Preserving the healthy ‘heartbeat’ of Blythedale Coastal Estate

 In General

Within the indigenous coastal forests at Blythedale Coastal Estate there is a thriving ecosystem of fauna and flora. The forests, together with the living organisms which depend on them for life, function as the heartbeat of the estate.

The estate is fortunate to include three major forms of coastal lowlands forest:

  • A relatively thin strip of dune and scrub forest along the beach
  • Riverine forest adjacent to the Mdlotane River and
  • Larger patches of moist (mesic) forest.

Aerial photographs dating back to the late 1970s show that the dune and scrub forests along with some of the estuarine/riverine forest  and a small patch of pristine mesic forest are older than the rest of the bulk of the mesic forests.

To encourage local biodiversity values, the forest elements will all be linked with natural inter-leading corridors, allowing for the movement of resident species – including humans!

 The Mission for the Blythedale forests

“The forests will be rehabilitated and effectively managed in accordance with sustainable, best practice environmental management principles. Residents of the estate will be encouraged to make use of the forests and linked natural areas without negatively impacting on the nature conservation initiatives designed to rehabilitate these areas and their associated natural processes and elements of biodiversity.”

The forests are home to a wide variety of fascinating wildlife – from shy forest-dwelling antelope such as bushbuck, and red and blue duiker – to the more gregarious bush pig, porcupines, clawless otters, grey duiker, vervet monkeys, genets, bush-babies and up to five different species of mongoose. Our favourite is the large white-tailed mongoose.

Blythedale Coastal Estate’s conservation management plan is particularly sensitive towards the many rare and endangered species supported by the forests. These include the following:

  • Milkwood trees
  • Blue duiker
  • Red duiker
  • Serval
  • Spotted ground thrush
  • Striped polecat
  • And many more

The plan aims to rehabilitate and effectively manage the flourishing forests in accordance with sustainable, best practice environmental management principles. Residents will be encouraged to make use of the forests and linked natural areas without negatively impacting on initiatives designed to rehabilitate these areas and their associated natural processes and elements of biodiversity.

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