Grootvadersbosch Conservancy

23/06/2026

Our nursery ladies are up and about doing cuttings during the winter! 🌿

Sometimes there are just not enough seeds in the valley; this is due to a lot of factors and putting pressure on the natural food source of wildlife is not on our agenda.

In cases like this, we are dependent on cuttings from our mother stock garden, ensuring that we are still getting a wide variety of genes and by not putting pressure on the natural landscapes (and in most cases, cuttings are more successful than seeds, trust us, we learned the hard way!) and we make up for it that way. 🤫

19/06/2026

📷 A few behind-the-scenes moments from a week of teamwork, conservation science and some very chilly river crossings. ❄️

Last week, Dr. Martine Jordaan from CapeNature joined the Grootvadersbosch Conservancy team to assist in collecting genetic samples from the Critically Endangered Tradouw Redfin. 🐟

The work involved spending a considerable amount of time in very cold water, but the samples collected will play a crucial role in helping us better understand the genetic diversity of the remaining populations and inform future refuge planning and translocation efforts.

This work forms part of a broader project supported by the Mohamed bin Zayed Species Conservation Fund (MBZ). The samples collected in the field will be analysed by the South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity (SAIAB), providing valuable information to help inform conservation decisions for this unique freshwater species.

Protecting species like the Tradouw Redfin takes strong partnerships, and we are grateful to work alongside , South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity, Makhanda, Eastern Cape and other conservation partners who share our commitment to securing the future of this remarkable fish.

Now we wait for the science to tell us its story.

16/06/2026

12/06/2026

Back Online at Last! 🌙📡

A month ago, we lost all of our Wi-Fi infrastructure. What followed was a challenging process as our team adapted to working under difficult circumstances, juggling ongoing rain and communications with limited connectivity.

A huge thank you to Darren and the Strawberry Hill team, who have been through an exhausting process of sourcing the equipment needed not just to restore the system, but to rebuild it stronger than before. Supply delays, technical challenges, and plenty of problem-solving made it a far bigger undertaking than we anticipated.

After a month of hard work, we're finally connected again! While there is still some fine-tuning and tweaking to do, the team is back in the office and the network is up and running.

As a fitting reminder of the effort it took to get here, we now have a few new cool "moons" shining in our night sky—our beamers standing watch over the office network, helping keep us connected to the world beyond the mountains (and they can change colour too!).

What a process! Thank you to everyone for your patience, perseverance, and support. Here's to stronger Wi-Fi connections and hopefully a little less troubleshooting for a while. 🌙✨

Strawberry Hill Farm

10/06/2026

We are excited to share that the Grootvadersbosch Conservancy Trust has received funding from the National Geographic Society to support the conservation of the critically endangered Tradouw Redfin. 🐟

The Tradouw Redfin is a unique freshwater fish found only in the Huis/Tradouw River system near Barrydale. Through our ongoing monitoring work with CapeNature, we have seen worrying signs of population decline. Threats such as invasive species, poor water quality, and reduced summer flows highlight the urgent need to protect its remaining habitat and identify potential refuge and translocation sites.

We are also proud to announce that, through this project, Aileen Anderson has joined the National Geographic Explorer community.

"As a National Geographic Explorer, I am proud to be part of a global community working to find practical solutions to conservation challenges and tell stories that inspire action to protect our rivers. I'm especially grateful that the National Geographic Society has chosen to support this important work."

Over the coming year, we will work with local landowners, Swellendam Municipality, CapeNature, and other conservation partners to establish a freshwater sanctuary in the upper catchment. The project will investigate opportunities for formal protection, improve monitoring of rivers and dams to identify refuge sites, and share the story of this remarkable species through a short documentary film.

This work is especially important because the entire known population of the Tradouw Redfin occurs outside formally protected areas. The catchment is also the sole water source for Barrydale and supports the surrounding agricultural community. Protecting this river system will require collaboration, stewardship, and a shared commitment to safeguarding freshwater ecosystems for both people and biodiversity. 🌿💧

Thank you to CapeNature, our landowners, conservation partners, and everyone who continues to support the protection of our freshwater ecosystems.

National Geographic Society
CapeNature

06/06/2026

No, this is not a green field full of indigenous species. What you are seeing is thousands of small Black Wattle trees coming up after the intense fires we experienced earlier this year...And this is only one small patch of a much bigger area rapidly returning to wattle. 😣😣

This is why alien clearing is so important. Left unmanaged, these areas can quickly turn into dense stands of Black Wattle, increasing future fire risk and reducing the incredible biodiversity that makes this region so special. ⛰🔥

We are incredibly grateful to the landowners who understand the importance and long-term benefits of alien clearing, as well as to our dedicated contractors and alien clearing management teams who work tirelessly to protect and restore these natural landscapes. Their pride and commitment in removing invasive species truly makes a difference. 💪🙏

04/06/2026

When the new Office Wifi Equipment needs a pulley delivery, you know we mean business 🤣💪

Hopefully our office will be back up and running next week🙏

02/06/2026

While we were established over 30 years ago, 13 years ago we employed our first staff member...those same people are still with us today..along with many others that continue to help us achieve our goals..thank you to them all.