SANBI snippets: What did we go back to KZN to do?

CareTakers in Maputaland

On 19th March 2012, a Cape Town based film team set out for the far north to capture sequences for the latest CareTakers documentary (Working title: Making the case for biodiversity). The film supplements coverage that we did of the COP17 climate change conference in Durban in Nov/Dec last year, linking the thoughts, theories and views of experts to environmental restoration and management work on the ground. (See the CareTakers vimeo clips of COP17 for interviews with those experts). It was good to be out in the field again!

Our trip first took us to the Mkhuze River floodplain, where Mbali Kubheka, the KZN coordinator of the national Working for Wetlands Programme, showed us the restoration work being done that improves the hydrology of these important wetlands feeding the extensive St Lucia lake system.

Mbali and her Project Implementer (another Mbali) gave us lots to film, and also took time out on Human Rights Day to visit members of the community who benefit directly from improved wetland condition, both directly for access to water, and for the supply of reeds that they harvest for the making of mats and baskets.

For spectacular nature scenes, we couldn?t have been better looked after than through the hospitality of the iSimangaliso Wetland Park. Thandi Tshabalala facilitated a wonderful two days in the Park, which included a school outing guided by outreach educationist Mary Barnes, and also lined up a sunset boat trip on which we were treated to shots of hippos, crocs, kingfishers, hippos, a fish eagle, pelicans, and hippos.