WEBVTT - On the couch: Renosterveld Nature reserve declared a provincial reserve - Odette Curtis-Scot

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<v Speaker 1>All right, so we are heading to the breathtaking Overburg

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<v Speaker 1>region for a remarkable environmental victory for our on the

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<v Speaker 1>couch conversation today, the horror of x Rnosta Felts, which

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<v Speaker 1>is home to some of the rarest plant and animal

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<v Speaker 1>species in the world, has just been officially declared a

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<v Speaker 1>provincial nature reserve. It's a really big deal for conservation

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<v Speaker 1>and a massive milestone for one of the country's most

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<v Speaker 1>endangered ecosystems. I'm delighted that joining me this afternoon is

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<v Speaker 1>doctor Adette Curtis Scott, who is the CEO and founder

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<v Speaker 1>of the Overberg Ranostafeld Trust. Good to have you with

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<v Speaker 1>us this afternoon's been making time.

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<v Speaker 2>Hi to start with you.

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<v Speaker 1>Just tell us what makes heart of xklu if I'm

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<v Speaker 1>so sorry to all the offercants speakers so special, and

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<v Speaker 1>why I have to put that cavea I have to

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<v Speaker 1>put it every time, and why its declaration as a

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<v Speaker 1>nature reserve is such a big deal.

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<v Speaker 2>Well, nat Felt a little bit renouta Felt is part

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<v Speaker 2>of the fain Boss biom. And I think most people

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<v Speaker 2>have heard of frain Boss, especially the locals, and we

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<v Speaker 2>all know how special fain Boss is and the levels

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<v Speaker 2>of endemism and the rarity. But within that, Renot de

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<v Speaker 2>Felt is even more threatened than most fein Boss types

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<v Speaker 2>because it lies on the fertile lowlands, which are obviously

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<v Speaker 2>the most suitable for agriculture. So the small percentage that

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<v Speaker 2>we have left, which is estimated to be between five

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<v Speaker 2>and ten percent depending on where you are in the

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<v Speaker 2>overberg or swatland, is rarely precious. And despite how little

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<v Speaker 2>is left, there's so much diversity and so much life

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<v Speaker 2>still in these remnants and hardavaf Curf is basically part

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<v Speaker 2>of the biggest area of rhinosta Felt left on the planet.

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<v Speaker 2>So buying it and declaring it a nature reserve has

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<v Speaker 2>really helped us sort of put rhinoster Felt on a

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<v Speaker 2>map in a more formal way and drawing more attention

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<v Speaker 2>to it, which is so desperately need so that we

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<v Speaker 2>can expand these protected areas for more in us to help.

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<v Speaker 1>Yeah, it's obviously a declaration that didn't happen overnight. So

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<v Speaker 1>when you just walk astade, what did it officially take

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<v Speaker 1>to declare this area of provincial nature reserve?

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, it's quite a process, and a reserve declaration generally

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<v Speaker 2>does take a couple of years to go through all

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<v Speaker 2>the necessary steps and in parallel with some sort of

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<v Speaker 2>legal processes that need to happen and potentially public participation

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<v Speaker 2>and advertising and all the things that need to happen

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<v Speaker 2>when a land use is changed. Also the writing up

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<v Speaker 2>of a management plan and you know all that, so

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<v Speaker 2>working together with Cape Nature to get to that point. Also,

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<v Speaker 2>the land and is not owned by us, it's owned

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<v Speaker 2>by w w F, and we are the management authority

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<v Speaker 2>on the land. So we have first of all that

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<v Speaker 2>partnership with w w F, and then we have the

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<v Speaker 2>partnership with Cape Nature and all of us working together

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<v Speaker 2>to make to get it to the point of declaration.

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<v Speaker 2>So yeah, it was a process. It took a bit

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<v Speaker 2>longer than it should have because of various changes in

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<v Speaker 2>the various departments as as governmental positions changed and departments changed.

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<v Speaker 2>But yeah, we're thrilled to have it where we where

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<v Speaker 2>we have it now, and also to be adding land

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<v Speaker 2>to it, which will be double doubling the size of

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<v Speaker 2>the nature reserved very soon because of additional land that

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<v Speaker 2>we've bought. So it's kind of the start of something

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<v Speaker 2>really exciting and bigger. At a landscape level.

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<v Speaker 1>What is the legal protection actually mean in really practical terms,

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<v Speaker 1>I guess for the land for conservation efforts, and also

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<v Speaker 1>I guess for the public who like to enjoy it.

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<v Speaker 2>Yes, So the legal protection gives it the same status

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<v Speaker 2>as a provincial nature reserve. So all the local nature

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<v Speaker 2>reserves that are managed by Cave Nature, for example d Hup,

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<v Speaker 2>which is very nearby the Harvest Cliff Reserve, it gives

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<v Speaker 2>it that same legal status. So it's that same level

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<v Speaker 2>of protection from developments, from mining, from wind farms, anything

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<v Speaker 2>that could be a threat to the remaining Rhinosa felt.

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<v Speaker 2>It just gives it the highest form of protection that

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<v Speaker 2>can be afforded to land that is privately owned. And

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<v Speaker 2>it is also a place that you know, it's for us.

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<v Speaker 2>It's we've developed quite a bit of the old infrastructure

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<v Speaker 2>that was on the reserve, so it's it's like a

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<v Speaker 2>hub for a Noster fault for students, for scientists, for visitors,

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<v Speaker 2>for foreigners and locals to come and and learn more about it,

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<v Speaker 2>spread the word experience the reserve and kind of immerse

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<v Speaker 2>themselves in Renoster felt. There are a few places you

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<v Speaker 2>can do that, sorry, because it's all on parity owned land.

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<v Speaker 2>The rest of it.

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<v Speaker 1>So you mentioned that of the noster felt, I mean,

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<v Speaker 1>this is there's a very small amount still remaining. So

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<v Speaker 1>what are the biggest threats to this ecosystem today?

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<v Speaker 2>And so because it's all found on privately owned land,

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<v Speaker 2>the remaining that they're all sort of existing as little

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<v Speaker 2>islands or little strips of water courses, little corridors joining

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<v Speaker 2>the islands, in some cases surrounded by monoculture. So what's

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<v Speaker 2>what's what's remaining as pressure from the outside, from chemical drift,

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<v Speaker 2>from spraying and all the things that need to happen

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<v Speaker 2>on agricultural land. Also the illegal plowing because the law,

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<v Speaker 2>there are laws to protect virgin land from being plowed,

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<v Speaker 2>but that doesn't necessarily stop this from happening, overgrazing, incorrect

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<v Speaker 2>fire regimes, being used as dump sites by land owners

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<v Speaker 2>who don't value it. So yeah, it's got a suite

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<v Speaker 2>of problems around it, and in it's in addition to

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<v Speaker 2>the fact that they're so little left.

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<v Speaker 1>In terms of the wildlife, when you and the plants

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<v Speaker 1>that are found here, what maybe might people be surprised

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<v Speaker 1>to learn about? I mean it's home to some quite

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<v Speaker 1>rare species.

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<v Speaker 2>Yes, So despite how little is left. These remnants are

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<v Speaker 2>bursting with life. Obviously most well known for their plant diversity.

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<v Speaker 2>On Harva's Clerf, we recorded over six hundred species in

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<v Speaker 2>rhinoster felt Across the Overberg over one two hundred species,

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<v Speaker 2>and a very high proportion are endemic, meaning that they

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<v Speaker 2>are only found on those islands. And I don't mean

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<v Speaker 2>like every island. In some cases, some of the species

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<v Speaker 2>occur on fewer than a handful of sites, some on

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<v Speaker 2>just one or two remaining sites. So we say the

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<v Speaker 2>levels of endemism are very high, the very special, really

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<v Speaker 2>endangered plants. And if you look at the system, if

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<v Speaker 2>you sort of take a bird's eye view of the Overberg,

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<v Speaker 2>the diversity of animals is completely dependent on those remaining

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<v Speaker 2>remnants because they need them as a refuge and as

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<v Speaker 2>a place to go and to breed and to hide

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<v Speaker 2>when the lands are barren at certain times of the

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<v Speaker 2>year after the crops have been harvested and so on.

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<v Speaker 2>And there are many animals that cannot make use of

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<v Speaker 2>wheat fields because it's just too foreign to them and

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<v Speaker 2>it's too sort of hostile for them. So yeah, those

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<v Speaker 2>little remnants are critical and burst with diversity, which is

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<v Speaker 2>surprising if you think about how little is left if

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<v Speaker 2>you're just joining us.

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<v Speaker 1>This afternoon, I'm speaking to doctor Adette Curtis Scott, who

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<v Speaker 1>is the CEO and founder of the Oberberg Roinestereveld Trust,

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<v Speaker 1>about the heart of exclure for an aster feld that's

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<v Speaker 1>been declared a provincial nature reserve and the significance of

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<v Speaker 1>that legally and in very practical terms, both for that

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<v Speaker 1>piece of land for conservation efforts and for the public. How, then,

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<v Speaker 1>I wonder, does this fit into the bigger picture of

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<v Speaker 1>conservation in the Western Cape or even across the country more.

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<v Speaker 2>Broadly, well, of all the all countries that have agreed

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<v Speaker 2>to go for the thirty thirty target, where we were

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<v Speaker 2>all aiming to get suty percent of our learned into

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<v Speaker 2>conservation by twenty city. These hectors contribute to our to

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<v Speaker 2>the government's ability to report on those achievements and on

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<v Speaker 2>the hectares that are being conserved. But it's also especially

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<v Speaker 2>important for the fame Boss Biome, because we are considered

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<v Speaker 2>the Fames Biome is considered the smallest but amongst the

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<v Speaker 2>very richest in the world. If you take the number

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<v Speaker 2>of special plants that you get per hectare or per

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<v Speaker 2>meter per meter squared. So for example, just to come

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<v Speaker 2>down again to our scale we have had, we've done

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<v Speaker 2>surveys with a one by one meter little quadrants where

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<v Speaker 2>we've recorded over fifty species in a one by one

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<v Speaker 2>meter quadrant, which is absolutely mindless. So the diversity on

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<v Speaker 2>that small scale is incredible. And then zooming out, what

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<v Speaker 2>we rarely need to remember with conserving these natural systems

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<v Speaker 2>is that we are trying to build resilience in these

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<v Speaker 2>landscapes for future generations to be able to still enjoy

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<v Speaker 2>these natural systems, and also with climate change and with

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<v Speaker 2>land use changes, that these little remnants are what harbor

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<v Speaker 2>what is left of nature. And I mean people feel

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<v Speaker 2>they need nature to varying degrees, but most people will

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<v Speaker 2>agree that there is a really important element in nature

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<v Speaker 2>that we all get something out of whatever it is

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<v Speaker 2>that you get out of it. I find peace, and

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<v Speaker 2>you know, my time with the little critics and my camera,

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<v Speaker 2>that's my that's my piece, you know, and everyone finds.

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<v Speaker 2>People find solitude there, and and so I think it's

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<v Speaker 2>really really important that we view these places as just

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<v Speaker 2>as important as things that bring in a different kind

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<v Speaker 2>of value monetary value. Yeah, and and and so linked

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<v Speaker 2>to that, if I can just mention we we are

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<v Speaker 2>running some retreats at our reserve because we wren't more

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<v Speaker 2>people to come and see it. We want more people

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<v Speaker 2>to experience for Anurse de celt and really kind of

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<v Speaker 2>immerse themselves in it. And having a nature reserve where

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<v Speaker 2>people can come and do that is really great for

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<v Speaker 2>the specific vegetation that's so threatening.

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<v Speaker 1>Yeah, we can you just tell us a little bit

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<v Speaker 1>more about those retreats that did.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, so we're what we've done is we've developed some

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<v Speaker 2>of the infrastructures I mentioned earlier that it was already

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<v Speaker 2>on the reserve from an old dairy to an old

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<v Speaker 2>shared and the old original farmhouse, and we've got some

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<v Speaker 2>accommodation there and in a lovely learning space for people

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<v Speaker 2>to interact and run sort of run workshops and retreats.

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<v Speaker 2>And so we are running a series of retreats whether

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<v Speaker 2>they are they connected to art, to photography to birding

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<v Speaker 2>at the reserve and they are on our website and

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<v Speaker 2>so that people can come and learn something different and

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<v Speaker 2>learn something, you know, take away a new skill, but

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<v Speaker 2>also get to know an osterfelt and understand its importance

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<v Speaker 2>and spend time walking in it, enjoying the hikes around

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<v Speaker 2>the reserve and that kind of thing.

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<v Speaker 1>So congratulations on this, and you're on your work on

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<v Speaker 1>doing this, and thank you for sticking with it. As

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<v Speaker 1>you said earlier, it didn't happen overnight and it required

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<v Speaker 1>an awful lot of work on your part and other

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<v Speaker 1>collaborators to congratulations on that and good to have you

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<v Speaker 1>with us this afternoon. Doctor Adette Curtis Scott, who is

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<v Speaker 1>the CEO and founder of the Overberg of an Osterfelt

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<v Speaker 1>Truster talking to us about the heart of Execluree for

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<v Speaker 1>a nooster Felt that's been declared a provincial nature reserve.

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<v Speaker 1>Great news for local conservation