BIG NEWS: SECURING NEW LAND FOR A WILDER TOMORROW

We’re excited announce our latest land acquisition: 60 hectares (148 acres) of former pineapple farmland in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. The property represents both a challenge and an opportunity—a chance to restore a drastically transformed landscape into a thriving habitat for wildlife. Read more about our land acquisition below: 

The new piece of land that Wild Tomorrow has acquired - to be restored and protected over time to ultimately form part of our corridor.

Wild Tomorrow has acquired a new 60-hectare (148-acre) property, marking another step forward on our mission to protect and restore wild spaces in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. This incredible achievement was made possible by the generous funding of our long-standing partner, World Land Trust. 

The newly acquired property has a storied past as a pineapple farm from the 1970s until approximately 2013. In the years since, both native and alien invasive plant species have reclaimed the area. While its natural state has been heavily transformed, the land remains surprisingly biodiverse and brimming with potential. 

While now reduced to a grassy field and a patch of swamp forest, this small farm was once dense sand forest (a critically endangered ecosystem) with all of the birds and mammals that once would have inhabited this magical place. Our vision is to restore it ‘from field to forest’ over decades. Its location is critical, lying directly adjacent to a portion of our existing nature reserve, and within the buffer zone of UNESCO World Heritage iSimangaliso Wetland Park.

Today marks the beginning of an ambitious long-term forest restoration project, aimed at bringing the land back to life. From clearing invasive species to reintroducing native flora, the journey to ecological recovery, from a field back to forest, will require patience, dedication, and collaboration.

The land remains surprisingly biodiverse

With lots of species to be discovered and documented

Our first swamp forest

FIRST STEPS

One of our first tasks after completing this land purchase, our 5th land deal since our purchase of our first piece, Ukuwela, in 2017, was to conduct a simple baseline assessment of its biodiversity. Dr Greg Canning, General Manager of Wild Tomorrow South Africa, and Kevin Joliffe, our Reserve Manager and resident bird and orchid expert, took a focused walk of discovery. In just a single survey, walking this new area, they observed and recorded 43 native tree species, 35 bird species including the gorgeous African Paradise Flycatcher and rare Rudd's Apalis, and 7 mammals including rodents (the Greater Cane Rat and Four-striped Mouse), Antelope (Common Reedbuck, Red Duiker and Nyala) plus the tracks of Hippo who undoubtedly enjoy all the grass in the evenings. We know there are more species to be confirmed from butterflies to wild orchids, and are excited to welcome our upcoming April conservation volunteers, who will conduct a BioBlitz to identify more of the life that is ready to regenerate now this habitat is under conservation management. 

Thanks to a grant from Taronga Zoo in Australia, we are getting ready to double the size of our native tree nursery, adding space to grow more seedlings in anticipation of the tree planting ahead.

A PARTNERSHIP BUILT ON SHARED VALUES 

This milestone wouldn’t have been possible without the continued support of World Land Trust. Our relationship began in 2022, and their commitment to conservation has played a pivotal role in shaping the Greater Ukuwela Nature Reserve. In 2022, World Land Trust provided a grant to complete the purchase of Ukuwela, adding the equivalent of 318 acres to our Greater Ukuwela Nature Reserve, which now spans a total of 1,566.74 ha (3,870 acres). Read more here 

In 2024, World Land Trust’s contributions helped secure Sisonke, a key piece of land connecting the eastern and western sections of the reserve. This linkage created a wildlife corridor, enabling species to move freely across the landscape. Read more here. 

LOOKING AHEAD

This new property represents hope and opportunity—a chance to restore deforested land back to forest, expanding habitat for threatened biodiversity. Each step forward highlights the importance of collaboration and collective dedication to safeguarding our planet. 

We’re deeply grateful to World Land Trust for their unwavering support, from this new acquisition to their vital role in securing critical conservation areas in the past. Their belief in our mission continues to inspire us as we work together to protect and restore wild spaces. 

We invite you to join us on this journey. Follow our updates as we restore this land and consider supporting our mission to create a wilder tomorrow. Together, we’re making a lasting difference.