Substantial Donation Received by WOSA

In memory the first anniversary of WOSA's founding member Bill Mincher's passing on 17 June 2019, his daughter Jane Kratz has donated and amount of R 60,000.00 to WOSA this past Wednesday the 17th of June 2020.

The money is to be used for the planning and execution of WOSA6 - the next Wild Orchids Southern Africa Conference. As a result of the COVID19 pandemic this has been postponed to tentatively take place in the spring of 2021.

The executive committee of WOSA is extremely grateful for this donation. Jane and some of the WOSA members put a lot of work into raising the R 60,000.00.

Amidst the pandemic WOSA Executive Chairman Marinus Kort and WOSA president Karsten Wodrich briefly met up with Jane for the official handover of the donation.

Jane Kratz (right) handing over a cheque for R 60,000.00 to WOSA Executive Chairman Marinus Kort (center) and WOSA President Karsten Wodrich (left)

Proteadal Development Halted!

The Proteadal Conservation Association, in association with Wild Orchid Southern Africa, is delighted to announce a major victory for conservation in South Africa, and for the preservation of the irreplaceable habitat and threatened biodiversity of the West Rand Ridges around Proteadal along the southern border of the Walter Sisulu National Botanical Gardens in Krugersdorp. This includes the habitat of the only viable population of the critically endangered Albertina Sisulu Orchid and the hunting ground of the majestic Black Eagle.

The decision to grant authorisation for the development of almost 3000 high density residential units on a portion of Mogale City property known as Proteadal, was set aside and made an order of the South Gauteng High Court on 31^st July 2019.

In late 2015, a review application was lodged by the Proteadal Conservation Association against the MEC of Gauteng Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (GDARD), after he approved the development on appeal, effectively overturning the underlying 2014 decision by the Head of Department of GDARD, to deny authorisation for the development. Wild Orchids Southern Africa supported this review application as respondent in the court application.

Today, the 2014 decision still stands as an order of the court, so the orchid is safe for now.

This victory is not just for the Proteadal Conservation Association and their very able environmental legal team Webber Wentzel and Counsel, but for all the other organisations and individuals who contribute towards the environmental care of these ridges to make them worth preserving.

Various colour forms of the around 120 plants of the critically endangerd Albertina Sisulu Orchids from the Krugersdorp colony

Aerial view of the West Rand Ridge with the R28 highway that runs up and over the ridge in the foreground