RIDING FOR CONSERVATION

South African National Park is thrilled to announce that a SANParks team will cycle in the Cape Town Cycle Tour this coming Sunday.

South African National Park is thrilled to announce that a SANParks team will cycle in the Cape Town Cycle Tour this coming Sunday. Because of its rich biodiversity portfolio it was difficult to identify only one project which would be the focus of the riders, hence the theme ‘riding for conservation’.

As a South African leader in the field of biodiversity SANParks is guided by a set of conservation values which include the following:

• To preserve whilst acknowledging systems change over time
• To Respect the richness and diversity of the social ecological systems that make up each national park
• To maintain the natural processes in ecosystems
• To intervene in a responsible and sustainable manner to achieve our mandate

“As a matter of fact SANParks could be riding for Penguins, Riding for abalone, Biking for Baboons or Racing for Rhinos. The reality is that there are so many projects that need a voice

Riding for Conservation allows every person cycling to speak on behalf of a project that needs attention, said Table Mountain Park Manager, Paddy Gordon.

Naturally Rhinos are foremost in the minds of many people and Wayne Bolton who recently completed a 6000km cycle around South Africa to 19 parks is riding as part of the team

He has been telling South Africans that each one of us, ordinary people, can make a difference as a collective. The money raised on Wayne’s cycling trip was used towards anti-poaching equipment for the parks

In addition all South Africans can do their bit for conservation by getting a MyPlanet Card loaded with the Honorary Rangers as a beneficiary. Every time you shop at Woolworths a percentage of your purchases is paid to the Honorary Rangers. Braam Malherbe, the official MyPlanet ambassador and one of the coordinators of this initiative, says ‘it is so simple and easy for each one of us to make a positive contribution to our national parks. By simply swiping your MyPlanet card every time you shop, know that you are making a difference. Nominating the Honorary Rangers is great because they, together with SANParks, choose where best the money will benefit conservation efforts’.

This money will be used directly for conservation projects in the 21 National Parks from Penguins, Wild Dogs and Cheetahs to Cape Vultures etc. There are many species where intervention is required.

Mr Wayne bolton shares, “We look to SANParks as the custodians of our natural heritage but we all have a role to play which is why One Land Love It is saying #jointcustody – all generations stepping up and taking responsibility for our natural environment. We are dependent on our environment to sustain us as a species and yet it is often very low on our list of priorities. ‘Our environment is hidden in plain sight’ – we need to take a more altruistic approach - we cannot afford not to do something and we all have the talents and resources to make a difference.”

If you already have a Woolworths My Planet Card consider changing your beneficiary to the Honorary Rangers to help us ensure that the future generations can enjoy our national parks in the same way we do today.