Mountain Fynbos Restoration – Keeping it clean

Our Mountain Restoration Project has kicked off on Gysmanshoek Pass (Traverse 7).

Our privilege has been to bear witness to the wildness and majesty of the Traverse for nearly 20 years. In that time a lot has changed. Apart from us wearing out our boot soles we are also seeing a massive increase in the spread of wilding pines (outside of plantations). Invasive pines can be welcome shade in summer. Unfortunately they do take over after a while and we lose ecosystem health, water and gain an added fire risk. Recent analysis shows that wilding pine coverage in the Cape Floral Kingdom has doubled in 20 years.

In December 2025 we launched our first Mountain Fynbos Restoration pilot project. In a collaboration with the Grootvadersbosch Conservancy we were able to clear 1050 hectares where Traverse 7 crosses Gysmanshoek Pass in the Langeberg. This was accomplished using unemployed farmworkers who were specially trained and equipped to tackle the task.

We are actively seeking further grants and partner support to clear wilding pines along the Traverse. While we can’t tackle the massively congested lowlands, we can work to keep the mountain fynbos clear of pioneer pines that are steadily increasing their footprints.

The teams

All work was undertaken by two teams of six, recruited from the Heidelberg community. Each team is contracted through two female-owned local small business. This translates into supporting grassroots enterprise development and creating much-needed employment for 12 individuals, many of whom are youth. The teams include trained chainsaw operators and members certified in Health & Safety and First Aid. All personnel work in full PPE to ensure safe field operations. The teams recently completed their refresher training in chainsaw operations which included advanced techniques and chainsaw maintenance.
As part of this initial phase, we trialed the use of hand-held clickers to record the number of trees cut. This method provided a simple way to capture estimates for these low-density sites.

The enablers

We thank the generosity and energy that made this work possible. In addition to RoA hiker’s contributions we received seed funding from the ERM Foundation and the amazing energy of the clearing teams. To you all, we say thank you on behalf of the hills!