WINNERS: from left to right: Tim Jobson (Friends of Rondebosch Common), Annalene de Beer (for Vernon Gibbs-Halls), Braam Malherbe, Elma Pollard, Suzanne du Plessis, Martin Thompson, Jean Fillis, Jonathan Deal (behind), WESSA CEO Mumsie Gumede (behind), Kelvin Cochrane, Marilyn van der Velden, Pierre de Villiers, Janette Maree du Toit and Niel van Wyk. Not present: Green Renaissance Filmmaking Team.

Thirteen outstanding individuals and groups were formally acknowledged by WESSA for their contribution to the South African environmental conservation and environmental education sector at a special ceremony, which took place on Thursday 18 August 2011 in the Silver Tree restaurant at Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens.

The annually presented Regional WESSA Awards attracted many nominations this year, all of which spoke of excellent work being done.  “Though not all nominations were selected for an award, WESSA will  reconsider them for future recognition, especially those linked with environmental initiatives that are likely to gain further evidence of sustainable positive impact over time”, said the organisation’s Patrick Dowling, Head of Environmental Education for the region.  “We gratefully acknowledge the efforts of all the nominees and honoured each one of them at the event”, he added.

The 2011 Regional WESSA Awards were presented in a variety of categories to Suzanne du Plessis  (Friends of Die Swart Tobie), Niel van Wyk (Friends of Rietvlei and Blaauberg Conservation Area), Jean Fillis (Friends of Kirstenhof Wetland), Kelvin Cochrane (Dressing of the Princess Project at Princess Vlei), Jonathan Deal (Treasure the Karoo Action Group),  Friends of Rondebosch Common, Marilyn van der Velden (Recycle Swop Shop in Hermanus), Martin Thompson (City of Cape Town, Catchment Management), Pierre de Villiers (Programme Manager:  Marine Protected Areas, Islands and Estuaries; and Co-ordinator: CAPE Estuaries Programme), Vernon Gibbs-Halls (Eden District Municipality Planning and Environmental Unit), Janette Maree du Toit (Cape West Coast Biosphere Reserve), the Green Renaissance Filmmaking Team and Elma Pollard (the Green Times).

The Awards had particular significance this year as the presentation ceremony formed part of a special programme of celebrations to mark the occasion of WESSA’s 85^th anniversary – that is, 85 years of caring for the Earth through pro-active engagement with the challenges and opportunities presented by South Africa’s unique natural heritage and with the social and economic systems that depend on it.

WESSA CEO Mumsie Gumede gave the evening’s opening address, in which she outlined the organisation’s national strategic direction, and this was followed by number of regional conservation and education reports, which highlighted more local achievements over the past year.

The guest speaker at the event was Braam Malherbe – extreme adventurer, conservationist and 50/50 presenter – who presented an inspirational talk entitled “Re-connect with the wilderness, both without and within”.  Braam’s affiliation with WESSA goes back to the 1970s when he ran 532km in 11 days from Plettenberg Bay to Cape Town to raise funds for WESSA’s conservation work with the protection of the Langebaan Lagoon.  For this remarkable effort, Braam was Awarded Life Membership of the organization.

Also included in the programme for the evening was the exhibition of an exquisite series of wildlife pencil drawings by local artist Bowen Boshier who generously donated the bulk of the profits from the sale of his works to WESSA’s Rhino Fund.   Bowen is no stranger to WESSA, having received in 2008 a WESSA Volunteer Award in recognition of the time and energy he had put into tackling various environmental issues, from inappropriate developments to alien invasive plants.

The convivial event drew a strong attendance of WESSA members, Friends groups, partners, funders and sponsors, and wine for the evening was generously sponsored by Vondeling Wines, a Biodiversity and Wine Initiative-certified estate in the Paardeberg wine region near Wellington.

The Award citations follow below:

INDIVIDUAL CATEGORY

Suzanne du Plessis – Friends of Die Swart Tobie
For her uncompromising energy over many years in dealing with the struggles and challenges facing the environment of the Cape West Coast.  She has shown commitment, courage and creative enthusiasm in running environmental projects, confronting issues of governance and accountability, resisting inappropriate development and promoting public participation and social upliftment in the Doringbaai – Strandfontein region.

Niel van Wyk – Friends of Rietvlei and Blaauberg Conservation Area (BCA)
For his mature, informed and firm approach to addressing environmental issues in and around the Rietvlei Wetland Reserve, and for championing the cause of wetlands in South Africa.  He has valiantly fended off inappropriate developments and provided sound and practical advice on environmental management.

Jean Fillis - Friends of Kirstenhof Wetland
For her unwavering commitment and selfless efforts to improve the environment in her own and our back yard.   Leading by example as an active member of her community and Friends of Kirstenhof Wetlands, Jean engages proactively with City Parks, fundraises, and has established indigenous gardens which are of environmental and educational benefit. Here is a person helping restore the commons.

Kelvin Cochrane – Dressing of the Princess Project at Princess Vlei
For his undaunted commitment to, and hard physical work in the Dressing of the Princess project.  His remarkable and sustained effort to highlight the history and worth of the Princessvlei, his hours of labour on the banks of the vlei and at Bottom Road Sanctuary along with  his unfailing ability to galvanize the community into action for the environment and against inappropriate development make him more than a deserving recipient of such an award.

GROUP CATEGORY

Jonathan Deal - Treasure the Karoo Action Group
For his tenacity and devotion to the very special Karoo environment. He has worked tirelessly day and night to rally support for the protection of the Karoo against highly contentious exploitation by would be frackers, making this issue a national rallying point around what represents true and timeless value in a world where quick profit drives many actions.

Friends of Rondebosch Common
For their dedicated custodianship of the common for over 20 years in a variety of ways that range from clearing aliens, picking up litter, recording fauna & flora, conducting educational outings and printed material, as well as protecting the common from inappropriate developments.

PROJECT CATEGORY

Marilyn van der Velden – Recycle Swop Shop in Hermanus
For the innovative community upliftment project that promotes both a cleaner environment and individual environmental responsibility by providing an opportunity for  underprivileged children to access much needed basic school supplies.

INSTITUTION CATEGORY

Martin Thompson – City of Cape Town, Catchment Management
For going beyond the scope of his professional work by focussing community attention on caring  for catchment areas, and for recognising the environmental benefit of  “greening” traditional engineering solutions to catchment management and for supporting local environmental initiatives around water conservation.

Pierre de Villiers – Programme Manager:  Marine Protected Areas, Islands and Estuaries; and Co-ordinator: CAPE Estuaries Programme
For his outstanding work on the development of estuary management plans, and his commitment to championing causes of wetlands in the Western Cape, through an inclusive participatory approach and “can do” attitude.

Vernon Gibbs-Halls - Eden District Municipality, Planning and Environmental Unit
(Award collected on Vernon’s behalf by Annalene de Beer, Director of Corporate Affairs, Eden Municipality)
For his dedication to seeking informed and sustained solutions to both environmental and social challenges in the Eden District Municipality.  Also in recognition of his active participation on numerous environmental committees, and practical support for Civil Society endeavours and eagerness to promote the wise management of natural resources.

Janette Maree du Toit - Cape West Coast Biosphere Reserve
For her professional approach to promoting environmental conservation, education and sustainable tourism and for her ongoing and sustained efforts in promoting the Cape West Coast Biosphere Reserve over many years.

MEDIA & JOURNALISM CATEGORY

The Green Renaissance Filmmaking Team
(Award collected on their behalf by Jonathan Deal)
For their excellent  voluntary contribution in film making aimed at raising the level of consciousness about the dangers of fracking in the Karoo and travesties of environmental decisions at Mapungubwe, and thereby making important national issues part of  global awareness raising and a call for action.

Elma Pollard – The Green Times
For her outstanding work in the field of environmental education as a reporter, editor, writer, activist and avid recycler.  Through the Green Times she has encouraged and motivated many in the South African context to live more sustainably, by making green information freely and inspirationally available to the community.

WESSA (The Wildlife and Environment Society of South Africa) is a key environmental education and conservation non-governmental organisation that has been actively working for 85 years to ensure environmental sustainability for current and future South African generations through responsive conservation action, innovative educational intervention and human capacity development that empowers people to make sustainable lifestyle and environmental management choices.  WESSA addresses hands-on, the issues our planet is facing such as global climate change, the destruction of natural resources, polluted and degraded water systems and biodiversity impacts.  WESSA’s core mission is to promote public participation in caring for the Earth.

Aquila rhino fighting for its life after poachers removed its horn

Sometime during the early morning of 20 August 2011, two groups of rhino poachers attacked 3 of the herd of 6 resident rhinos, on the 7500 hectare Aquila Private Game Reserve, under 2 hours from Cape Town. We are led to believe that they gained access initially by vehicle through neighbouring farms on the N1 national road, then walked several kilometers at night through the Karoo vegetation.

Within the last year, Aquila’s anti poaching team has deterred two attempted rhino poaching attempts. In November 2010, a low flying helicopter made two passes across the reserve before being deterred. Since then we have spared no expense to protect our rhinos; with full time security, we purchased semi automatic weapons and equipped our staff with night vision, bullet proof vests, quad bikes and vehicles. We believe that our anti poaching team must have surprised the poachers, as the first rhino we found, with its front horn sawn off with a chain saw and they left having only had time to get half way through the second horn before retreating. They would not have left without the second horn, with a street value of R1m, if it was not for our anti poaching team. This rhino has lost a lot of blood but has managed to stumble over 150 metres and is fighting for his life. The loss of blood and position it was lying in while drugged could have caused massive muscle and organ damage which could be fatal. This rhino was the first rhino reintroduced to Aquila and to the Western Cape in over 250 years since shot out by hunters. What is even harder to bear is that this rhino fathered the first two rhino babies born in the Western Cape in over 250 years. The second rhino we came across was still alive and was one of the two fathered by him.

This young female was found with a dart in her shoulder area barely alive. The owner Searl Derman raced to the closest vet in Paarl and a clinic in Worcester to get the antidote and schedule 6 and 7 drugs that were needed to save her. These drugs can only be kept by licensed veterinary surgeons. We are pleased to say that as at this morning 9am, she has recovered well and is standing over her father to protect him… it is a heartbreaking sight. We believe that it is thanks to the active patrolling of our anti poaching teams that deterred the poachers from dehorning and killing her.

After finding the second rhino, we sent all rangers and security staff in game vehicles, on quad bikes and horseback to search for the one rhino that had not been accounted for. Knowing that the poachers had used drugs that would kill the rhino instead of bullets that could be heard by anti poaching teams, time was of the essence and no expense was spared… two helicopters and a light aircraft from Cape Town were brought in to search Aquila’s 7500 hectare conservancy. The rhino was spotted from the air by the owner Searl Derman, from his friend, Enzo Kuun’s helicopter of Cape Town Helicopters. On landing they discovered a blood bath and a rhino with his face literally hatched off with pangas and machetes proving that there were two active teams attacking the Aquila rhinos, one using a chain saw, the other using pangas and machetes to dehorn the rhino.

Aquila’s remaining 3 rhino and the rhino standing over her father are safe and fine. The security team has been briefed and 24 guards have been positioned at strategic points along the boundaries and on higher ground to keep guard. The owner Searl Derman would like to thank the local Touws River police station and in particular Capt Voight, as well as the dog units from Cape Town and the police helicopter unit for their rapid response and vigilant crime scene management. Special thanks are also extended to the dedicated vets Dr Walton and Dr Wium, Roland Bellstead, Doempies Trichardt, Douw Grobler , the Aquila staff and the thousands of concerned sms’s, calls, emails, Facebook posts and tweets received from all over the world.

Mr Derman took the opportunity to slander the South African Police Fire Arm Licensing department in Pretoria for their incompetence and procrastination. They have taken 9 months, many telephone calls, many motivational letters from police, Nature Conservation and Mr Derman himself to issue the Aquila licenses for semi automatic weapons that are needed to protect our anti poaching team and our rhinos. Mr Derman believes that as only some of the anti poaching team have access to firearms, if they had come face to face with the poachers, we would be burying our staff today. Rhino poaches are well equipped, heavily armed with automatic weapons, night and thermal vision equipment and well trained their “modus operandi” is normally to fly at night with thermal vision. They can spot a rhino through bushes and mist over 4 miles away, they GPS the location of the rhino and drop their poaching teams off several kilometers away to walk in and normally dart the baby first so that the mother and father stay to protect and don’t run away. These teams are ruthless and will stop at nothing to kill and maim for financial gain. Which in this case they got away with a street value of over 4 million rand in rhino horn.

Aquila is offering R100 000.00 reward for information leading to an arrest and prosecution of these poachers. Informants details will be kept confidential and we can be contacted on This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Anyone wanting to monitor the progress of the rhino and our just launched anti poaching campaign can follow us on our Facebook  (www.facebook.com/aquilasafari) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/aquilasafaris) pages.  The security teams found a hooded jersey near the point of entry which could have been lost during the poacher’s hasty retreat. We will be posting picture of this jersey on our Facebook page as well as the Aquila Website (www.aquilasafari.com) and would appreciate the support of the public in identifying suspects that would have the background or training to poach rhinos amidst anti poaching teams.

Mr Derman quoted this morning that “It literally feels like the death of a family member? What happened?” Mr Derman has won several awards and has been acclaimed for his conservation, job creation and philanthropic efforts. 19 years ago he founded one of Cape Town’s largest armed response security companies protecting the residents and companies in the CBD, Zone armed response, which was later sold to ADT. He has assured us that his anti poaching campaign will employ leading military and police Special Forces, intelligence gathering personal, hi-tech surveillance and electronic forewarned system technicians and advertising and social media company or staff to create awareness and generate controversial social media platforms as a deterrent. Concerned and qualified personal wishing to donate services or equipped, time or even apply for full time positions can send CV’s to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.