Crocodile River Reserve welcomed
“The push for nature reserve status instead of a conservancy is because conservancy does not have the same legal standing as a nature reserve.”
The declaration of the Crocodile River Reserve has been welcomed by its committee members and residents, vowing that conservation and protection of this vital green zone will now intensify.
The area was declared a nature reserve by the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (GDARD) on 3 October.
The Crocodile River Reserve is made up of more than 3 000 hectares of pristine grassland south-west of Pretoria, spread over the areas of Rietfontein, Vlakfontein, Riverside Estates, Hennops River, Roodekrans, Doornrandje, Vlakplaas and Schurveberg.
“The declaration is the first of its kind in Gauteng with over 100 landowners joining together to have the area declared protected. They will retain full ownership of their land,” said Grassland Stewardship Alliance (GSA) secretary Bruno Dusman.
“Registering the Grassland Stewardship Alliance as an NPO was the first step towards having the area declared a nature reserve.”
Dusman said the GSA was registered in 2013 but efforts surrounding the protection of the area started many years before that.
“Given the biodiversity of the area, the GDARD deemed it important that the area be protected and not abused,” he said.
“The declaration was a result of the efforts of many people and now we can expand and maintain the area properly.”
Crocodile River Reserve committee member Jenny Cornish said the intense work to get the reserve declared as a nature reserve started three or four years ago.
“The GDARD scientists conducted various studies and evaluations to determine if the area and its ecosystems were worth protecting.
“Because the area is so large, people tend to think it is one piece of land. It is actually made up of many privately-owned properties, making this a unique multi-property reserve.”
Cornish said that the next major goal for the future was to consolidate the properties in the area. Landowners, having followed the stewardship mechanism, are welcome to join the reserve.
“In the meantime, we will continue our work in conserving the nature reserve and educating the wider public on its importance as nature and heritage asset,” she said.
“This includes various events such as a unique mountain bike tour taking place on Sunday, 27 October.”
“It is unique in that, as cyclists ride the 20 or 40km route, they will be greeted at various points in the reserve and provided with more information on the biodiversity, history, and heritage in the area.”
The ride starts at the Stone House at Silver Hills Farm in Doornrandje.
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