Conservation Projects

The Karkloof Conservancy covers an expanse of about 40,000 hectares in the Karkloof, KwaZulu-Natal. Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife has identified the Karkloof as being of significant value in terms of conservation and has earmarked it as a “biodiversity hotspot”. The area includes pristine wetlands, mistbelt grasslands and huge tracts of mistbelt forest, which are all protected biomes. Numerous endemic and near-endemic species of fauna and flora thrive in this unique environment.

We are able to conserve the Karkloof through the following projects:

• Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife's Biodiversity Stewardship Programme.
• Endangered Wildlife Trust's Custodianship projects for the protection of endangered species and their biomes.
• Birdlife SA's Important Bird and Biodiversity Area (IBA) project.
• Our partnership with the Wildlands Conservation Trust, who have secured 3,275ha of land in the Karkloof for the conservation of biodiversity.
• WWF's Water Resilience Project with landowners, farmers and foresters to protect our rivers and wetland systems.

The Karkloof Conservancy believes that through environmental education and awareness campaigns, we are able to inform both children and adults on some of the issues we face locally, as well as the possible solutions to these issues.

Our education projects include:

• Environmental education programmes with our three local farm schools.
• Talks by guests speakers on pertinent conservation topics for our members, as well as walks in the surrounding conservation areas.
• Hosting school groups and environmental clubs to instil the love of nature in them.

Members of the Karkloof Conservancy saw the need for more meaningful public environmental awareness and education and managed to fundraise money through the Sappi/WWF TreeRoutes Partnership. This money was used to build a conservation, tourism information and education centre in 2007, known as the Karkloof Conservation Centre.