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Dear John

At WLT, our work is guided by the promise of taking ‘actions that create incredible chain reactions’. With our new appeal Connecting Ukuwela, we can do just that. With your help, we need to raise the remaining £100,000 of the £621,009 total needed for our partner Wild Tomorrow to purchase the missing piece of a subtropical oasis for hundreds of species. By securing Sisonke, we can protect a bridge of land brimming with diversity, connect the Greater Ukuwela Nature Reserve and restore a larger biological corridor from the Lebombo Mountains to the Indian Ocean. Please donate now to help us secure 148.5 ha of the 296-ha property, opening up the wild lands of South Africa’s KwaZulu-Natal and benefitting species across he country. Wild Tomorrow’s Siyabonga Sibiya tells us below about the impact of your actions.

Dr Catherine Barnard, World Land Trust CEO

“Growing up in Kwa-Zulu Natal, nature was always a huge part of my life. As children, we would venture out into the forests and wetlands and nature would provide everything for us— fruits from trees, water to bathe in and so much more. Unfortunately, so many of the once wild spaces are constantly fragmented and lost to agriculture, and most local people know very little of the incredible wildlife they share the land with.

Understanding the importance of protecting the natural world, I trained in conservation at the South African Wildlife College, gaining experience as a ranger at Kruger National Park, before joining Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife. From there I joined Wild Tomorrow to share my knowledge and experience with the other rangers and staff who all share the same vision: a safe place for wildlife to thrive. The Greater Ukuwela Nature Reserve (GUNR) is that place. The reserve is home to over 1,200 species, nearly 50 of which are at risk of extinction. Along with the remarkable abundance of wildlife, the habitats within the reserve reflect the unique and varied landscape of the region, supporting hundreds of tree and wildflower species. It gives me so much hope to see how far the land has come already, how the plants have thrived, and the animals have adapted to occupy their safeguarded area.

Watch the Connecting Ukuwela appeal video

But the reach of the GUNR also extends far beyond its boundaries; in the Zulu language, the name Ukuwela means ‘to crossover’. The GUNR is a corridor for wildlife and Sisonke, meaning ‘to bridge’, is the missing piece that will connect the east and west sides of the reserve. This will not only allow wildlife, currently transported across the reserve by rangers, to mix freely, and relieve the vegetation from overgrazing, but will help to restore a pathway for some of South Africa’s most iconic endangered species.

In an area with extremely low employment, Wild Tomorrow has been invaluable to the nearby community by providing job opportunities and instilling a sense of responsibility to the land. I believe one of the most essential things WT and the GUNR provides is education, as it is vital for local children, including my own, and all future generations to experience the flora and fauna in all its diversity in order to appreciate and protect it. To work in, and grow with, nature, is to be part of something bigger than us. All of that is possible, if you join us now and support WLT’s new appeal. Thank you.”

Siyabonga Sibiya, Assistant Reserve Manager at Wild Tomorrow