Small Grants Fund
The Table Mountain Fund (TMF) in partnership with WWF and the West Coast District Municipality, under the management of the West Coast Biosphere Reserve, undertook a pilot Phase of the micro grants project. Fifteen projects were funded and mentored. The focus of this initiative was to demonstrate success in management of natural resources to enhance local economic and rural development. Results from this pilot demonstrates that improving livelihoods and conserving the environment are not merely compatible goals, but intricately linked.
Membership Strategy
The service providers have completed this membership strategy, and it remains for the Programme Manager to finalize the partners in accreditation before "going live" with the entire exciting process. The implementation of the Trails and Tourism project will be used to harness benefits through our partners into the member beneficiation component of this strategy.
2010 heralded the first corporate member to the CWCBR, namely Tydstroom, and it is hoped that AfriSam will soon follow. The membership strategy played a key role in securing conservation gains from Tydstroom land, already thereby showing results of success for the benefits of such a membership strategy.
Research
The University of Stellenbosch is undertaking a study on Indicators for Sustainable Development of Biosphere Reserves, which will be completed during 2010. This relationship has strengthened through this project and further research is currently being identified for future support.
Alien Clearing for Agriculture
Contracts to the value of R1 200 000.00 were signed with the Department of Agriculture of which R75 000 is allocated for LandCare and the rest is allocated to alien clearing projects in the CWCBR region and community job creation and capacity building. The alien-clearing project is being managed well and payments are processed through the CWCBR.
Over 24 jobs have being created and approximately 60 ha have been cleared since 1 March 2010. This alien clearing is taking place on privately owned land, through which the CWCBR is directly benefiting farmers in the region.
Global Environment Fund Fynbos Rehabilitation Project
This project was funded through the Global Environment Fund and is a partner project with !Khwa ttu to the value of R350 000 and includes the eradication of invasive alien bushes and trees that have overrun this area, and the re-introduction of plant species that grew naturally in the area before the land was utilized for farming purposes.
Read more: Global Environment Fund Fynbos Rehabilitation Project
Awareness, Education and Training
In 2010 the CWCBR hosted three student interns; two from France and one from the Cape University of Technology. They fulfilled different roles from working directly with the local municipality to begin a food garden, to compiling a management plan for our partner, the Fossil Park and researching financial beneficiation to the different stakeholders with respect to conservation trade-offs.
Stewardship Industrial Corridor Project
This project was initially funded by the World Bank, which ended as of August 2009. Further funding was sourced to the value of R710 000 from the Table Mountain Fund to secure the position of the Stewardship Officer for a further 3 years to complete this corridor.
BIONET Project
BIONET project:
Stretching from Melkbosstrand and the Blaauwberg Conservation Area to the Koeberg Nature Reserve, into Mamre, and Atlantis:
This project, which entails a partnership between the Cape West Coast Biosphere Reserve, the City of Cape Town and Cape Nature and which is the largest project ever funded by the TMF has successfully achieved securing over 868 ha of key conservation land since inception in early 2010.
The Flagship Spatial Development Plan
The Development Plan, aimed at creating and developing growth and development scenarios as well as a conservation plan for the CWCBR for a twenty year window was successfully completed and has been heralded as an example document for use by developers, conservationists and finance institutions. The final phase of incorporating the document into the municipal Integrated Development Plans, to ensure sound sustainability principles as recommended by the Biosphere Reserve to directly influence the direction and decision making of such municipalities, will take place over the remaining two months of the year.
Dune Rehabilitation Project
Funded by the City of Cape Town.
Creating temporary employment and capacity development for over 30
Atlantis community members that were previously unemployed.
