The Cape Winelands Biosphere Reserve's team spent two fantastic days in Bonnievale alongside the Bonnie People ECD School Project. The goal was to consult Bonnievale's informal settlement community about their food needs and share methods with them on how to maintain or establish a healthy and productive garden.

 Garden work was performed on the school's existing beautiful garden: compost heaps, vegetable/fruit planting and building of a worm farm. The team then went on to the home gardens of each participants to either try to improve it or start it from scratch using seeds and seedlings brought along by the CWBR.

Mark Heistein and his team of volunteers, Carlo and Thomas, were thrilled to exchange ideas with such enthusiastic children and adults who were all extremely interested and passionate about having their own vegetable garden. The children, adults and families who joined us on our two days mission were all given 1 lemon tree, 1 raspberry tree, cabbage, beans, tomatoes watermelon and pumpkin seedlings, as well as onion, sweet melon, pumpkin, and beans seeds to plant in their own gardens.

EMPOWERING PEOPLE TO CREATE THEIR OWN FOOD SOURCE

A year ago, the Cape Winelands Biosphere Reserve embarked on a program to educate and empower people to create their own food source.  This project entails planting food bearing trees and vegetable gardens in informal settlements, schools, rural areas and anywhere else where food is scarce. This is done through consultation with the communities to establish what their needs are, and what foods  they prefer to eat, which does differ from community to community. The communities, where necessary, are informed on the best methods to ensure plant survival, many however come from farming backgrounds and teach us. All recipients dig the hole and prepare the soil themselves.

The effect of these projects go way beyond food security alone. Building vertical gardens with palets against the walls of a shack can keep the temperature down during hot summers. It can also keep the goats from eating the growing vegetables/fruits as these become too high to reach. Granadilla creepers, for instance, not only supply vitamins and other nutrients, but form hedges which can define the properties, have fantastic flowers and stop children damaging themselves on razor wire fences. Trees are bearing fruits and have supplied nesting areas for birds, shade for people to sit under and create a “spirit of place” where people feel proud of how they have changed their own circumstances.

BONNIE PEOPLE ECD SCHOOL PROJECT

Bonnie People is a community development project in Bonnievale, Western Cape, South Africa, supported by Luxembourg. Its aim is to assist the inhabitants of an informal settlement situated in a little valley on the edge of Bonnievale. The project invests in the needs of the children and acts as "guardian" for children of the squatter camp". The project's staff and children also grow healthy vegetables naturally in an ever-thriving garden that has inspired many passers-by from the settlement to start their own food-growing garden outside their homes. Aly Zeinman, previous chairman of the Bonnie People Project who was recently replaced by Francis Faber, joined during these two days working in the settlement's gardens to witness the developments since his last visit in March 2015.

More information about Bonnie-People: http://www.bonniepeople.co.za/ or http://bonnievale.org/ 

Within the CWBR are the sources of seven major rivers as well as many tributaries.  The mighty Berg, Breede, Palmiet, Eerste, Riviersonderend, Lourens, Kuils, Sir Lowry’s and the Du Toits are some of the rivers which are the bloodline to Cape Town as well as all the towns in the CWBR.

Without them there would be no drinking water, irrigation water, water reliant industry, swimming pools, showers, fish tanks, water to fill your radiator, water your garden or even take a bath. No fire hoses, dams to fish on, water to ski on, have you hair done, wash your car or make beer, wine or brandy, there would be no trout to eat, and in fact we would probably not be here.

They are without a doubt our prime resource, and yet we treat them with so little respect.

 "The E-coli count is sometimes so high that it's an absolute danger to people who consume the water," Democratic Alliance MP Wilhelm le Roux told members 2005

We spend fortunes making the water potable, and then proceed to flush it down the toilet to end up back in the river again. The CWBR believes that there needs to be a paramount shift in people’s attitude around rivers, and that education is the most powerful tool to address this. This is one of the reasons that the CWBR concentrates a major portion of its resources addressing the youth, from preschool to tertiary levels.

It is not only the youth that need to made aware of the consequences of river pollution;

Berg River pollution imperils Cape 
Cape Town - If pollution of the Berg River, the lifeblood of the Western Cape, was not brought under control, South Africa's fruit, vegetable and wine exports to the EU and the US would be in danger, the Cape Regional Chamber has warned... InternAfrica

As the population increased in the Cape, so did the related problems. To control the sand dunes, hackia was planted; to tan hides, wattle was imported; alien pines and eucalyptus were imported as building material once our local timbers were depleted. This had major effects on our water sources, which we now need to tackle.

Many Western Cape farmers depend on water from the Berg River for irrigation, but due to pollution and alien vegetation, the quality of water has deteriorated to such an extent that R300 million is needed to clear the river. This is a daunting, but not impossible, task, believes Francis Steyn of the Western Cape Agriculture Department 2011 -- Farmers Weekly

The CWBR now works hand in hand with Landcare, a section of the Department of Agriculture and will be propagating indigenous trees, at The Ultimate Living Centre to reforest the riparian zones along the river banks.

Many believe that the problem of pollution will go away by itself after each major rainfall, but dilution is not the solution.

E. coli counts behaved differently compared to other water quality parameters in that higher counts were identified during wet weather conditions compared to dry conditions. Rainfall events increased the count of E. coli in the study area in combination with faecal pollution that runs off surfaces in informal settlements Mgese, Sivile University of Cape Town 2010

As the world trend of migration to urban areas continues, so does the problem of providing essential services in unplanned informal settlements.

The lack of sanitation for poor residents, many who are still on the bucket system, or having to walk several hundred meters to the nearest toilet, is one of the major problems.

Bucket contents are often disposed of directly into storm water drains, which bypass the sewerage system and goes directly into our rivers.

The main problem in the Western Cape is informal settlements. The influx of people has led to a massive backlog in provision of housing and basic services. - Business Report

E coli counts of 5000 to 2,400 million have been recorded, which is dangerous and could create a public health risk.

In order to address these problems, the CWBR believes that they have to be curtailed at source not once they are in the main rivers. It is therefore imperative that the resources of the World network of Biosphere Reserves should be consulted to see how other parts of the world are solving similar problems.

The protection of water resources is not just the function of Government or municipalities, but of every single person, no matter where they live or what their occupation is. The effects of jobs losses both in industry and in agriculture, should exports be affected by poor water quality, are immeasurable.

It will affect everyone.

But there is fantastic work being done to tackle the problems and bring them under control.

• The CWBR is developing the Sewerage to Tree program , which is investigating how mini sewerage works can recycle water into tree nurseries within informal settlements

• Cape Town City council has the 110% Green program, bringing private and business partnerships together.

• Bio-mimicry SA is working with John Todd and has designed a holistic water treatment system using natural cleansing methods.

• Biosphere Reserves together with Working for Water and the Department of Agriculture have several projects preserving river banks

• New legislation has been brought out banning any development within 32 meters of a river bank.

• There are numerous companies within the CWBR installing sewerage systems and water recycling units on their farms and in factories

These are just a few of the efforts taking place.

There is definitely light at the end of the tunnel.

Food security in many parts of the Cape Winelands Biosphere Reserve and the surrounding areas is not guaranteed, and in fact is some areas, up to 70% of people do not know if they will be eating dinner tonight. This is not only in rural areas, but in urban and city areas as well.

Unemployment is rife, crowded living conditions and lack of education all play a role in this uncertainty.

The CWBR has embarked on a program to educate and empower people to create their own food source.

This project entails planting food bearing trees and vegetable gardens in informal settlements, schools, rural areas and anywhere else where food is scarce.

This is done through consultation with the communities to establish what their needs are, and what foods  they prefer to eat, which does differ from community to community. The communities, where necessary, are informed on the best methods to ensure plant survival, many however come from farming backgrounds and teach us.  All recipients dig the hole and prepare the soil.

Once this is completed the trees and other plants are supplied.  GPS locations of the trees are recorded so as to inform the sponsors of exactly where their funds are being spent, and it allows for accurate follow ups to ensure maximum survival of the donated trees. To date over 6000 trees have been planted of which 94 % have survived.

Funding is obtained through partnerships with individual and business, and a very close relationship with Earth Call in Luxemburg and Holland. They created the Bonnie Peoples Project in Bonnievale. They built, manage and fund a pre school which has been running very successfully for ten years.

The children at the school come from a very poor informal settlement nearby where there is a high percentage of unemployment. It became obvious that during school holiday the children where not getting the same nutrition supplied at school, where they are fed daily.

The CWBR then partnered with The Bonnie People Project and Dream South Africa to implement the planting of hundreds of food baring trees and the planting of vegetable gardens in the area.

The effect of these projects go way beyond food security alone. Granadilla creepers not only supply vitamins and other nutrients, but form hedges which define the properties, have fantastic flowers and stop children damaging themselves on razor wire fences. Trees are bearing fruit and have supplied nesting areas for birds, shade for people to sit under and create a “spirit of place” where people feel proud of how they have changed their circumstances.

These projects are implemented throughout the CWBR area.

Schools and communities in Stellenbosch , Paarl, Saron, McGregor , Franschhoek and Worchester are all involved in improving their surroundings and being given the opportunity in ensure that food and the related nutrition required for healthy living, is a possibility.

In many instances, individuals are now taking cutting, collecting seeds and propagating their own plants to expand the project themselves.

School children in Luxemburg, not only collect funds for these projects but take time to come to South Africa as volunteers, to propagate trees, help built the Ultimate Living Centre and interact with school children here, resulting in cultural exchange and understanding.

The long term advantages and educational gains from these projects have enormous potential.

"Diversity isn't involved so much with the number of elements in a system as it is with the number of functional connections between these elements. Diversity is not the number of things, but the number of ways in which things work."

"What are the strategies by which we don't need agriculture? Agriculture is a destructive system. Well, we need a lot more gardeners. Gardeners are the most productive, most hands-on sort of agriculturists ‘

The Ultimate Living Centre is in the process of being developed as a place of connection, between Man and Nature - a place where people from all walks of life can feel, smell, and interact with soil and plants that are so essential for healthy living; a place where it is shown that roof tops, shack yards and walls, discarded packaging, and even poles can become the host to fascinating ecosystems; a place where worms produce the very medium that allows the food forests to grow.

The program is created in a series of disused pig sties, each measuring 4m x 5m, which is about the size of an average informal settlement plot. Different huts are being built, to show alternatives to corrugated iron, and are then surrounded with different ways of producing food within this confined area. The huts themselves are all based on using different available material at the same cost as an average corrugated iron hut, but resulting in a far more comfortable and dignified living environment.

The fact that the project is being created on a concrete base, makes it a perfect example of what can happen on city rooftops, existing cemented yards, abandoned industrial sites and anywhere else where the natural ground is covered.

Locals and volunteers from all over the world are encouraged (and have started) to come and enjoy the interaction and sense of giving, the sharing of cultures, the passion for nature, and learning how to produce their own food anywhere. In doing so they come to realize the essential elements of sustainability and how many forms of “waste” should rather be looked at as undiscovered assets.

Although Home should be the initial place of learning, this is unfortunately not always the case in some modern cramped communities, so we hope, that for some, by experiencing the Ultimate Living Centre, we are able to fill some of this gap.

The aim of The Ultimate Living Centre is to increase awareness of how Man can live in harmony with Nature, not only in rural areas but in cities as well.

This is done by exposing children and adults to the following:

• Worm farming – worms are Nature’s composters. Their castings contain ten times the nutrients than what they consume. The worm tea, when sprayed on plants makes a fantastic foliage feed as well as an insect repellant. The microorganisms in the castings and the tea are what boost the plant’s growth and immune system.

• Mushroom growing – Logs from alien timber such a gum trees, is kept for two weeks until its own fungi repellent becomes dormant. Holes are then drilled into the log, where a wooden plug is inserted, which has been impregnated with Shitake Mushroom spawn, the hole is then covered with wax. It is then just a matter of time before the log will produce a healthy crop of mushrooms, full of minerals and vitamins. The plugs and logs can be ordered through the Ultimate Living Centre.

• Aquaponics – This is a method of growing plants without soil. The plant is floated on top of the water, in containers, with the roots hanging in the water. Fish are kept in the water and it is their excrement which supplies the nutrients for the plants.

• Square foot gardening - very simply put, Square Foot Gardening (SFG) is growing vegetables and fruits for the table even with the smallest of gardens. The system adapts easily to all levels of experience, physical ability, and geographical location. You can now grow all you want and need in about 20% of the space of a conventional vegetable garden. Saving time, water, and energy. As the plants are grown in containers, it allows food production anywhere. The mix of plants chosen, allows food to be produced all year round.

• Roof and vertical wall gardening- not everyone has the advantage of having a garden, this however should not deter them from growing their own food. Roofs and walls make perfect areas to grow vegetables in containers, old pallets, discarded bottles or anything that can hold soil or other growing mediums.

• How to make mini greenhouses – old shower doors, reclaimed windows, or see through plastic, are all used to make mini greenhouses, allowing most vegetables to be grown all year round.

• Productive use of alien plants - the Government Working for Water project addresses alien vegetation in riparian zones, resulting in the problem of what to do with the extracted timber. At The Ultimate Living Centre we show ways to make use of it. This includes building log cabins, manufacturing furniture, coffins and grow-bins, composting and mushroom farming.

• Recycling – various forms of recycling are experimented with and displayed at the centre.

• Composting techniques – various forms of hot and cold composting are on display, and form part of the program taught to children and the public. This has become part of the regular talks and lectures which began in September

• Different affordable building techniques – experimentation is taking place to find new and innovative building methods that are affordable, comfortable and have architectural and engineering integrity.

As further resources become available, additional displays and educational material will be added.

• Alternative energies – it is envisaged that the ULC will become a one-stop, alternative energy hub, where products from a variety of alternative energy companies will be on display and working. This will allow the public and first time home builders to compare products in working conditions.

• Water recycling – over the next couple of months, various methods of water recycling will be added to the displays

The Ultimate Living Center is also home to the nursery which produces and stores thousands of food bearing trees and vegetables which are distributed free to those in need of food security. (See article on The Peoples Food Forest)

The ULC offers an interactive education program through which eco education is achieved through interaction and physical activities. This has already been visited by hundreds of children, bussed in from the surrounding schools.

The Cape Winelands Biosphere Reserve, Simonsberg Conservancy, Eco Schools, Dream SA, Landcare, many local and international volunteers and the owners of Delvera Agri Village work together to achieve a very unique program, which does not only address the real problems of food security, but has created a network of likeminded people who have a common goal.

In this process, many entrepreneurs who needed mentoring, exposure and networks to get off the ground , have become part of the ‘ Family’ and are achieving results beyond their expectations.

Six youngsters from the Paarl Canoe Development Team participated in the Berg River Canoe Marathon from 11 to 14 July 2012, one of the most grueling and well-known canoe races on the Western Cape Canoe Union racing calendar.

The event, held in 1962 for the first time, covers a distance of 250 kilometres starting in Paarl within the borders of the Cape Winelands Biosphere Reserve (CWBR) and ending in Vredendal in the West Coast Biosphere Reserve four days later - making The Berg the longest canoe river race in South Africa.

The Paarl Canoe Development Team was founded in 1996 by Robin Graves. The programme initially started out with youngsters from a swimming club, but soon children from nearby farms saw this activity and started joining the programme. It grew rapidly in popularity and Paarl Rotary, the Western Province Canoe Union, and Bridge House School started supporting the programme. Soon youngsters were doing so well that they were entering and participating in some senior river races such as the Berg River Canoe Marathon, Breede and Fish River Marathons and the Dusi in Kwa-Zulu Natal.

It is clear that canoeing has given these youngsters the confidence, self-esteem and pride to stand up and achieve not only on the water but in building a future for themselves. In 2002, Robin handed over the coaching to one of the seniors who had excelled in this programme and now ten years later, Wayne August continues to further develop the programme as a full time coach. As a development programme there is, however, a continuous need for support to upgrade equipment, supply clothing and support through finance.
 
The Cape Winelands Biosphere Reserve, proclaimed in 2007 as a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, became aware of the needs of the Development Team and with its focus on conservation and development saw an opportunity to support this team in its preparation for the Berg River Canoe Marathon. With 98% of the rivers in the CWBR classified as threatened or already on the red list, the CWBR aimed at using the event as a platform for creating awareness of the importance of clean water sources and education.
 
As this project uniquely runs through the borders of both the Cape Winelands Biosphere Reserve connecting with the West Coast Biosphere Reserve at the coast it has been branded as one of the first Biosphere Reserve to Biosphere Reserve projects, a collaboration between the two Biosphere Reserves.
 
With the support of Dr Kevin Winter from the University of Cape Town (UCT) the Team collected water samples throughout the race, which was then tested and monitored after the race. The six members of the team met with children from the neighbouring farms each afternoon during the race to explain to them the importance of clean water sources and to demonstrate to them how to monitor the water. In addition to education, it is also the first time since 2001 that the Development Team had branded team uniforms and branded gear for the race. This project will be run on an annual basis, with water samples being taken each year and will also be rolled out to include other races in the area. The CWBR is proud to be associated with this very successful project. 

THE AIMS & OUTCOMES OF THE PROJECT:

1) To support local dedicated community youth sportsmen and women.
This was achieved with a total of six paddlers, two support crew, and many supporters following the first branded development team for 10 ten years. The team spirit was commented on by many spectators and a follow up program with local schools is in the process of being developed, driven by the paddlers and local teachers who are seen as role models within the communality. The water testing component and involvement of UCT gave great credibility to the project and developed pride amongst those involved. There was a feeling amongst the canoeists of “doing something worthwhile for our Community”

2) To enhance awareness of the CWBR and the CWCBR 
This was achieved by both the branding of uniforms and the vehicles together with banners and information at all prominent points. The sending off of the team by the mayor also achieved recognition by the press, as did the podium positions and the resulting press coverage, and television.

3) To link co-operation and marketing of the Biosphere
This project was jointly undertaken to link the two neigbouring Biosphere Reserves in the Western Cape, the CWBR and the Cape West Coast Biosphere Reserve.

4) Support development and eco tourism along the Berg River
Francis Steyn  from Sustainable Resource Management: LandCare, Department of Agriculture  Provincial Government of the Western Cape, contacted us at the end of the race, as he had seen the team collecting samples and is a keen paddler himself.

This has led to discussions about
1)      How can we develop, with all role players, a mechanism to start improving the quality of the water
2)      Create awareness amongst the public and the landowners of the importance of water quality
3)      The clearing of alien vegetation and replanting of indigenous trees along the Berg River. This is in progress along small portions and is proving very successful. The Biomass collected is machines into brickets.
4)      Developing a super trail from the source to the mouth of the Berg, similar to the Eden to Addo, and several others overseas that are much longer and very popular.
5)      Engaging with the farming community to form nodes of good practice. Cultivation in the flood plains and chemical leaching are just two of the immediate issues to be looked into.

5) Create awareness of the importance of water quality and that seven rivers have their source in the CWBR
The collection of water samples along the river caused a lot of discussion amongst the public and the paddlers. Many people asked about the project and requested results. UCT have analysed the results which are disturbing. The challenge will be to put a program in place that is positive and has positive outcomes. It must not become a witch hunt but rather an identification of the pollution sources and a concerted effort to find holistic solutions. We need to engage with local and international organisations in this process.

6) Develop a youth program to monitor water quality.
Although we did have some success, it was marginal due to a lack of human resources. However contact was made with teachers from local schools that are now determined to make this happen. We will pursue this over the next year and have a concise program in place for next year’s race.