ZINKWAZI CONSERVANCY
MINUTES OF THE COMMITTEE MEETING
held at Zinkwazi Lagoon Lodge at 11H30 on Tuesday 10th August, 2010.
Present: Klaus Achtzehn (Chair), Neil Wallace, Cliff Hatt, Peter Saville , Bing Comrie, Peter Coulon, Fokko Fokkens, Wendy Balcomb
Apologies: Richard Penn-Sawers
Peter Coulon – Land and Conservation Manager of the Elan Group, stated that there were two issues to be addressed.
1 Stewardship – the road forward
Neil Wallace said that there was a need to ensure that landowners in the Conservancy area ie Tongaat Huletts, Elan , Prince’s Grant and the DFA (Darnall Farmers Assoc.) were fully aware of the Stewardship program and how it could benefit their businesses while enhancing Biodiversity Conservation.
Derrek Ruiters of KZN Wildlife has been appointed as the coordinating officer for EKZN Stewardship in this area and was on call to attend meetings to discuss the programme in detail with landowners. It was decided that where possible we would also involve Wildlands in these meetings to enable them to add value by informing about the conservation developments and potential in the area and to enhance credibility. They have an excellent reputation for the management of projects and their funding.
Peter Coulon to set up a meeting at Riverside Hotel at 10 to about 10.45am with the Elan group Environment Committee on Friday, 27th August as the first of these meetings.
Peter Saville to invite local interested and affected parties from the DFA to meet at the Darnall Club at 2pm the same afternoon for the second meeting. Klaus and Neil to communicate with Derrek Ruiters to ensure he was available and to get either Dr Roellie Kloppers or Andrew Whiteley to attend from Wildlands Conservation Trust.
A meeting has been initiated with the board of T.D.H. We are awaiting finalisation of date and time, this is in Neil’s court.
2 Game Counts – there is a need to know what game is in the Blythedale/Elan area
Fokko to trace past records and to involve those who in the past carried out the count.
3-4 hours of darkness required to complete game count in areas to be allocated. Suggested that two vehicles from Blythedale and 2 from Zinkwazi to take part. Each to have two spotlights. Sightings and time of sighting to be recorded. Game count to take place after 17th September when Fokko is available.
Zimbali have camera footage to prove that their interrupted fencing to the beach facilitates the movement of game to the beach at night. This is recommended for estates.
3 General
Peter identified the need to remove AIP on the Blythedale entrance and replant with indigenous plants.
It was agreed Peter and Bing would work on this and identify plans and budget. Wendy to assist, where she can, on getting KDM and provincial authorities on sides with this.
4 Trust needed for future funding
It was decided that to facilitate the acquisition of further funding we needed to ensure a valid independent trust was available The Business for Conservation Trust, which was dormant, already existed with a balance of R84,000.00. This was created by local farmers headed by a committee including – Basil Haggeman, Fokko, Jasper Pons, Peter Ardington, Johnnie Kleusner, Dymock Brett, Peter Saville, Mark Clewlow to fund diesel for KZN staff. Permission was granted from the dept of revenue to preclude the trust from the need to spend 75% of its funds annually.
It was agreed that the trust deeds and constitution would be forwarded to Neil, who would consult with Wildlands Conservation Trust experts to see that it was up to date and suitable to use for potential New funding from C.I. on the Maputoland, Pondoland, Albany Hotspot development as well as future Lottery funding.
5 It was agreed that it would be a good communication and awareness program to obtain Indigenous tree identification tags from WESSA , to label good looking specimen trees in Zinkwazi. Wendy to action with support on tree identification from Bing and others.
Along the same line it was agreed that Wendy would utilise the Mtunzini conservancy AIP awareness program and use their display system to show specimens of AIP at the ZBRRA notice board at the Junction.
6 Closure
The meeting ended at 13H00
Signed ……………………………………Date: ………………………………………
Klaus Achtzehn………..Chairman Zinkwazi Conservancy
ZINKWAZI CONSERVANCY
REPORT ON MEETING AT NURSERY
held at the Nursery at 10H00 on Tuesday 10th August, 2010.
Present: Klaus Achtzehn (Chair), Neil Wallace, Cliff Hatt, Peter Saville , Bing Comrie, Fokko Fokkens, Wendy Balcomb
Apologies: Richard Penn-Sawers
1 Management of nursery
Neil outlined the need to have a defined management plan so that Wendy’s work for Zbrra was not dominated by the Nursery, which was increasing in size and would demand more time and effort.
After discussion it was resolved that the primary function of the nursery was to serve as a resource centre for the rehabilitation and planting of local gardens and the Conservancy area with appropriate, local indigenous plants. It should not be promoted as a commercial source for individual plants. It should thus serve as a resource for the following:
The rehabilitation of property in the future after AIP clearing would include re-planting. This would be charged for as part of a package. In the past this was a part of the service but was found to be expensive and time consuming.
A basic planting & landscaping package for the differing eco-zones in the Conservancy area will be developed. Bing Comrie to help Wendy to compile lists of appropriate local indigenous plants for different requirements. This package will be marketed to landowners and garden services as a free service, but the appropriate plants (with or without Labour) would be sold.
It should also serve an educational purpose regarding both indigenous as well as invasive plants.
Dymock Brett to be approached to join the Conservancy Committee and take on the Nursery and AIP portfolio in the same way Cliff had taken responsibility for events. Neil to approach Dymock
It was resolved that Wiseman was to spend his time managing the nursery under WB supervision. Bing stressed the need for good nursery practices – plants to be weed free and in a good condition. W B to engage extra labour for set up if necessary ie the erection of the fence. The making of compost was purely for nursery use.
2 The Hangar
It will be used as a centre for educational functions.
To optimise on the floor space, Wendy to submit a plan and cost for the interior layout of the hangar with divisions for office, meeting area, storage of tools and fertilizer and crates for vermiculture.
The toilet is to be completed by Klaus and functional before the next conservancy meeting.
Signage has already been made and will be erected on the new fence. Cliff to assist with marketing
4 General
Dumisane would continue to run the AIP work. Existing properties in the programme had been notified that any further work to remove aliens would be charged for.
The meeting ended at 11H15 and we proceeded to Lagoon Lodge for a Conservancy meeting
Signed ……………………………………Date: ………………………………………
Klaus Achtzehn………..Chairman Zinkwazi Conservancy
ZINKWAZI CONSERVANCY
REPORT ON MEETING AT NURSERY
held at the Nursery at 10H00 on Tuesday 10th August, 2010.
Present: Klaus Achtzehn (Chair), Neil Wallace, Cliff Hatt, Peter Saville , Bing Comrie, Fokko Fokkens, Wendy Balcomb
Apologies: Richard Penn-Sawers
1 Management of nursery
Neil outlined the need to have a defined management plan so that Wendy’s work for Zbrra was not dominated by the Nursery, which was increasing in size and would demand more time and effort.
After discussion it was resolved that the primary function of the nursery was to serve as a resource centre for the rehabilitation and planting of local gardens and the Conservancy area with appropriate, local indigenous plants. It should not be promoted as a commercial source for individual plants. It should thus serve as a resource for the following:
The rehabilitation of property in the future after AIP clearing would include re-planting. This would be charged for as part of a package. In the past this was a part of the service but was found to be expensive and time consuming.
A basic planting & landscaping package for the differing eco-zones in the Conservancy area will be developed. Bing Comrie to help Wendy to compile lists of appropriate local indigenous plants for different requirements. This package will be marketed to landowners and garden services as a free service, but the appropriate plants (with or without Labour) would be sold.
It should also serve an educational purpose regarding both indigenous as well as invasive plants.
Dymock Brett to be approached to join the Conservancy Committee and take on the Nursery and AIP portfolio in the same way Cliff had taken responsibility for events. Neil to approach Dymock
It was resolved that Wiseman was to spend his time managing the nursery under WB supervision. Bing stressed the need for good nursery practices – plants to be weed free and in a good condition. W B to engage extra labour for set up if necessary ie the erection of the fence. The making of compost was purely for nursery use.
2 The Hangar
It will be used as a centre for educational functions.
To optimise on the floor space, Wendy to submit a plan and cost for the interior layout of the hangar with divisions for office, meeting area, storage of tools and fertilizer and crates for vermiculture.
The toilet is to be completed by Klaus and functional before the next conservancy meeting.
Signage has already been made and will be erected on the new fence. Cliff to assist with marketing
4 General
Dumisane would continue to run the AIP work. Existing properties in the programme had been notified that any further work to remove aliens would be charged for.
The meeting ended at 11H15 and we proceeded to Lagoon Lodge for a Conservancy meeting
Signed ……………………………………Date: ………………………………………
Klaus Achtzehn………..Chairman Zinkwazi Conservancy
