Grassroots September 2016, Vol. 16, No. 3 | Page 36

Congress _________________________________________________________________________________________ Mid-Congress Tour: Community Projects and Forest Restoration Amy Schroeder and Laetitia Piers University of the Western Cape [email protected] / [email protected] _______________________________________________________________________________________ 2 W ith the venue for the GSSA51 congress along the most famous Garden Route, it was most fitting to organise a midcongress tour to witness the ground-breaking projects which benefit both nature and communities within the Fynbos and Forest biomes. The initial pouring rain could not dampen the enthusiastic spirits of 11 delegates who traveled to the Pledge Nature Reserve, the Freshstart Swop Shop, and the Sizamele Indigenous Nursery. Pledge Nature Reserve, is a natural jewel found in Knysna. Our hosts, Patricia Nurse and Robert Smith, graciously welcomed the group and informed us about the history of the Reserve and the different challenges they face managing the Reserve. They make an effort to restore indigenous trees to sustain the surrounding forest and contribute to the muchneeded finances that the Reserve needs to survive. Furthermore, we discussed the various indigenous and threats of invasive trees in the Reserve. Our final destination was the endangered and highly fragmented Knysna Fynbos. The transition from the typical vegetation of the Reserve to the fynbos was very abrupt and attests to the intricacy of the Fynbos vegetation. The local prison has a beautiful view of the Reserve and Patricia Nurse pointed out that the inmates have a five-star accommodation waking up to a beautiful view of the Reserve every morning. 7 6 6 6 2 7 6 6 6 Figure 2: Congress delegates which attended the Community Projects and and Forest Restoration Tour 3 7 6 6 6 Figure 3: The Knysna Heads viewed from the top of the Pledge Nature Reserve where the Knysna Fynbos is situated Figure 1: Nurse and Robert Smith at the Pledge Nature Reserve Grassroots The second stop was the Freshstart Swop Shop located in Smutsville. The Freshstart community initiative is a non-profit organization that was established by Lida and Schalk van As. The motto: “helping people to help themselves” is the prime focus and is done through projects such as recycling or upcycling of waste material. The Smutsville Recycle Swop Shop is one of Freshstart’s empowerment projects and its purpose is primarily to help children in the Smutsville Township, Sedgefield community. This Swop Shop is situated at Sedgefield Primary School, and operates once a week, and involves children between the ages of six and sixteen. September 2016 Vol. 16 No. 3