The Wildlife Corridors Programme

During 2021, 305.24 more hectares were restored, with an estimated 610 000 trees growing. Unfortunately, the intense heat of 2021 – the worst dry spell in 91 years – followed by unprecedented frosts created a significant challenge for young seedlings here. Our recent monitoring assessments earlier this year showed average survival rates of 40% in plantings less than two years old: that’s half our target rate.

To mitigate this, a work plan and timeline for replanting is under development, including species selection to focus on those more resistant to low rainfall and less fertile soil. This is likely to reduce the number of native species planted but will be a more resilient planting strategy for future climate shocks. Secondly, our planting teams are testing ways to enhance the survival and development of planted seedlings. One way will see irrigation and fertilizer applied at the same time as planting (above) and is expected to support faster root development during the high temperatures these young seedlings endure.

However, the fauna in our restored sites seems to be thriving! Many signs of wildlife in the corridors have been captured on 29 camera traps and 120 audio recorders. So far, camera footage of 23 different animal species in the corridors include tapirs, maned wolves (below), pumas and even a jaguar, and 11 000 hours of data from 120 audio recorders is being analysed to quantify bird species and activity.

Thank you for making this possible!

It’s an exciting time when you can start to see how the new forest structure will look. A picture starts to emerge when invasive grasses have died away and the planted seedlings have become established. It’s then that the natural regeneration potential of a plot also becomes evident. 

A second vegetation assessment was carried out in Pontal by our consultancy partner Embira in September, and they’ve just delivered the results. Their studies show that even in very young plots like the one shown above - where restoration took place a year or eighteen months ago - some species that help natural regeneration are already growing. For example, they found an abundance of short-lived species Solanum granuloso-leprosum (below) and Solanum mauritianum (known as wild tobacco or woolly nightshade), both of which act as ‘pioneers’ to prepare the ground for other plants. These species are very attractive to birds and bats, so they’ll be crucial for ecological processes such as flower pollination and fruit dispersal. They’ll really boost the natural regeneration abilities of our intervention areas.

Thank you for making this possible!