The first awards have been made by the Trust totaling an amount of R91 500-00. In terms of the Trust only accrued interest may be used for awards, which means that all donations held by the Trust serve conservation of our indigenous flora in perpetuity.
The garden based environmental education programme for previously disadvantaged schools, run by SANBI at the National Botanical Gardens in Pietermaritzburg, will receive an amount of R19 000-00. Bringing learners for lessons in this garden will educate them regarding botanical and conservation issues and will, no doubt, assist them in making informed environmental decisions in later life.
Sindisiwe Zama was awarded R23 000-00 for her studies which aim to determine more about the impact of biological control on the well known weed Chromolaena odorata, while Zukiswa Shoba was awarded R 19 500-00 to study a biological agent to control Parthenium hysterophorus, an invasive plant that is marching forward alarmingly rapidly. Anne Johanssmeier has been awarded R20 000-00 to assist her taxonomic studies of the indigenous bulbs in the genus Dipcadi.
Earlier, an amount of R10 000-00 was paid to the Flora and Fauna Trust towards sponsoring the new Pooley’s Trees of eastern South Africa.
The applications for all awards were extremely well motivated and the Trustees are confident that the funds will be spent well and strictly in accordance with the objective of the Trust which is to advance indigenous South African vegetation.