WILDLANDS LAUNCHED IN W.CAPE

Spier art auction and gala dinner sees the launch of major biggest conservation charities into the Western Cape.

The KZN-based conservation charity, the Wildlands Conservation Trust, launched their move into the Western Cape recently with an art auction and gala dinner at the Spier Wine Estate in Stellenbosch. Under the art curatorship of Lindsay Sommer, 15 of South Africa’s top artists donated artworks for auction, with the evening raising R200,000 for the organisation. The Trust brought together 250 guests from its network of donors to celebrate the launch, with representatives from PSG Konsult and its subsidiary PSG Nhluvuko, Bonitas Medical Fund, Santam and Spier.

Guests were welcomed by well-known CEO of PSG Konsult, Willem Theron, who was also the highest bidder on the night – he and his wife, Anette Theron bid for and won Cape Town Malay Quarter, a colourful piece by Isabel le Roux for R25,500.

Other artists who donated their works of art included Teresa Rabie, Maureen Edgecumbe, Ingrid Weiersbye, Dale Elliott, Roelof Rossouw, Shirley Greene, Frederike Stokhuyzen, Elsa Cornelissen, Katherine Wood, Hannes Loots, Derric van Rensburg, Trayci Tompkins, Hennie Meyer and Martha Zettler. Run by KZN-based auctioneer Brandon Leer, the lively auction fetched R135,000 in total for the charity and the remainder of funds raised were fetched from pledges from the guests and exhibition sales.

The Wildlands Conservation Trust has been operating out of KZN for 20 years, representing the merger in 2005 of the KZN Conservation Trust and the Wildlands Trust. It has grown substantially since then and its flagship programme, Indigenous Trees for Life, is now operating in three other provinces and 23 communities. The expansion into the Western Cape, funded by Spier, PSG Konsult and PSG Nhluvuko will include a further five communities from around the Stellenbosch area.

The programme teaches children and adults from disadvantaged communities to grow indigenous trees. These trees can then be traded for food, clothes, home and garden tools and even school and university fees. The trees are then planted out in reforestation projects and the first of 250 ‘tree-preneurs’ in the Cape are in the process of being recruited.

Dr Andrew Venter, CEO of Wildlands, together with the Trust’s Chairman, successful Durban Businessman, Andre Schoeman, hosted the evening, and formally announced the launch of the Indigenous Trees for Life programme.

“We’re really excited about establishing a presence in the Western Cape with Indigenous Trees for Life and supporting the conservation of biodiversity in the region”, said Dr Venter while acknowledging the importance of the Trusts’ partners in the region - PSG, Spier and Bonitas - in making this possible. The event was closed by Bongani Mpungose, Chairman of Bonitas Medical Fund, who sponsored the event.

More information from Lindsay Sommer on 082 776 5446.