A hands-on approach to conservation
Wits third-year students spent time at the Melville Koppies Nature Reserve where they got a practical experience to conservation.
Every year, a visit by third-year Wits students to the Melville Koppies Nature Reserve has them assess the grass load, check the wind speed and temperature before the koppies’ conservation team burns the area.
This exercise simulates a real-life conservation situation giving students some practical grounding for their future careers.
Read more: Wits Flower Halls sustainable revival
According to Jenny Grice, a volunteer at the nature site, South African grasslands are under threat. “Thousands of years ago, grasslands managed themselves – regular fires often caused by lightning strikes on dried-out winter grass helped to keep grasslands from being taken over by forests and maintained their plant, animal and bird diversity.”
Also read: Wits Juniors secure away win
Now urbanisation, the expansion of agriculture and timber, and the encroachment by invasive alien plants are new threats to grasslands’ existence.
Grice said grasslands are important components of the ecosystem as they act as a sponge to catch rainwater runoff ensuring that streams and rivers continue running throughout the year. “They support a vast range of plants, animals and birds; many plants that grow in grasslands are used medicinally by a large proportion of the South African population.”
Follow us on our Facebook, X, Instagram and TikTok pages. Join our WhatsApp group for any story ideas you may have.
Related article: Wits aids in saving the rhinos
