Towards the end of February 2018, the Eastern Cape Parks and Tourism Agency (ECPTA) hosted the Eastern Cape Biodiversity Stewardship Forum at Luchaba Nature Reserve near Mthatha. The forum was attended by delegates from various organisation in the conservation sector, including government officials, NGOs, landowners and other stakeholders. The Forum provides a platform for Biodiversity Stewardship practitioners to share experiences, to discuss pertinent issues pertaining to protected area expansion, and to form collaborative partnerships to further conservation and protected area expansion in the Eastern Cape.
During the Forum, a number of interesting presentation were made by delegates from different organisation. The presentations showcased the conservation work that is being done throughout the Eastern Cape by the ECPTA and its NGO partners. The Greater Kromme Stewardship (GKS) initiative was also invited to present and showcase the work that is being done through the GKS project. The GKS project works closely with the Eastern Cape Biodiversity Stewardship Programme to secure important biodiversity on private and state-owned land in the Kouga and Kou-Kamma region of the Eastern Cape.
