A first-of-its-kind Fynbos Field Guide for Wild Flower Harvesting will be launched as part of the International Day of Biodiversity celebrations. Flower Valley Conservation Trust, in collaboration with the Universities of Durham and Newcastle, compiled the guide, which will help harvesters to pick fynbos with care, and to identify fynbos species in the veld.

The launch of the guide, called the Field Guide for Wild Flower Harvesting, takes place on 20 May 2016 in Cape Town to coincide with the world celebration of International Day of Biodiversity on Sunday, 22 May. The Field Guide for Wild Flower Harvesting - available in English, Afrikaans and isiXhosa - helps fynbos harvesters to understand the need to care for fynbos resources. The guide includes 41 fynbos species found on the Agulhas Plain and beyond which are picked for markets - many of which are listed as endangered on the Red List of South African Plants. The guide also provides the Vulnerability Index listing of species. This index is based on biological criteria, and gives a guideline as to how the long-term population of each species may be impacted by harvesting.

A field assessment tool has also been developed, which allows land users to gauge at what level they are caring for their fynbos resources, and how they can potentially improve. These tools are in support of the Sustainable Harvesting Programme (SHP), driven by Flower Valley Conservation Trust across the fynbos industry. The SHP serves as an assurance programme, offering fynbos suppliers and landowners support to enter on a journey towards full sustainability. The programme aims to provide assurance to retailers, and ultimately consumers, that the fynbos bouquets they buy are not harming the natural veld, while social and labour compliance is met. The Programme is supported by the European Union and the WWF-SA Nedbank Green Trust.

For more information on the guide, email: info@flowervalley.co.za. The website for Flower Valley Conservation Trust is www.flowervalley.org.za.

News Letter: Flower Valley Conservation Trust

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