMSA approached the SAFAS team a few years back with a request to develop a carbon reporting protocol for forest owners that is accurate and verifiable. PAMSA’s motivation is to enable wood processors (pulp mills, sawmills etc) who are required by law to pay a carbon tax, to offset the carbon stored in the timber they use as raw material. Currently processors can only offset the carbon sequestered in their own timber that they grow themselves on their own farms. As it stands now, mills cannot offset the sequestered carbon contained in third party timber that they buy in, and over which they do not have operational control.

Why? Because there are concerns around the chain-of-custody and how to verify the carbon claims of third party growers. This is a big problem for the processors who must procure timber from outside of their own business to keep their mills running. It’s going to get costly.

It’s also a big problem from the point of view of plantation owners who may experience declining demand for their timber as a consequence.

The SAFAS carbon reporting protocol is therefore designed to not only facilitate accurate, do-able carbon reporting for timber growers, it must also be verifiable so that it can be endorsed by the tax authorities. The first part has been achieved – the protocol is up and running and the system has been tested (and verified) on 20 farms in a pilot study.

According to Dave the SAFAS protocol is currently being presented to Treasury and is awaiting their approval to allow third party timber to be included in the carbon tax calculations of processing mills. The protocol has been developed in close collaboration with DFFE, so Dave is confident that this endorsement will be forthcoming.

Dave described a simple five-step process that growers can follow to achieve carbon reporting compliance.

Step 1
The grower registers on the SAFAS Value-Based Platform (VBP), provides some simple data on their tree growing operations including info about tree species, MAIs, stems per hectare, age distribution and utilisable standing timber. The Carbon reporting tool on the VBP provides estimates of the volume of leaves and branches, litter layer, root volume and harvest residues required for the stock calculations. The grower must also indicate whether they burned their residues, used fertiliser or had any wildfires so that emissions can be calculated.

Step 2
The Platform calculates the carbon stored in the plantation based on the info provided, utilising global carbon ratios (Tier 1), South Africa generic ratios (Tier 2) or compartment specific data if this is available (Tier 3). This calculation determines the carbon stock of the plantation for that year. Note that the carbon stored in harvested timber sold to the mill is not included in the total carbon stock. Carbon stocks less emissions gives you the carbon balance. The carbon balance from the current year less the carbon balance from the previous year indicates whether the plantation has sequestered carbon (carbon positive) or has maintained the stored carbon (carbon neutral) or has lost some carbon (carbon negative).

Step 3
Verification of the carbon stocks and emissions on the plantation during the protocol will be done by SAFAS. Note that DFFE may require some of the submissions to be independently verified by an accredited verifier, but this is post reporting and outside of the protocol. The protocol makes this verification process a simple procedure for the grower.

Step 4
The grower receives a report and signs off if he/she is happy with the calculation.

Step 5
The SAFAS VBP transfers the carbon data to the official carbon reporting platform, SAGERS, and the carbon reporting process is completed.

This process needs to be done annually. Most of the information required for Step 1 is the kind of info that a forestry manager would have recoded in the normal course of business, said Dave. It is required for FSC or PEFC certification purposes anyway.

This process not only enables the forest owner to comply with current carbon reporting regulations, it also serves as a useful management tool for the responsible farmer who wants to reduce GHG emissions going forward.

Once Treasury has endorsed the protocol and the carbon sequestered in third party timber can be verified and offset against mill owners’ carbon tax, the grower’s timber becomes more valuable as a feedstock.

Dave concluded his presentation with the following points:-

• Carbon reporting will become a requirement for forest certification, both FSC and PEFC.
• The forestry sector’s role in the carbon issue should be seen as an advantage.
• Forestry has a legal and socio-economic obligation to report and manage GHG emissions.
• Carbon reporting is likely to become a pre-requisite for accessing many markets, both local and international.
• The SAFAS protocol has been piloted with 20 farms supplying Sappi, Mondi and NCT, and the system works!
• The SAFAS Value Based Platform offers many other benefits to growers, including risk assessments that address sustainability issues as well as a pathway to certification.

Dave Everard … in the field.

Alien invasive species a massive threat to biodiversity

Lantana camara … one of the top ten alien invasive plants that has invaded 69 regions around the world – including South Africa.

The severe global threat posed by invasive alien species is underappreciated, underestimated, and often unacknowledged. According to a major new report by the Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES), more than 37,000 alien species have been introduced by many human activities to regions and biomes around the world. This conservative estimate is now rising at unprecedented rates. More than 3,500 of these are harmful invasive alien species – seriously threatening nature, nature's contributions to people and good quality of life. Too often ignored until it is too late, invasive alien species are a significant challenge to people in all regions and in every country.

Approved on Saturday in Bonn, Germany, by representatives of the 143 member States of IPBES, the Assessment Report on Invasive Alien Species and their Control finds that alongside dramatic changes to biodiversity and ecosystems, the global economic cost of invasive alien species exceeded $423 billion annually in 2019, with costs having at least quadrupled every decade since 1970.

In 2019, the IPBES Global Assessment Report found that invasive alien species are one of the five most important direct drivers of biodiversity loss – alongside changes in land and sea use, direct exploitation of species, climate change and pollution. On the basis of this finding, Governments tasked IPBES to provide the best available evidence and policy options to deal with the challenges of biological invasions. The resulting report was produced by 86 experts from 49 countries, working for more than four and a half years. It draws on more than 13,000 references, including very significant contributions from indigenous peoples and local communities, making it the most comprehensive assessment ever carried out of invasive alien species around the world.

"Invasive alien species are a major threat to biodiversity and can cause irreversible damage to nature, including local and global species extinctions, and also threaten human wellbeing," said Professor Helen Roy (United Kingdom), co-chair of the Assessment with Prof. Anibal Pauchard (Chile) and Prof. Peter Stoett (Canada).

The authors of the report emphasize that not all alien species become invasive – invasive alien species are the subset of alien species that are known to have become established and spread, which cause negative impacts on nature and often also on people. About 6% of alien plants; 22% of alien invertebrates; 14% of alien vertebrates; and 11% of alien microbes are known to be invasive, posing major risks to nature and to people. People with the greatest direct dependence on nature, such as indigenous peoples and local communities, are found to be at even greater risk. More than 2,300 invasive alien species are found on lands under the stewardship of indigenous peoples – threatening their quality of life and even cultural identities.

While many alien species were historically introduced on purpose for their perceived benefits to people, the IPBES report finds that the negative impacts of those that do become invasive are enormous for nature and people. "Invasive alien species have been a major factor in 60% and the only driver in 16% of global animal and plant extinctions that we have recorded, and at least 218 invasive alien species have been responsible for more than 1,200 local extinctions. In fact, 85% of the impacts of biological invasions on native species are negative," said Prof. Pauchard. Examples of such impacts include the ways that North American beavers (Castor canadensis) and Pacific Oysters (Magallana gigas) change ecosystems by transforming habitats – often with severe consequences for native species.

Nearly 80% of the documented impacts of invasive alien species on nature's contributions to people are also negative – especially through damage to food supplies – such as the impact of the European shore crab (Carcinus maenas) on commercial shellfish beds in New England and the damage caused by the Caribbean false mussel (Mytilopsis sallei) to locally important fishery resources in India.

Similarly, 85% of documented impacts negatively affect people's quality of life – for instance through health impacts, including diseases such as malaria, Zika and West Nile Fever, spread by invasive alien mosquito species like Aedes albopictus and Aedes aegyptii. Invasive alien species also damage livelihoods, for example in Lake Victoria where fisheries have declined due to the depletion of tilapia, as a result of the spread of water hyacinth (Pontederia crassipes), which is the world's most widespread terrestrial invasive alien species. Lantana (Lantana camara), a flowering shrub, and the black rat (Rattus rattus) are the second and third most widespread globally, with far-reaching impacts on people and nature.

"It would be an extremely costly mistake to regard biological invasions only as someone else's problem," said Pauchard. "Although the specific species that inflict damages vary from place to place, these are risks and challenges with global roots but very local impacts, facing people in every country, from all backgrounds and in every community – even Antarctica is being affected."

The report shows that 34% of the impacts of biological invasions were reported from the Americas, 31% from Europe and Central Asia, 25% from Asia and the Pacific and about 7% from Africa. Most negative impacts are reported on land (about 75%) – especially in forests, woodlands and cultivated areas – with considerably fewer reported in freshwater (14%) and marine (10%) habitats. Invasive alien species are most damaging on islands, with numbers of alien plants now exceeding the number of native plants on more than 25% of all islands.

"The future threat from invasive alien species is a major concern," said Prof. Roy. "37% of the 37,000 alien species known today have been reported since 1970 – largely caused by rising levels of global trade and human travel. Under 'business-as-usual' conditions, we project that total numbers of alien species will continue to increase in this way."

Chromolaena odorata … another of the global top ten alien plant invaders … it is here in South Africa as well.

"But business-as-usual is actually unlikely," continues Roy. "With so many major drivers of change predicted to worsen, it is expected that the increase of invasive alien species and their negative impacts, are likely to be significantly greater. The accelerating global economy, intensified and expanded land- and sea-use change, as well as demographic changes are likely to lead to increases in invasive alien species worldwide. Even without the introduction of new alien species, already established alien species will continue to expand their ranges and spread to new countries and regions. Climate change will make the situation even worse." The report underscores that interactions between invasive alien species and other drivers of change will be likely to amplify their impacts – for example invasive alien plants can interact with climate change, often resulting in more intense and frequent fires, such as some of the devastating wildfires experienced recently around the world, releasing even more carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.

The IPBES experts point to the generally insufficient measures in place to tackle these challenges. While 80% of countries have targets related to managing invasive alien species in their national biodiversity plans, only 17% have national laws or regulations specifically addressing these issues. This also increases the risk of invasive alien species for neighbouring States. The report finds that 45% of all countries do not invest in the management of biological invasions.

On a more positive note, the report highlights that future biological invasions, invasive alien species, and their impacts, can be prevented through effective management and more integrated approaches. "The good news is that, for almost every context and situation, there are management tools, governance options and targeted actions that really work," said Prof. Pauchard. "Prevention is absolutely the best, most cost-effective option – but eradication, containment and control are also effective in specific contexts. Ecosystem restoration can also improve the results of management actions and increase the resistance of ecosystems to future invasive alien species. Indeed, managing invasive alien species can help to mitigate the negative effects of other drivers of change."

Prevention measures – such as border biosecurity and strictly enforced import controls – are identified by the report as having worked in many instances, such as the successes achieved in Australasia in reducing the spread of the brown marmorated stink bug (Halyomorpha halys). Preparedness, early detection and rapid response are shown to be effective at reducing rates of alien species establishment, and to be especially critical for marine and connected water systems. The PlantwisePlus programme, assisting smallholder farmers in Africa, Asia and Latin America is spotlighted by the report as a good example of the importance of general surveillance strategies to detect new alien species.

Eradication has been successful and cost-effective for some invasive alien species, especially when their populations are small and slow-spreading, in isolated ecosystems such as islands. Some examples of this are in French Polynesia where the black rat (Rattus rattus) and rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) have been successfully eradicated. The report indicates that eradication of alien plants is more challenging due to the length of time that seeds may lie dormant in soil. The authors add that successful eradication programmes depend on, amongst other elements, the support and engagement of stakeholders and Indigenous Peoples and local communities.

When eradication is not possible for different reasons, invasive alien species can often be contained and controlled – especially in land-based and closed water systems, as well as in aquaculture – an example being the containment of the invasive alien Asian tunicate (Styela clava) in aqua-cultured blue mussels in Canada. Successful containment can be physical, chemical or biological – although the appropriateness and effectiveness of each option is dependent on local context. The use of biological control for invasive alien plants and invertebrates, such as introducing a rust fungus (Puccinia spegazzinii) to control bitter vine (Mikania micrantha) in the Asia-Pacific region, has been effective – with success in more than 60% of known cases.

"One of the most important messages from the report is that ambitious progress in tackling invasive alien species is achievable," said Prof. Stoett. "What is needed is a context-specific integrated approach, across and within countries and the various sectors involved in providing biosecurity, including trade and transportation; human and plant health; economic development and more. This will have far-reaching benefits for nature and people." Options explored in the report include considering coherent policies and codes of conduct across sectors and scales; commitment and resourcing; public awareness and engagement, such as citizen science campaigns like those promoting 'check, clean and dry'; open and interoperable information systems; filling knowledge gaps (the authors identify more than 40 areas where research is needed); as well as inclusive and fair governance.

"The immediate urgency of invasive alien species, with extensive and growing harm to nature and people, makes this report so valuable and timely," said Dr. Anne Larigauderie, the Executive Secretary of IPBES. "The Governments of the world agreed, in December last year, as part of the new Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, to reduce the introduction and establishment of priority invasive alien species by at least 50% by 2030. This is a vital, but also very ambitious commitment. The IPBES Invasive Alien Species Report provides the evidence, tools and options to help make this commitment more achievable."

Top 10 Most Widespread Invasive Alien Species Worldwide

Organism groupTaxonNumber of regions
Vascular plant Pontederia crassipes (water hyacinth)74
Vascular plant Lantana camara (lantana)69
Mammal Rattus rattus (black rat)60
Vascular plant Leucaena leucocephala (leucaena) 55
Mammal Mus musculus (house mouse) 49
Mammal Rattus norvegicus (brown rat) 48
Vascular plant Ricinus communis (castor bean) 47
Vascular plant Ailanthus altissima (tree-of-heaven) 46
Vascular plant Robinia pseudoacacia (black locust) 45
Vascular plant Chromolaena odorata (Siam weed)43

The number of regions where a species has been recorded and classified as invasive based on GRIIS (Pagad et al., 2022). Note this table only refers to the distribution of invasive alien species and not their impacts.

Showcasing women in forestry


In celebration of Women’s Day in South Africa, She Is Forestry SA has launched the first four videos in a series aimed at inspiring the next generation of girls to stay in school and consider forestry and the myriad of career avenues it offers.

She Is Forestry SA, a non-profit forestry organisation promoting and uplifting women across the forest and forest product sector, launched the videos at their annual Women in Forestry webinar on 3 August. Their aim is to produce a series of videos showcasing all the potential careers found within forestry and related industries, from growing trees in a nursery to ensuring they reach maturity in a plantation while safeguarding the environment on which forestry relies.

Commenting on the initiative, Jane Molony, executive director of the Paper Manufacturers Association of South Africa (PAMSA) adds, “As our sector looks to build its talent pipeline, initiatives like this one expose youngsters to a world of opportunities using a green, renewable resource – farmed trees – to support the economy, deliver goods to society and build communities.”

Being a Forestry Researcher: Meet Noxolo Ndlovu, a forestry researcher at NCT Forestry. Noxolo explains what life as a forestry researcher is all about and discusses some of the challenges she has faced and how she has overcome them to get to where she is today. Noxolo is an incredible role model and advocate for the forestry sector.

“People still have a 1970s view of forestry, that it is a male-only career path. This simply is not true,” explains Makhosazana Mavimbela, executive director of the Forest Sector Charter Council. “We have women working in every single conceivable role within the sector, from operating heavy machinery to conducting world class research. Women populate our HR, communication, finance and marketing positions, they manage plantations and nurseries, mills and lumber yards. Women own forestry businesses, contractor operations and small forestry-related enterprises. In short, there is a wealth of forestry opportunities just waiting to be explored.”

Each video follows a single woman as she discusses her role and the career path she followed. The women also explain some of the challenges they have faced along the way and how they have circumvented them.

Being a Forestry Contractor: Meet Zinhle Mbuyazi, a forestry contractor and owner of WSB Transport. Zinhle explains what life as a forestry contractor is all about and discusses some of the challenges she has faced and how she has overcome them to get to where she is today. Zinhle is an incredible role model and advocate for the forestry sector.

“The beauty of the videos is that high school learners watching them will be able to relate to the women they see on the screen. They are women who have come from rural communities and had to work hard and overcome obstacles to get where they are today. They are testament to what belief, determination and discipline can deliver, making them powerful role models for future generations to aspire to,” explains Forestry South Africa’s communication consultant, Katy Johnson, who was involved in the commissioning and production of the videos.

The videos came from a request made by several of the principals from the schools that She Is Forestry SA supports, who were experiencing high dropout rates among female scholars. They felt careers advice about the potential avenues open to women and positive role models already living these careers might help the girls to see the array of potential paths open to them, and help to decrease the numbers dropping out.

Being a Nursery Manager: Meet Nonku Ntinga, a nursery manager at Mondi South Africa. Nonku explains what life as a nursery manager is all about and discusses some of the challenges she has faced and how she has overcome them to get to where she is today. Nonku is an incredible role model and advocate for the forestry sector.

While a career day at each school was an option, it would not have been sustainable and would therefore have a limited reach. Thus, it was decided to commission videos that will be hosted on She Is Forestry SA’s YouTube channel SheIsForestrySA, and made publicly available. That way, any school, organisation, individual or group could access them and be inspired by the exceptional women and abundant career avenues found within the forestry sector.

“While these first four videos focus on quite obvious forestry careers – forester, nursery manager, forestry researcher and forestry contractor – we plan on commissioning many more videos to cover all the potential forestry career avenues, from environmental auditing to accounts, pulp processing to wood science and beyond,” says Katy.

“While this is a forestry initiative, She Is Forestry SA directors include government officials who will be taking this to their colleagues in education and suggesting this could be an initiative rolled out across other sectors. We believe forestry should be a trailblazer for something bigger, a multi-sector initiative to promote science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) subjects to women and girls across the country by using real and relatable female role models,” she adds.

Being a Forester: Meet Yoliswa Phiri, a managing forester at Sappi Southern Africa. Yoliswa explains what life as a silviculture forester is all about and discusses some of the challenges she has faced and how she has overcome them to get to where she is today. Yoliswa is an incredible role model and advocate for the forestry sector.

*All video shot and edited by Green Forest Films / SA Forestry Magazine

Climate change & forestry sustainability on research radar

Sappi Research Chair launched at Wits (left to right) Dr Tracy Wessels (Sappi Ltd), Prof Mary Scholes (Wits) and Giovanni Sale (Sappi Forests).

Professor Mary Scholes is heading up a research initiative on climate change and plantation sustainability at Wits University, supported by Sappi …

Sappi Southern Africa and the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits) have established a Sappi Chair in Climate Change and Plantation Sustainability. This initiative aligns with Sappi’s drive to generate technical and operational solutions which mitigate against climate change risks and to enhance reporting on carbon emissions, climate change and sustainability.

Professor Mary Scholes, an internationally recognised authority on tree physiology and climate change and who is affiliated with the research platform in the Wits School of Animal, Plants and Environmental Sciences, will act as the Research Chair.

The work by Wits will help to enhance Sappi’s planning process and overall competitiveness.

“Because forestry is a long-term crop, the industry needs to know well in advance where to direct their resources and investment and needs the most accurate climate models to rely on,” says Prof Scholes.

She will identify critical research needs and develop research outputs related to climate change, which is one of the University’s eight research priorities. She will also lead the development of capacity to manipulate and interpret climate modelling data.

Speaking at the launch, Tracy Wessels, Sappi Group Head of Sustainability and Investor Relations, commented: “The creation of this Chair demonstrates Sappi’s commitment to building a thriving world through strong partnerships, supporting innovation and investing in future research capabilities.

“Like all other agricultural crops, the trees in the 399,996 hectares of land we own and lease are negatively impacted by climate change. While we practise climate-smart forestry and while our research teams have been hard at work developing drought resistant genotypes, the temperatures over the South African interior are projected to rise at about 1.5 to 2 times the global rate of temperature increase.

“In addition, there is increasing global pressure to account accurately for greenhouse gas emissions from forests, land and agriculture. Against this backdrop and in line with our commitment to UN SDG13: Climate Action, the need to develop climate solutions has intensified, which is why our sponsorship of the Sappi Chair in Climate Change and Plantation Sustainability makes sound business sense.”

Sappi’s initial sponsorship of the Research Chair will run until 2026.

Sappi’s association with Wits is not new: In 2020, Sappi began working on a project with other industry members and the Wits Global Change Institute on a project which involved the generation of raster climate surfaces for the entire forestry domain of South Africa, at a resolution of eight kilometres, with monthly time resolution, for the years 2020, 2030 and 2040 to 2100.

Red flag over deteriorating health of forest soils

Planting successive rotations of the same tree species on the same piece of land over and over is likely to have a negative impact on soil health and long term productivity of the site will decline – especially when the residue from the previous harvest has been burnt off, leaving the soil unprotected from the elements, as is the case with this community forestry enterprise in Eastern Cape.

Planting the same tree species over successive rotations carries a high risk of deteriorating soil health, say FABI researchers …

It is widely accepted in agriculture circles that practicing crop rotation is beneficial for soil health. This is because the continuous cultivation of the same plant species on the same piece of land over and over again impacts negatively on soil health, and leads to a build-up of harmful micro-organisms. There is plenty of scientific evidence to support this theory.

To address this issue, good farmers all over the world practice crop rotation, planting different crops over successive rotations, or do inter-cropping where for instance they will plant a legume in between rotations to improve soil health and biodiversity.

Many small-scale tree farmers in Zululand practice inter-cropping, planting mielies, beans or peanuts in between their Eucalyptus seedlings when they are still small, and before the canopy closes. This could be beneficial for soil health.

So why not treat short rotation tree crops the same way – and if we don’t, and we keep on planting the same species rotation after rotation, will we eventually find that soil health deteriorates to the point where the trees will no longer grow properly?

Common sense would suggest that this will be the case, but there is no ‘conclusive’ scientific evidence to support this theory. In any event crop rotation in forestry is not so easily done as rotation lengths are long (8 – 20 years), land available for forestry is limited (in South Africa) and only three species are widely grown – eucalypts, pine and wattle – all of which are geared to serve specific markets.

Moreover improvements in silvicultural practices and advances in tree breeding have thus far masked any impacts of deteriorating soil health on successive tree crops, thus reducing growers’ appetite for experimenting with crop rotation...

This Sappi compartment in Zululand has been mulched and the residue retained to cover the soil with a nutrient-rich layer that provides protection, retains moisture and gives the young trees a growth boost.

But now a group of highly regarded researchers have raised a red flag and warned that deteriorating soil health is a real risk for short rotation plantation forestry, as it is practiced in South Africa and in many other parts of the world.

A team of FABI researchers including Dr Tanay Bose, Prof Bernard Slippers, Almuth Hammerbacher, Jolanda Roux and Mike Wingfield, have analysed existing data on soil microbiomes from short-rotation forestry environments around the world which, they say, provides evidence that a build-up of harmful micro-organisms, depletion of beneficial micro-organisms, and deterioration of the physical and chemical properties of soil can result from continuous replanting of the same tree species on the same piece of land.

“Populations of unfavourable microbes can be expected to become more abundant over successive rotations,” state the FABI researchers in an article published in the journal Current Forestry Reports. “This is strongly supported by data from recent soil microbiome studies involving commercially managed forests, which provide convincing evidence of an increase in pathogenic microbes in soils of continuously replanted forests.”

Building on these findings and considering similar approaches in agriculture, the team proposes a number of practical solutions that have the potential to mitigate the deterioration of soil health resulting from planting the same species over successive rotations.

Weza farmer Jon Mackenzie uses a tractor-powered chipping machine to chip the post-harvest residue after clear felling, which is then spread evenly over the site before the re-planting operation begins. This is his strategy to conserve the health of the soil on his farm for the log term.

• Retaining post-harvest residue on the site is likely to result in healthier soils over successive rotations. This is why many growers have stopped burning the post-harvest residues and have opted for mulching or chipping.
• Application of biochar has considerable potential to enhance soil properties, nutrients and microbes in continuously replanted forests. Biochar is a carbon-rich, stable organic product made from the pyrolysis of organic biomasses such as leaves, sawdust, animal dung and wood. During carbonization, biochar releases phosphate into the soil along with other mineral nutrients, improving its fertility. Biochar also improves the physical properties and microbial biodiversity of the soil, which could further increase soil nutrient availability and carbon storage. However more research is needed to assess the impact of biochar on plantation soils.
• Crop rotation and intercropping could alleviate the negative consequences of continuous replanting of the same species in short-rotation plantation forestry. For example, rotating between eucalypts, black wattle and pine species could prevent the accumulation of harmful soil microbes detrimental to these trees. Rotating nitrogen fixing leguminous tree species such as Acacia with eucalypts or pines has the potential to further promote both soil and tree health increasing the availability of nitrogen in the soil and improving the quality of plant litter.
• Practicing agro-forestry, where different crops are inter-planted on the same piece of land, would also have a positive impact on soil health.
• Innoculation of tree seedlings in the nursery with beneficial microbes.
“Continuous replanting practised in short-rotation plantation forests is likely to be accompanied by a high risk of ‘replanting syndrome’ in plantations. While long-term monitoring programs to document the changes in soil microbiomes are still lacking and should be urgently initiated, the available evidence suggests that short-rotation forest plantation enterprises could be restrictive when successively establishing plots with the same or nearly the same genotypes,” the FABI team concluded.

Mulching after clear felling is an expensive exercise, but many growers have opted for this approach instead of burning off post-harvest residues, in the interests of boosting soil health for the long term.

For the full Report see: Current Forestry Reports.

Focusing on forestry’s role in greening the economy

Biomass collection system on show at the last Focus on Forestry field day in Mpumalanga.

‘The value of forestry in a greening economy’ is the theme of the Focus on Forestry Conference & Expo taking place at the Karkloof Country Club in the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands from 7-9 November 2023.

The conference is organised by CMO, Nelson Mandela University and Forestry South Africa. It covers the full forestry value chain and is designed to inform forest landowners, managers and contractors, although tremendous benefit will be obtained by academics, researchers, consultants, training providers, governmental organisations and others participating in the sector.

The keynote address will be delivered by Dr Ole Sand, the Managing Partner of Criterion African Partners. He is a Norwegian national, residing in the US. The theme will explore the issues and opportunities surrounding the greening economy and the role that forestry plays.

With over 35 years of private equity investment experience, Dr Sand leads an investment team exclusively focused on the forestry sector in Sub-Saharan Africa.

The team invests in companies that provide economic development/impact, and climate change solutions through forestry and related technologies.

The Focus on Forestry conference covers the entire forestry value chain including nurseries, fire management, silviculture, forest engineering, wood biomass, carbon, risk management and certification. It is relevant to small-scale growers, medium-scale commercial growers through to large-scale industrial plantations, as well as sustainably managed natural forests and related ecosystems.

Day one focuses on general forest management, nurseries, silviculture, fire and other risk management and certification. Day two focuses on forest engineering, carbon and biomass harvesting.

The panel of international presenters will provide practical and useful information for management decision making and operational improvements.

A comprehensive exhibit area will be located immediately outside the conference venue, allowing delegates to interact with forestry equipment and services suppliers in between conference sessions. Networking is also a critical component of the conference, and a braai (barbeque) will take place each evening after the conference for catching up with old friends, making new business contacts, or discussing business.

The Focus on Forestry Field Day will take place on a Sappi plantation close to the conference venue. It will include static exhibits and live demonstrations, covering the full value chain. Conference attendance gives free entrance to the field day. Attendees will have the freedom to wander the field site at their leisure.

For more info, email: focus@cmogroup.io

UPCOMING EVENTS

Sawmilling SA AGM
7th June 2023
Engineering 4.0 Auditorium, University of Pretoria
Keynote speaker: Michael Peter, FSA
Info: Jacques.dtva@gmail.com

WoodEx for Africa
27-29 June 2023
Gallagher Convention Centre, Johannesburg
The gateway to Africa’s timber trade
Info: www.woodexforafrica.com

Focus on Forestry Conference & Expo
7-9 November 2023
Karkloof Country Club, KZN midlands
SA’s premier forestry conference and expo
Info: andrew@cmogroup.co.za

Fire Management Symposium – Working on Fire
8-10 November 2023
Skukuza Conference Centre, Kruger National Park
Co-ordinating efforts for effective wildland fire management
Part of 20 Year Anniversary Celebration of the WoF programme.
Info: linton.rensburg@wofire.co.za
www.workingonfire.com

Energy … the new GOLD

Keynote speaker JP Landman finds a silver lining in the energy crisis. (Photo: Samora Chapman)

Keynote speakers at FSA’s AGM slice and dice the energy crisis and uncover the opportunities that await private sector entrepreneurs …

There is a massive shift taking place in South Africa’s energy sector, from the current public sector energy monopoly to private sector participation, that will end load shedding roughly 18 months from now.

This startling revelation from highly respected political and trend analyst JP Landman caught delegates at the Forestry South Africa AGM unawares. We are so used to hearing about the energy crisis, we suffer the consequences of it at home and at work every day, and we expected more bad news from the keynote speaker to follow the already bad news that has cast a veil of gloom over our lives since forever.

But JP wasn’t joking, although his talk was full of light-hearted banter and sharp-witted humour that sliced through the brain fog enveloping our lives like a hot knife through butter.

South Africa currently has a power ‘baseload’ gap of 6 000 MW, explained JP. Baseload is the dependable power that is always available, and is crucial to meet the fluctuating energy demands of our nation.

There are currently 18 private sector-driven renewable energy projects that are already on the ground in South Africa, explained JP. These projects have the capacity to deliver 18 000 MW which will end load shedding by end of 2024, or by mid 2025 latest. Just 5 000 MW of renewable energy will cut load shedding by 61%, and we could achieve that milestone by the end of this year.

This will be achieved with no additional power contribution from existing state-owned power stations.

“Eskom is a government-owned monopoly that is collapsing in on itself,” said JP. This has led to the current energy crisis which has opened the door for private sector participation in power generation.

“If things were working well, the private sector would never get a look-in,” he said.

He described this as a “massive shift” that will bring South Africa into line with the rest of the world.

“Most countries in the world have moved away from government energy monopolies, because they don’t work,” said JP.

Half of Eskom’s generation capacity will close down over the next decade, he predicted. Eskom will expand the national grid, but there will also be mini-grids and micro-grids established at local and neighbourhood level that will distribute privately generated renewable power to a few households, or a small village, or a cluster of businesses. The technology that makes this possible is already available.

“By 2034 our energy system will be very different from what it is now, and we will have forgotten about load shedding,” said JP.

JP Landman captivates the audience with his sharp tongue and expert analysis, shedding light on the future prospects of our country. (Photo: Samora Chapman)

Medupi and Kusile will continue to eat coal for another 40 years, and gas and nuclear will be added to the energy mix. Gas is much cleaner than coal and you can switch it on and off as and when you need it, so it plays an important support role in a country’s energy mix.

From a business perspective, this energy transition to renewables is critical.

“We need to cut our emissions by 17% - we have to go green otherwise we will be barred from exporting our products to important overseas markets. Eskom and Sasol are the worst offenders.

He predicted that the big shift will see the rise of energy traders who will be sourcing clean energy and selling it on to customers.

“In a few years you will be liaising with an energy trader – not Eskom,” said JP. “This is already the case overseas.”

Municipalities will be in crisis, as they won’t be making money out of on-selling electricity. But here too, out of crisis comes the possibility of change, and they will have to jack up their services in order to survive.

R1.5 trillion will have to be invested in this new economic sector, and this presents a “HUGE” opportunity.

“Energy is the new gold,” he said.

Turning to the political front, he was equally forthright. Progress is restoring the dignity of every citizen in their everyday lives. This, he said, can only be achieved by a grand government coalition that has the support of 75% of the people.

“Nobody can do it on their own. We need shared values, we need inclusivity …”

Don’t delegitimise South Africa’s democracy, he pleaded, we just need a more or less helpful attitude towards one another and to unleash the power of science and technology to restore dignity to people.

“Be grateful for the fact that we live in peace.”

Blackout blues

Following that blockbuster presentation was always going to be a tough ask, but energy analyst and consultant Chris Yelland got right down to work with a snapshot of South Africa’s energy availability factor which is on a downward trend. This will have to bottom out before it gets better - and the bottom hasn’t been reached yet.

Chris Yelland dissects the risks of a total national electricity blackout. (Photo: Samora Chapman)

But like JP Landman’s presentation, Chris also offered a silver lining, as he urged the forestry sector to “take ownership of your own energy future”.

Basically, the private sector must get involved in energy generation, and the forestry sector is in the right space to achieve significant energy independence.

“If you are waiting for government to do it you will wait a long time. What is the forestry sector bringing to the table in terms of energy generation capacity?”

But he also shed some light on the dark side of the energy equation - a total national blackout – and offered some slightly comforting news to balance this very uncomfortable prospect.

Chris explained that a ‘blackout’ is caused by a major disturbance on the national grid, and it can happen in one second. It is not a gradual thing. For example if the line to the Western Cape trips and a power unit at Koeberg goes down simultaneously … unlikely but it is possible.

He said the level of load shedding currently being experienced is not an indicator of the likelihood of a total blackout. However it has had a galvanising effect and we are now much better prepared for this eventuality than we were when load shedding began a few years ago.

“Even though the probability of a national blackout is very low, the consequences are so severe that even the insurance companies won’t cover them.”

A blackout could last for a few days, or a week, or even four weeks. The consequences of an extended blackout are not pretty:-

• No power, no lights, no refrigeration
• No cash, no banks, ATMs or card machines
• No food, shops close
• Petrol stations close, no petrol, no diesel
• Mobile phones and telecom towers go flat
• Standby generators run out of diesel
• Transportation grinds to a halt
• No water in the taps
• Social unrest and looting spreads
• Infrastructure theft and vandalism
• Anarchy.

He presented three national blackout scenarios, which will determine the severity of the consequences that follow:-

Scenario 1 – OPTIMISTIC – First up in 2 hours; last up in 1 week.
Islanding of key power stations works perfectly
No failures in restoration, which works perfectly
Impact of civil unrest and looting not a factor.

Scanario 2 – REALISTIC – First up in 2 hours, last up in 2 weeks.
Some failures in islanding and restoration
Hampered by some unrest and looting but no electrical infrastructure damaged.

Scenario 3 – PESSIMISTIC – extended blackout lasts up to 4 weeks.
Blackout takes place at same time as Eskom labour and/or civil unrest
Significant islanding failures and major logistical reconnection issues
Line, cable, switchgear, transformer and electrical infrastructure theft and vandalism.

Applause for the keynote speakers, acknowledging the knife-edge between crisis and opportunity. (Photo: Samora Chapman)

While businesses (and private households) should have some contingency plans in place to mitigate the consequences of a blackout, the focus of our efforts should rather be on taking control of our own energy requirements.

“The agricultural sector (including forestry) has a key role to play and should announce measurable, new self-generation targets … You are the solution, you need to take responsibility for your own energy requirements,” he concluded.

Help protect natural forest & save the Cape Parrot

World Parrot Day, celebrated on 31 May 2023, puts the spotlight on the critically endangered Cape Parrot, colourful resident of South Africa’s Afromontane southern mistbelt forests. There are less than 2 000 Cape Parrots left in the wild as their habitat has been eroded by the consequences of extensive, uncontrolled logging in the past, on-going forest degradation, disease and the illegal capture of wild birds for sale.

Now communities, businesses and members of the public can get behind the Wild Bird Trust’s Cape Parrot Project to help protect and expand the natural forest habitats of this iconic bird in an effort to ensure its long term survival.

The current distribution of the Cape Parrot is restricted to a mosaic of Afromontane Southern Mistbelt forests from Hogsback in the Eastern Cape through to the southern KwaZulu-Natal. There is also a small and disjunct population in Limpopo province. Cape Parrots are dependent upon large indigenous trees, particularly Yellowwoods, for food and as nesting sites, where they use existing cavities to lay eggs.

The uncontrolled logging of these natural forests that started in the 19th century would have had a huge impact on the Cape Parrot population as mature hardwoods – especially yellowwoods - were targeted for felling. These natural forest patches are now protected for conservation purposes and logging is outlawed, but the forests are still under pressure from population growth and land use changes.

The Cape Parrot is also known as the Knysna papagaai, woudpapagaai (Afrikaans), isiKwenene (Zulu). isikhwenene (Xhosa) and hokwe (Tswana). It is only found in South Africa and has been listed as Birdlife’s Bird of the Year for 2023.

To ensure this species does not go extinct, the Cape Parrot Project is engaging with communities, organisations and the public to raise awareness of the threats the bird is facing and to educate people on how to maintain a healthy habitat for the parrot. The goal is a sustainable ecosystem for not just the parrots, but all the forest species and for surrounding communities.

The Cape Parrot Project team uses research and science to drive conservation action. A key strategy is to partner with local communities to get involved in habitat restoration. Alien vegetation is managed to assist natural forest regeneration, and planting of indigenous species is undertaken where appropriate.
Seeds are collected from a variety of local indigenous trees in the nearby forests and germinated in compost. Thousands of indigenous tree saplings are produced in community-run nurseries located close to the forests as well as the main nursery at the project base in Hogsback.

“Community members are encouraged to grow seedlings which the project then buys back. These seedlings are planted back into appropriate degraded forest habitat. Thus, the Cape Parrot Project strengthens local social-ecological resilience through creating livelihood opportunities in local communities that are dependent on a healthy ecosystem and their surrounding indigenous forest,” said Dr Francis Brooke, Research Manager for the Cape Parrot Project in Hogsback.

The project also engages with local schools encouraging children to become agents of positive environmental change, and to increase their appreciation for the indigenous forests and all the species that call these forests home.

By restoring the health of the natural forest patches, the project also contributes to mitigating the impacts of climate change and supporting local communities. Natural forests sequester significant amounts of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and provide a suite of ecological services like improving air and water quality and protecting biodiversity.

Dr Kirsten Wimberger, Director of the Cape Parrot Project, said: “The restoration of forests campaign - Myforest - will be launched on World Parrot Day, 31 May, where the public can get involved by helping to protect the Cape Parrot and demonstrate their commitment to conservation in South Africa”.

As a partner of the Cape Parrot Project, participating companies can build on their sustainability portfolio while also raising awareness about the project. The Cape Parrot Project has a growing and dedicated following on social media, including conservationists, bird enthusiasts, and individuals who care about environmental issues. By partnering with the Cape Parrot Project, companies can pride themselves on adopting a social responsibility program that is making a difference and do their bit for the planet.

For more info visit www.wildbirdtrust.com

Cape parrots ahoy!!
by Chris Chapman
Passing through the tiny town of Creighton in southern KZN early one morning, my colleague James Ballantyne suddenly shouted “Cape parrots” and pulled over onto the side of the road to get a better look.

I could see a flock of birds disappearing over a nearby hill, but couldn’t make out what they were.

“Definitely Cape parrots,” said James. “Let's follow them and see where they go.”

With that he jumped back in the car and off we went in the general direction that the flock appeared to be taking, which was the opposite direction of our field day location. I was not convinced that this wild goose chase would yield anything of interest, and I was not aware that we even had a proper parrot in South Africa.

Soon we came to a clump of large yellowwoods just outside the town and James pulled over again. Sure enough there they were, barely discernible against the glare of the sky, high up in the canopy. I managed to get a photo of one of these parrots, and only when I got back home and enlarged the photo could I make it out properly.

Now I am a fan of the Knysna papagaai and keep an eye out for them whenever I am around a natural forest – although I haven’t seen one since. But I will keep looking!

My photo of the Knysna papagaai, high up in a yellowwood outside Creighton, southern KZN.

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