Biodiversity
Biodiversity highlights: Area conserved – 850ha.
Schalkenbosch Wine Estate has been awarded Championship status by the Biodiversity in Wine Initiative, joining 14 other Estates in South Africa, such as Anglo American’s Vergelegen, Graham Beck, Backsberg, La Motte and Lourensford.
The BWI is a pioneering partnership between the South African wine industry and the conservation sector. The goals are to minimise the further loss of threatened natural habitat, and to contribute to sustainable wine production, through the adoption of biodiversity guidelines by the South African wine industry.
The estate has some of the last remaining fragments of Breede Shale Renosterveld, a critically endangered vegetation type. Three rare and endangered bulb species (seen in photo above) were discovered by the Custodians for Rare and Endangered Wildflowers (CREW) project team. A further 600ha has recently been added to the area under conservation.
The properties that make up Schalkenbosch Estate were acquired in 1998. C.E.O Peter Jackson and his management team are actively involved in protecting the natural habitats on this farm. Schalkenbosch has entered into a stewardship agreement with Cape Nature for an area of approximately 850ha.
This includes very important renosterveld areas that boast a number of rare species, several wetlands and fynbos areas, and part of the Witzenberg mountain range.
Botanical field work was conducted on the estate in 2005 by the CREW (Custodians of Rare & Endangered Wildflowers) project team, who made the exciting discovery of three rare and endangered bulb species.
The possibility of finding more rare species on the unsurveyed portions is good.
The estate has very high biodiversity value as it has some of the last remaining fragments of Breede Shale Renosterveld, which are still in exceptionally good condition. Alien clearing operations, as well as the introduction of indigenous species endemic to this region (with the assistance of experts) are two of Schalkenbosch’s main objectives.
There are also areas on the farm that are being rehabilitated to increase the amount of natural vegetation.
[tylr-slidr width="450" height="450" userID="schalkenbosch.estate" groupID=""]http://www.flickr.com/photos/schalkenbosch/sets/72157619733686141/[/tylr-slidr]
“Schalkenbosch is committed to the conservation and preservation of indigenous fauna and flora and is a member of the biodiversity and wine initiative.”
