Forests for Life is dedicated to restoring forest and woodland ecosystems, effectively managing critical catchment areas, and improving the lives of communities who rely on forest resources across Sub-Saharan Africa. In partnership with Wild Bird Trust’s Cape Parrot Project in the Eastern Cape of South Africa, the Greenpop Foundation has been reforesting patches of degraded Amatole forest since 2019. By planting indigenous trees, this work serves to restore and expand the habitat of the endangered Cape Parrot.
Conservation Problem Statement:
The Cape Parrot is threatened mainly by habitat loss and disease, with only around 1800 individuals left in the wild. They, along with many other species, are dependent on Mistbelt forest habitat. However, this habitat near Hogsback, Eastern Cape, has been degraded by historical indigenous tree felling and lost by the conversion of indigenous forest to exotic pine plantations, with forest margins also affected by alien invasive plants. The Department of Environment, Fisheries and Forestry is mandated to restore this land, but is severely under-resourced. Villages and small communities surrounding these Mistbelt forests depend on the forests for firewood, housing materials and bushmeat.
Project Outcomes:
No. of hectares under restoration: 21.6 ha
No. of trees planted: 1500 trees
For more information visit:
www.greenpop.org