Who we are
Kloof Conservancy, founded in 1993, is an active, vibrant organisation run by volunteers who aim to promote environmental awareness and conserve our area’s outstanding natural heritage for present and future generations. Special attention is paid to habitat restoration, invasive alien plant (IAP) eradication, sustainable living issues, environmental education, public participation and outreach to previously disadvantaged neighbouring communities as a part of a process of expanding the “green footprint”. We believe that the efforts and contributions of people and businesses are key for the sustainability of conservation in Kloof.
Kloof Conservancy relies on its community of members and its relationship with the community at large to further its goals. The conservancy aims to be a friendly and cooperative organisation. We aim to be outspoken in our environmental advocacy on a local level, and if required, on a regional or national level. We also aim to foster effective communication with our members, other environmental organisations, and the broader public.
Kloof Conservancy has an operational strategy which relies on its membership as a whole but requires individuals and small teams to run or contribute to various projects. In addition we aim to work with like minded organisations in partnerships whereby we can leverage the partners skills sets to jointly achieve more than what we could if we operated on our own. We aim to be innovative in strategies and projects, and easily identifiable to the public as an effective, local environmental organisation.
Location
Kloof is situated within the Maputaland-Pondoland-Albany Hotspot*, one of only 34 “biodiversity hotspots” on the planet.
Kloof contains a wealth of flora and fauna, breathtaking views of Kloof Gorge, walking trails from gentle to arduous, numerous streams and many waterfalls. Kloof is located in the Highway mistbelt, 30km west from the Durban CBD and at an elevation of 540m above sea level.
Kloof Conservancy is a key player in protecting and preserving the amazing biodiversity that is found within this beautiful area.
In Kloof we are privileged to have the Krantzkloof Nature Reserve as well as other areas of indigenous forest and grassland such as the Glenholme Reserve and the nearby Iphithi Nature Reserve and Springside Nature Reserve.
Mission
To passionately protect our biodiversity and empower our community to sustain a better future and to preserve our natural heritage.
Values
Proactive Spirit: We are passionate and inspire our community to follow our example. Our passion, knowledge and dedication excite others to join us and strive towards a better future
Environmental Integrity: We believe we have a moral duty to protect and live harmoniously with Kloof’s indigenous flora and fauna, and we do so with integrity and pride.
Shared Knowledge: We constantly see ways to share knowledge so that people in our community and beyond can be empowered to make the right decisions and value their environment.
What makes us unique
Kloof Conservancy is selflessly devoted to fighting for the well-being of the natural Kloof Environment. We do this by educating the public, setting an example and inspiring the community to get actively involved. We are pioneers in urban environmental stewardship in our region. Through this, we aim to contribute to the preservation of South Africa’s natural heritage.
What is a Conservancy?
“A conservancy is a voluntary co-operative environmental management of an area, by its community and user groups, and in respect of which registration has been granted by the relative conservation authorities”
The first conservancy was formed in 1978 in the Balgowan area by farmers under the guidance of the Natal Parks Board as it was then known. The primary objective was to protect game on farmlands, this being the first step towards protecting natural areas outside of game reserves.
Since then the concept has spread to both urban and industrial areas with our neighbours, Everton Conservancy registering as the first Urban Conservancy in 1991.
Kloof Conservancy is registered as a conservancy with Ezemevelo KZN Wildlife and the KZN Conservancies Association
NPO
Kloof Conservancy is a registered Non-Profit Organisation (registration number 142-631 NPO) and is also registered as a Public Benefit Organisation (registration number: 930013057) and can issue Section 18A Tax Exemption Certificates for donations made by donors to the conservancy.
Hotspot
* What is a biodiversity hotspot?
A seminal paper by Norman Myers in 1988 first identified ten tropical forest “hotspots” characterized both by exceptional levels of plant endemism and by serious levels of habitat loss. In 1990 Myers added a further eight hotspots, including four Mediterranean-type ecosystems. Conservation International adopted Myers’ hotspots as its institutional blueprint in 1989, and in 1996, the organization made the decision to undertake a reassessment of the hotspots concept, including an examination of whether key areas had been overlooked. Three years later an extensive global review was undertaken, which introduced quantitative thresholds for the designation of biodiversity hotspots:
To qualify as a hotspot, a region must meet two strict criteria: it must contain at least 1,500 species of vascular plants (> 0.5 percent of the world’s total) as endemics, and it has to have lost at least 70 percent of its original habitat.
In the 1999 analysis, published in the book Hotspots: Earth’s Biologically Richest and Most Endangered Terrestrial Ecoregions, and a year later in the scientific journal Nature (Myers, et al. 2000), 25 biodiversity hotspots were identified. Collectively, these areas held as endemics no less than 44 percent of the world’s plants and 35 percent of terrestrial vertebrates in an area that formerly covered only 11.8 percent of the planet’s land surface. The habitat extent of this land area had been reduced by 87.8 percent of its original extent, such that this wealth of biodiversity was restricted to only 1.4 percent of Earth’s land surface. Source: Conservation International
M-P-A Biodiversity Hotspot
The Maputaland-Pondoland-Albany Hotspot unites four enchanting and diverse centers of endemism (Maputaland, Pondoland, Albany and recently the Sneeuberg) culminating six of South Africa’s eight biomes in an area of nearly 275,000 km² along the East Coast of Southern Africa, below the Great Escarpment. The hotspot is the second-richest floristic region in southern Africa (after the Cape Floristic Region) and also the second-richest floristic region in Africa for its size. It is, at a habitat level, one type of forest where at least 598 tree species occur, with three types of endemic subtropical thicket, six types of bushveld and five types of grasslands being unique to the hotspot. The coastal waters of this hotspot, which encompass three of South Africa’s six marine bioregions, are also significant at a global level for their diversity of marine species.
Paralleling the natural, cultural and socio-economic diversity of this region is incredibly high. From residents within the urban centers of Maputo, Durban and Port Elizabeth, to commercial farmers and foresters, to traditional pastoral cultures of the Zulu, Xhosa and Swazi and artisanal fishing culture in Mozambique, all of these are dependent on the region’s natural resources for their well-being and livelihoods. The CEPF investment in this region is critical to stem the threats, balance human and natural needs, and conserve this unique part of the world. Source: Wildlands Conservation Trust