Ecosystem restoration for people, nature and climate

Let our better and more promising future be restored

Ecosystems Rehabilitation and Restoration (ERR) is a community-based organization that was founded in 2017 by Ms. Sithembile Nkosi, the Lecturer in the Department of Nature Conservation at the Mangosuthu University of Technology. The current trends of unemployment and lack of skill for youth in the restoration ecology sector allowed for ERR to be responsive in contributing meaningfully to the sector. Moreover, ERR is proactive in that, the organization is student-led and community-based at the same time. 

During the inception of the project, the Amandawe Community leader approached MUT to assist with the rehabilitation of a degraded wetland. Though the wetland is small, it is important because it is a tributary to the Amahlongwa River which is part of the National Freshwater Ecosystem Priority Areas (NFEPA) Rivers. The Amandawe Project has been a flagship project for the organization. The organization was able to address various community problems which included the removal of alien plants that were starting to form a forest. Issues such as community safety were addressed through the removal of alien plants. 

After the first intervention, water started resurfacing, and the community members were thrilled because they were able to water their gardens once more. The work done for the Amandawe Project has allowed for more areas to be targeted which include the wetland at the Mangosuthu University of Technology. Successfully, we have conducted three interventions that normally take place one week after the university exams have been completed. 

In 2019, the Organization received an opportunity to partner with Wildlands Conservation Trust in the upliftment of youth skills, and provision of employment. The organization employed 10 youth members of Umlazi. The Wildlands Project was funded by the Natural Resource Management (NRM) program under the Rapid Response project where we were controlling invasive alien plants, primarily, Parthenium hysterophorus at Umlazi. 



The breakout of COVID-19 in 2020 introduced various challenges. The lockdown levels meant that we were unable to conduct active rehabilitation work. Therefore, the invasive alien plants started increasing again in the wetlands. Though the lockdown regulations prevented us from meeting and working with communities; awareness campaigns continued online through TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, and WhattsApp. Moreover, the MUT staff and student communication system were also used.

In 2021, the Organization adopted a blended approach for awareness campaigns based on the environmental calendar. 

The project aims to rehabilitate degraded ecosystems in various areas, prioritizing townships that were previously marginalized in conservation activities. We aspire to address various socio-economic issues through collaborative work with communities and citizen science.

The ERR works with students from the Department of Nature Conservation. Students are provided with various training, including invasive alien plant identification and control, snake handling, project management, etc. They are also allowed to carry out activities with minimal and/or no supervision, this enables them to be independent and improves their leadership skills.

Here are some examples of what we can do to restore critical ecosystems: