3 November 2023
There is a saying in Afrikaans….
“Dit is die maand Oktober, die mooiste mooiste maand”
(It is the month October, the most beautiful month…)
I feel this way about October 2023, as along with 67mm of rainfall and the sounds and smells of spring, birds and insects filling the air with their energy and song - We have transitioned from talking to action, during this beautiful month of October.
Thanks to the steadfast support of our GeaSphere Tribe on ClubHouse, our ReWild Mpumalanga Project is gaining traction and is becoming operational.
Our project in collaboration with the MPWC, Project Biome and Avovision is already bringing environmental and social benefits to our community, as the 50 people employed through the project started working in October. Ten people are based locally in the ‘Houtbosloop Valley’, and during the past month have been primarily engaged in clearing plastic and other pollution from approximately 20 km of roadway. The R539 was cleared all along this valley, as well as a long section of the dirt road to Lydenburg and a service road to some local businesses and farms.
Four pick-up truck loads of litter were removed to the municipal dump in Nelspruit, and I can say without a doubt that this is the cleanest road in all of Mpumalanga Province.
The team has received training by AvoVision, which is the organization facilitating the employment and payments. It is with gratitude that we report all of our team members received their salaries at the end of the month, and we go forward motivated and with confidence. Thank You AvoVision!
Some local businesses (facilitated by Mikon Chicken Farm) had embarked on a road maintenance project, fixing the many potholes and cracks which are appearing. Our team of 10 workers will be able to assist in this effort, and indeed has already contributed a day's work, having cleared roadside gutters of soil and vegetation.
This road cleaning and maintenance is ‘high visibility’ work, and I am disappointed that we have not yet been able to obtain support for branded uniforms, or at least a T Shirt which boldly states ‘ReWild Mpumalanga’.
A dire need to level up the efficacy of our project is a appropriate pick-up truck. The area where work is required is extensive, and the team needs to be mobile to allow us to more easily access the problem areas. The field workers need to be collected from the community where they are resident, as walking to the project area daily (though possible) is time consuming and not efficient. We have ambitions to use the biomass we have access to for the small scale production of biochar. This will not be possible unless we have access to a pick-up truck.
It has been suggested that our next primary fund raising focus should be to obtain an appropriate vehicle - which will mean that we would have to level up fund raising at least x10. So we are very happy to report that our PayPal facility is functional, making it very easy to contribute. Also, our Patreon site is active, so any person who wishes to make a small monthly donation or ‘gift’ could use this platform with confidence.
We have reached out to local companies like Sappi, YORK Timbers, TRAC_N4, TWK (Equipment suppliers) and Jonssons (WorkWear) for support. To date, Sappi has replied with pertinent questions regarding team supervision and training, indicating their consideration of our project. Indeed, the well equipped and well trained team that we envision will have benefits to the entire community, especially if the team is capacitated to be amongst ‘first responders’ when dealing with environmental emergencies.
MAJOR news is that during this beautiful month of October, we achieved our goal of raising $3000 for our ‘mini pilot project’. Along with all of you who contributed I would like to specifically acknowledge Bev Zeigler. Her experience, diligence and passionate support for this project is invaluable and very much appreciated.
The funds generated allow us to employ 2 people full time for three months, with a focus on invasive alien plant control in the Sudwala Rainforest Valley area. November, December and January is the time when plant growth is prolific, and it is a very good time to engage in invasive plant management and control. We started with our two man team on Thursday, the 2nd of November. Currently the team is operating in thick riverine forest, dominated by the fragrant smell of the ‘perdepis’ tree. The most problematic invasive in this area is lantana camara, and our team is currently using an implement called a ‘tree popper’ which allows us to ‘leverage’ a lantana plant with up to 100mm diameter at the base out of the ground, roots and all.
All these areas where work is being performed is being monitored and mapped, and in three months time the team would be sure to revisit the area to check for any potential re-growth. When you remove a plant like lantana, you expose the soil to the sun, which provide an opportunity for lantana seeds to germinate. ‘Follow up’ work is critically important in invasive plant control, and if this aspect is neglected you might cause bigger problems with more severe infestations to deal with.
As many of you know, we host regular ClubHouse discussions on Monday early evenings, 7pm Central African Time. On 30 October we hosted Kaitlyn Duthie from the Canadian Biotechnology Action Network. Kaitlyn stood in on short notice for Anne Petermann, from the Global Justice Ecology Network. Both these organisations are global leaders in the campaign against the release of Genetically Modified Trees into ‘forest’ systems. We had a interesting discussion and I want to thank Kaitlyn, Anne and Zampe, who took the initiative to arrange this event.
The 19th of October was the international day of action against Big Bad Biomass, where several organisations from around the world raise awareness regarding the impacts of burning biomass for large scale electricity production. A major proportion of the EU’s so called ‘renewable energy’ is the burning of biomass, which falsely assumes that the carbon released will be re-absorbed by growing trees. The accounting fails to properly internalise emissions at smokestack, which is equal or worse than emissions from coal, and the mechanism also assumes planting trees sequester carbon permanently. It is not the trees alone responsible for carbon sequestration but the living ecosystem, and the more diverse that ecosystem the better it is at sequestering carbon. We had a interesting discussions with members from the Environmental Paper Network and the Global Forest Coalition, but unfortunately the discussion was not recorded and is not available as a ‘re-play’. :-(
The overarching theme for our clubhouse discussions during October 2023 was the Planetary Boundaries’. These discussions arose from a recent report which states that 6 of the 9 planetary boundaries had already been ‘overstepped’, due to impacts on Land Use, Biodiversity etc. Relevant is the fact that ‘Climate Change’ is only one of the planetary boundaries - and that our project ‘ReWild Mpumalanga’ actually addresses several of the boundaries which have been overstepped.
The concept of planetary boundaries was introduced by a group of Earth system scientists in 2009, led by Johan Rockström and Will Steffen. Planetary boundaries are a set of nine critical environmental thresholds or limits within which humanity can operate safely to maintain a stable and hospitable environment for human civilization. These boundaries are meant to define the "safe operating space for humanity" on Earth.
Here are the nine planetary boundaries:
Climate Change: This boundary relates to the concentration of greenhouse gases, primarily carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere. It is commonly measured in terms of parts per million (ppm) of CO2. The boundary suggests that we should aim to keep atmospheric CO2 concentrations below 350 ppm to avoid dangerous climate change.
Biodiversity Loss (Extinction Rate): This boundary focuses on the rate of species extinction. It aims to maintain the Earth's biodiversity at a level where ecosystems can continue to function and support human well-being. The boundary is set at a rate of less than 10 species per million species per year.
Nitrogen Cycle: This boundary is concerned with the release of reactive nitrogen compounds into the environment, primarily through the use of synthetic fertilizers. Excessive nitrogen in ecosystems can lead to water pollution, air pollution, and disrupt natural nitrogen cycles.
Phosphorus Cycle: Similar to the nitrogen cycle, this boundary relates to the release of phosphorus into the environment, often from agricultural runoff. Excessive phosphorus can lead to water pollution and eutrophication of aquatic ecosystems.
Land Use Change: This boundary considers the transformation of natural landscapes into urban and agricultural areas. It's important to maintain a certain level of intact ecosystems to support biodiversity and ecosystem services.
Freshwater Use: This boundary focuses on the consumption of freshwater resources, particularly by humans. It emphasizes the need to manage water resources sustainably to avoid depletion of freshwater systems.
Ocean Acidification: This boundary addresses the increasing acidity of the world's oceans due to the absorption of excess atmospheric CO2. Ocean acidification can harm marine life and disrupt marine ecosystems.
Stratospheric Ozone Depletion: While the ozone hole issue has been largely addressed through international agreements like the Montreal Protocol, this boundary reminds us of the importance of protecting the ozone layer in the stratosphere.
Aerosol Loading: Aerosols are tiny particles or droplets in the atmosphere. This boundary focuses on the release of certain types of aerosols, like black carbon, which can have harmful effects on both climate and human health.
These planetary boundaries are important because they represent the critical limits within which human societies can thrive while maintaining a stable and healthy planet. Crossing these boundaries can lead to irreversible environmental changes, biodiversity loss, and disruptions to ecosystems that could threaten human well-being and the functioning of Earth's systems. Monitoring and staying within these boundaries are essential for achieving long-term sustainability and avoiding catastrophic environmental consequences. Many of these boundaries are interconnected, meaning that crossing one boundary can increase the risk of crossing others, making it even more crucial to manage them collectively and responsibly.
We are confident that the ReWild Mpumalanga Project addresses several of these Planetary Boundaries, significantly BioDiversity Loss, Land Use Change, Fresh Water and Climate Change. If we can improve wildlife dynamics, nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorus could become naturally available in these semi wilderness areas, thus further contributing to enhancing natural life cycles and systems.
Thanks to all of you who through your support make this land restoration possible. In the words of MaTshepo Khumbane “As we march, Let's hold hands together, because Together we are like a river which can not be blocked by anyone”
“We care for the environment”
Philip Owen