GARDEN ROUTE | KAROO NEWS - The Landmark Foundation in its Annual Narrative Report, issued in February 2022, says that 2020 and 2021 were rewarding years as they racked up tremendous achievements despite various obstacles.
The foundation's main aim is biodiversity conservation and it has various core projects that include the Leopard and Predator Project, the Shepherding Back Biodiversity & Fair Game Project, which restores wetland and riparian rehabilitation and promotes rewilding, and an environmental education project.
The foundation is also involved in advocacy efforts on behalf of the natural environment.
According to the report, in the past year the foundation expanded the conservation influence of the Leopard and Predator Project.
As part of this project, their publications, including peer-reviewed academic publications, have significantly increased, contributing to science and the policy and management of species. The foundation has registered research associates at the University of the Western Cape.
Furthermore, the government sector increasingly requests the foundation's input on management. The foundation also serves on a National Leopard Advisory Forum, as well as the Wildlife Welfare Forum, and it has a productive collaboration with Northern and Western Cape conservation authorities.
It has managed to provide an exemplary service in mitigating leopard-related conflict in the Western, Eastern and Northern Cape, despite serious challenges.
The Shepherding Back Biodiversity Project has also been recognised for its innovation and importance. Important publications have flowed from the work.
The Wetland and Riverine Restoration and Rewilding project has progressed well and the foundation started seeing improvements in biodiversity after some extensive rehabilitation was completed. Their educational project has continued to grow and has developed meaningful partnerships.
The foundation is also involved in ground-breaking litigation actions which have made progress in the courts in the past year, pioneering a new field in conservation action for the environment. Eventually, these may yet be the most impactful interventions it has undertaken for wildlife conservation, according to the report.
Financially, the foundation remains constrained in achieving its goals and the Covid pandemic and national economic constraints have added to this plight. A number of staff and contractors left its services this year, affecting its on-the-ground presence.
The largest challenge for the foundation this past year was the repudiation of a joint venture agreement it had with Timothy Allsop and his Tamarisk Trust with whom it developed the learning site for the Shepherding Back Biodiversity Project at Kromelboog Farm near Beaufort West.
This repudiation has destroyed a long-term research and habitat expansion programme in which more than R30-million of charitable funds were invested. Landmark Foundation is now acting to get redress.
Read the full report with detailed feedback on each project of the Landmark Foundation here: Landmark Foundation Annual Narrative Report Feb 2022
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