Drie Valleyen and Rondebosch Reserves

In 2003 we assumed stewardship of the 350 Ha Drie Valleyen and Rondebosch farms on the Wilderness coast lying between the Wilderness Marine Reserve and the National Parks Rondevlei Lake.

Although the land was a mess, extensively overgrown with alien wattle, hakea and rooikrans vegetation and denuded in places from attempts at farming, it was still a beautiful place with its sea and mountain views.  We recognized its value as an ecological corridor between the lakes and the sea in an area which even then was a target for land development.  We decided to take on the challenge to restore and preserve it for permanent conservation protection.

We were extremely fortunate to be referred to Ken Coetzee of Conservation Management Services who did a comprehensive survey of the farms and drew up a recovery plan.  He introduced us to the Land Ethic of Aldo Leopold and its practical applications using regenerative conservation practices.  Ken has remained a valued mentor since then.

Over the past two decades this has involved the systematic removal of the invasive alien vegetation, extensive indigenous plantings, the reintroduction of large herbivores and the recovery of the native fauna and flora.

Today, the Reserves serve as examples of long-term regeneration in practice, demonstrating that nature can recover when these practices are implemented in a landscape.

Gray Rutherford