The Bottelary Hills Renosterveld Conservancy (BHRC) is situated in the agricultural area between Stellenbosch and the suburbs of Brackenfell and Kuils River. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
BHRC conservation manager Christel Liebenberg says the conservancy encompasses an area of about 10 000 hectares of which 1 500 hectares are retained as Swartland Granite Renosterveld. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Members Koopmanskloof and Mooiplaas both have proclaimed private nature reserves, while a further three BHRC members (De Morgenzon, Mooiplaas and Neethlingshof) have achieved World Wildlife Fund (WWF) Conservation Champion status. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
As part of the Cape Winelands Biosphere, the BHRC serves as a buffer zone to protect and maintain the rich biodiversity of the area. Game such as caracal, grysbok, grey duiker, porcupine, bat-eared foxes, cape foxes, honey badgers and genets still roam naturally in the Bottelary Hills. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Liebenberg says the award acknowledges the BHRC\u2019s remarkable progress and growth over the past two years. \u201cThe BHRC has grown its membership to 50 landowners and extended the Bottelary Hills MTB trail to span an impressive 130 km.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
During this period, they also launched a youth stewardship programme and several other community development initiatives. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Owner of Mooiplaas and chair of the BHRC Tielman Roos expressed his appreciation for the award and Liebenberg\u2019s role.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cHaving a dedicated conservation manager has given us a boost as it means that we could invest in building relationships, exploring funding opportunities and creating collaborative partnerships. Expansion and development at community level benefits directly from having people engaging on the ground,\u201d Roos says. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Projects<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Other BHRC projects included a WWF-funded baseline plant survey and extensive alien plant eradication in collaboration with the department of agriculture\u2019s LandCare programme. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The conservancy also launched a trail run series, several guided hikes and hosted the inaugural Bottelary Hills MTB and Eco Weekend.<\/p>\n\n\n\n BHRC member Villiera Wines received the runner-up Cape Fox Award for Best Individual Landowner or Managed Property for their valuable contribution to conservation through environmentally friendly and regenerative farming methods, sustainable energy use, water conservation, recycling and greening initiatives. <\/p>\n\n\n\n As BHRC members since 2019, Villiera is home to a 220 hectare wildlife sanctuary, a thriving bee colony, over 100 000 indigenous trees and a solar production facility capable of generating 340 KW of power. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Role of landowners<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Liebenberg says most of the remaining natural areas in the Western Cape fall under private landownership, many of whom have collaborated to form conservancies. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe conservation efforts of these landowners are invaluable to preserve the level of species diversity and endemism that make the Western Cape an area of high conservation importance. Many of these properties fall within the Cape Winelands Biosphere Reserve (CWBR) formally designated by Unesco in 2007 in accordance with the global Man and the Biosphere (MAB) Programme.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/tygerburger\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/63e3203a0da34fd18a75e7a744da5fa3.jpg\" "\\"Christel")