Helping passionate volunteers on World Nature Conservation D
To celebrate World Nature Conservation Day, Jacaranda FM's Good Morning Angels donated R50,000 to 'The Friends of Rietvlei', a volunteer group that helps protect and maintain the Rietvlei Nature Reserve in Gauteng.
BACKGROUND: This week was World Nature Conservation Day, a reminder of the importance of protecting our environment.
South Africa’s rich natural heritage includes not only national parks but also urban reserves like the 4000-hectare Rietvlei Nature Reserve in Centurion. Conservation needs funding and dedication, often overlooked as non-essential.
That's where volunteers step in.
'Friends of Rietvlei', a non-profit group, helps conserve the reserve through membership fees, donations, and events. Their work includes maintaining infrastructure, removing invasive plants, organising cleanups, educating the public, and raising funds for urgent needs, like a recent operation for Njozi, Rietvlei’s only cheetah.
Thanks to public support, Njozi's costs were covered. But many other projects—like fixing bird hides and ablution blocks - are also vital but harder to fund.
For more info, visit: https://friendsofrietvlei.org/
REQUEST FOR: The Friends of Rietvlei, represented by chairperson Peter Ruddle.
ANGEL: The Good Morning Angels Fund NPC
SPONSORING: The Good Morning Angels fund will assist the Friends of Rietvlei with a donation of R50 000 towards their rethatching and other maintenance projects
ORIGINAL REQUEST:
Dear Good Morning Angels,
The Friends of Rietvlei Nature Reserve is a Non-Profit Organisation and is funded through membership fees, sponsorships, donations and fundraising events.
Our objective is to assist the management of the Rietvlei Nature Reserve, Tshwane, with the planning and execution of various projects to add value and to assist in the maintenance of the Reserve.
Our members are typically persons with a love for conservation, wildlife and nature in all of its forms.
We are constituted under the auspices of the Wildlife and Environment Society of South Africa [WESSA] in terms of the 'Friends of Nature Areas Scheme'.
'The Friends of Rietvlei' is a volunteer group dedicated to supporting the conservation, education, and responsible enjoyment of Rietvlei Nature Reserve in Pretoria. Here's what we typically do at Rietvlei:
Conservation and Maintenance
• A big part of our effort is to assist with alien invasive plant removal to protect local ecosystems, help maintain infrastructure, organise cleanup days, removing litter from walking trails, roadsides and picnic areas.
Environmental Education
• Host talks and guided walks on topics like birding, dragonflies, wildlife tracking and wetlands.
• Run school group programs and educational outings to teach children about biodiversity and conservation.
Citizen Science Projects
• Coordinate wildlife monitoring efforts (e.g. assist the staff with waterfowl counts, game monitoring, etc).
• Run photographic surveys to collect biodiversity data used by scientists and the reserve (e.g. photographing and recording dragonfly species and other insect species lists).
• Support research by partnering with universities or specialists when called upon.
Fundraising and Advocacy
• Raise funds for projects like medical emergencies (e.g. Njozi the cheetah's operation and supplementary feeding of the rhinos and buffalo during the winter months, if required.
• Advocate for responsible tourism and public engagement with nature.
• Manage membership programmes to grow community involvement.
Hospitality and Events
• Manage or assist with hospitality at the Special Events (e.g. Woman's Day event with the SANParks Volunteers) or during special reserve events.
• Organise fun events like Mother’s Day drives, wildlife-themed talks and conservation days.
• Welcome visitors, provide info and encourage donations or volunteerism.
Community Building
• Bring together volunteers, conservationists, and nature lovers to share knowledge and skills.
• Facilitate networking with other "Friends" groups and experts
Volunteers
• Our weekly Wednesday Volunteers are made up mostly of pensioners, one of whom has given 25 years of service to the group and is the backbone to the group.
• Every third Saturday, we have a work session for those working professionals willing to donate their time.
Honorary Rangers
They are also part of the Friends of Rietvlei group (established in 2004) and do the following:
• Night patrols, especially around full moon times, help ensure safety and prevent rule breaches.
• Daily patrols to monitor visitor compliance with park regulations and provide a visible ranger presence.
• Public interaction, answering visitors’ questions, and sharing information about the reserve and its wildlife.
• Support tasks on call, which include repairing fences, helping with snare patrols and conducting game or bird counts.
• Assisting law enforcement, working with SAPS and Metro Police when needed for operations inside the reserve.
GeneralIn general, we support the conservation staff at Rietvlei Nature Reserve in fulfilling their wish list projects and the maintenance of firefighting equipment for example. Over the years, the Friends have built bird watching hides, and it is our responsibility to maintain this infrastructure.
In short, we do what we can and help where we can to ensure that the reserve can be enjoyed by all those who visit including a significant number of international visitors from the various embassies in the city.
Tune in to 'Good Morning Angels', every Wednesday from 06:00 – 09:00, on 'Breakfast with Martin Bester'. Stream the special feature live here or download our mobile app here.
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