Large-scale ecosystem restoration depends on more than planting trees or shrubs. It requires local knowledge, long-term commitment and a deep understanding of the landscapes being restored. In South Africa’s Eastern Cape, the Eastern Cape Restoration Project is restoring degraded thicket ecosystems through the reintroduction of Spekboom (Portulacaria afra), an indigenous plant known for its ability […]

For decades, intensive grazing in South Africa’s Eastern Cape has transformed dense subtropical thicket ecosystems into degraded landscapes characterised by soil erosion, biodiversity loss and reduced agricultural productivity. As vegetation disappeared, significant amounts of carbon stored in plants and soils were also released. The same was happening in our project area in South Africa. The […]