BirdLife South Africa is celebrating the news of the Greater Lakenvlei Protected Environment being expanded, which will make a massive difference to wildlife.
Lankenvlei, South Africa (06 September 2023) – The Greater Lakenvlei Protected Environment (GLPE) was established in 2017 covering an area of 14,305 hectares and comprising 66 properties. These properties cover high-elevation wetlands and near-pristine grasslands on the Steenkampsberg Plateau between eMakhazeni (Belfast) and Dullstroom in northern Mpumalanga Province. This includes Steenkampsberg Montane Grassland, which is categorised as poorly protected within the province, and Dullstroom Plateau Grasslands, an Endangered Ecosystem as listed in the National Environmental Management: Biodiversity Act of 2004. The Protected Environment safeguards important water resources of the Olifants and Crocodile Catchments, thereby contributing to provincial and national targets for water conservation.
The Lakenvlei itself is a vast ancient wetland system, dated at 9 255 – 9 415 years BP (before present), with a peat layer depth of over 2 m; thus protecting water-related and carbon sequestration ecosystem services that benefit local and global communities.
The GLPE is administered by the Greater Lakenvlei Protected Environment Landowners Association (GLPELA) with committee representatives including local landowners, provincial government and NGOs. Since its declaration, the GLPELA has consistently sought to protect its wetlands from threats including prospecting and mining. The committee also plays an important role in facilitating communication among community members, and sharing information about conservation and wetland rehabilitation initiatives. Such benefits arising from the biodiversity stewardship model have attracted the interests of neighbouring landowners who have wanted to join the GLPE.
With the support of the Mpumalanga Tourism and Parks Agency (MTPA) the GLPELA began approaching interested landowners in early 2021. BirdLife South Africa and the Endangered Wildlife Trust completed in-field site assessments and landowner interviews for each property to determine if its habitat and management practices were suitable for declaration. As of 1 September 2023, the Protect Environment now spans an additional 7,448 ha from 32 properties (Mpu. Prov. Gazette No. 3569, Notice 344). Included in the expansion is a part of the Mpumalanga-Drakensberg Strategic Water Source Area, which are areas that contribute to 50% of South Africa’s water production. The public participation process that formed part of the motivation for the expansion elicited 415 letters of support submitted by the public and there were no objections.
The expanded GLPE will encourage the sustainable management of natural habitat and conserve numerous threatened species such as the Critically Endangered White-winged Flufftail (Sarothrura ayresi), Vulnerable Blue Crane (Anthropoides paradiseus), Endangered Grey Crowned Crane (Balearica regulorum), Vulnerable near-endemic Southern Bald Ibis (Geronticus calvus), endemic Yellow-breasted Pipit (Anthus chloris), Near-Threatened Denham’s Bustard (Neotis denhami), and Endangered Secretarybird (Sagittarius serpentarius).
For BirdLife South Africa, protected environments provide a platform to engage with committed landowners for post-declaration support. Stewardship projects that BirdLife South Africa are developing for the GLPE include the drafting of best practice guidelines for habitat management, establishing financial incentives through ecotourism like the Steenkampsberg Birding Routes, attracting rehabilitation implementing parties, introduction of remote-sensing technology to inform and learn from management practices, mapping of alien invasive plants, and much more.
We would like to thank and acknowledge Mpumalanga Tourism and Parks Agency, the Greater Lakenvlei Protected Environment Landowners Association (particularly chair Bruce Boshoff and secretary Peter Arderne), and the Endangered Wildlife Trust.
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