Doomsday film set rehabilition – Grabouw

In 2007 Fynbos Ecoscapes was commissioned to undertake the rehabilitation of fynbos damaged during the making of the film Doomsday near Grabouw. This entailed collecting seed, smoke treating the seed and raking back into the disturbed areas as well as transplanting local species from surrounding fynbos, mulching and installing drip irrigation. Within three years the vegetation had fully recovered to pre-impact levels.

Stilbaai Borrow pits fynbos rehabilitation project

Fynbos Ecoscapes undertook the botanical survey for the proposed borrow pits along the Stilbaai to Vermaaklikheid road in September 2006. Following input from these botanical assessments the final eight borrow pits were selected from which material would be mined for the resurfacing of the road. Two of these sites had high botanical value and Fynbos Ecoscapes was contracted to undertake a plant search and rescue operation as well develop and implement a rehabilitation program for the sites. All geophytes (bulbs) were collected and stored for replanting following mining, topsoil was stockpiled and carefully spread back across the site following mining and seed was collected prior to mining, smoke treated to improve germination and sown back into the top soil following mining.

The following paired photos show the borrow pits immediately after mining in early winter 2009 and one year later after seed sowing and replanting of bulbs in the spring of 2010.

Plate 3. Borrow pit 6 rehabilitation. The photo on the left was taken in May 2009 and shows Fynbos Ecoscapes staff sowing seed of serotinous Proteaceae. This photo shows the topsoil having been spread across the site and is taken from the bottom of the site towards the north western corner. The photo on the right is of the same area taken 18 months later in early December 2010. This photo shows the excellent recovery of the fynbos vegetation on the site.

Plate 4. A further comparison showing the rehabilitation of the fynbos at Borrow pit 6 between May 2009 and December 2010.

Plate 6. Rehabilitation progress at borrow pit 8 between May 2009 (left) and December 2010 (right).

Wildekrans Wine Estate – landscaping plan and plant supply

Fynbos Ecoscapes has been working with Wildekrans Wine Estate since 2008 in the development and implementation of an indigenous landscaping plan for the estate as well as the provision of a conservation management program for the natural areas of the Estate. Weildekrans is certified as a member of the Biodiversity and Wine Initiative (BWI) and committed to the conservation and rehabilitation of natural areas on the Estate.

Graafwater fynbos rehabilitation project

During August 2011 Fynbos Ecoscapes undertook a plant search and rescue project at the borrow pits and along the road verges for the resurfacing of the DR2184 and MR538 roads between Paleisheuwel and Graafwater in the Sandveld.

The focus of the work was to transplant all geophytes and succulent plants from within the extension areas of the borrow pits required road resurfacing material as well as along the road verges in the areas that would be impacted during resurfacing.

Oudebos Cabins, Kogelberg - fynbos rehabilitation and landscaping project

Fynbos Ecoscapes has been contracted to assist in the species selection, design and implementation of a landscaping and rehabilitation project at the new Oudebos tourism development on Cape Nature’s Kogelberg Nature Reserve. The project includes the planting of twelve fynbos roof gardens as well the rehabilitation of the old lawned areas around the original laborers cottages at the site.