Birdlife International report there were celebrations in April 2017:  the Mpumalanga’s Department of Agriculture, Rural Development, Land and Environmental Affairs declared the Greater Lakenvlei area a Protected Environment.

New Protected Environment Declared in South Africa 
©Romy Antrobus-Ruth

Greater Lakenvlei is an important conservation area:

• It has many “specials” e.g. Wattle Crane, Blue Crane, White-winged Flufftail, Yellow-breasted Pipit and many others. BirdLife South Africa recognises this area as the Steenkampsberg Important Bird and Biodiversity Area (IBA).
• It is an important water catchment area.
• Lakenvlei (a wetland) is a peatland which helps with the storing and purification of water. The peatland holds a huge amount of carbon, so minimizing the impact of climate change.
• The tourism and agricultural activities provide jobs for hundreds of people, connecting tourism to the beauty of the area and outdoor activities
  
  

South African legislation provides for different categories of formal protection:

1. Nature reserves and national parks, where activities are strictly controlled
2. Protected Environment where some activities e.g. farming practices can continue but destructive and unsustainable activities are not allowed

Areas are divided into zones such as natural areas and degraded areas.  

In natural areas, activities are strictly controlled – over-grazing and indiscriminate use of pesticides are not allowed.

Greater Lakenvlei now has a Management Plan which will be implemented to benefit the birds in this area.  Hopefully this declaration will encourage more bird lovers and nature lovers to visit, which should lead to more jobs and help conserve the area.

It was made possible by the collaborative efforts of the Mpumalanga Tourism and Parks Agency (MTPA) and their NGO partners, the Endangered Wildlife Trust (EWT) and BirdLife South Africa

Click here to go fly away to Birdlife International