SISONKE: NATURE RESERVE KEYSTONE SECURED
Wild Tomorrow has secured the 731-acre (296-hectare) Sisonke Farm for the Greater Ukuwela Nature Reserve in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa!
In the isiZulu language, “Sisonke" means “to bridge” and expresses love, unity, and peace. It is a fitting name for the keystone piece of land that now joins the eastern and western sections of our reserve so that wildlife can roam the entire 4,000-acre (1,620-hectare) expanse freely.
We had been waiting six years for Sisonke to come onto the market and we leapt at the chance to reclaim the land for nature. Now, our work rewilding the property, restoring habitat for wildlife, begins.
RESTORING SISONKE’S ECOSYSTEMS FOR WILDLIFE
At Wild Tomorrow, our mission is to reverse global biodiversity loss, the main cause of which is habitat destruction and fragmentation. Our Greater Ukuwela Nature Reserve lies in the heart of one of the world’s 36 global biodiversity hotspots, areas with a vibrant variety of species that the scientific community has prioritized for protection.
Securing and restoring properties like Sisonke — and all the other parcels of land that make up the Greater Ukuwela Nature Reserve — is a vital part of the fight to protect our region’s precious biodiversity.
The Sisonke acquisition, the fourth conservation land purchase since the beginning of Wild Tomorrow’s habitat protection program in 2017, restores habitat connectivity within the Greater Ukuwela Nature Reserve, allowing the removal of internal fences that previously blocked the movement of wildlife across the full expanse of the Reserve. Sisonke’s stunning array of habitats includes grasslands, fever tree forest, freshwater wetlands, and a remnant portion of the critically endangered southern African dry sand forest. Together, these habitats safeguard an incredible diversity of flora and fauna – with 1,245 native species cataloged to date at the Greater Ukuwela Nature Reserve including 54 mammals, 421 birds and 162 wildflowers. It is this rich biodiversity that qualified the land to be declared as a Nature Reserve under South Africa’s National Biodiversity Stewardship Program in 2011 -- the highest legal level of protection equivalent to a national park, in perpetuity
Our challenge now is to rewild Sisonke, restoring its natural ecosystems so it can become habitat for threatened plant, insect, bird, fish, reptile, and mammal species native to the region.
FOR PEOPLE AND PLANET
In all our conservation work to save wildlife, we ensure the local community benefits. Wild Tomorrow employs 30 people in and around the Greater Ukuwela Nature Reserve. Among our team are 10 wildlife rangers and an ecosystem restoration team of 15 Zulu women and two lucky Zulu men, the Green Mambas.
Protecting and restoring Sisonke will mean more jobs for community members, starting with two new wildlife rangers. Our region of KwaZulu-Natal suffers from widespread poverty and unemployment, so Wild Tomorrow is proud to offer full-time work in conservation for to neighbors.
Sisonke connects the two previously separate parts of Wild Tomorrow’s Greater Ukuwela Nature Reserve.
A MAJOR MILESTONE
“Saving Sisonke Farm is a milestone moment in our history” said Wild Tomorrow’s Executive Director, John Steward. “This was a critical piece of habitat to save as it separated the two sides of our protected reserve. Now all our land is connected, and wildlife can traverse far larger distances, fighting back against extinction.”
“The biggest threat to endangered species is habitat loss, and for that reason land conservation has been Wild Tomorrow’s focus" said Board Chairman, Seth Hendon. “In addition to being a potential wildlife corridor, the area we are protecting is situated in one of the world’s biologically richest and most endangered regions. Having acquired control of this keystone property, we will now turn our focus to protecting and rewilding -- expanding the safe, natural habitat and population sizes of wildlife in KwaZulu-Natal. And with our donor’s support, we will continue to acquire land to increase the size of our reserve.”
THANK YOU!
Wild Tomorrow gives special thanks to the World Land Trust, who funded 50 percent of the purchase of Sisonke Farm and featured the project in their Spring campaign, “Connecting Ukuwela.” Wild Tomorrow also thanks major donors Robert Kelly and our community of supporters without whom this conservation success story would not have been possible.
READ MORE ABOUT OUR RESTORATION WORK AT SISONKE
Download our press release.
Dropping Fences: A Landscape Reconnected
With the purchase of Sisonke complete, our focus shifted to habitat restoration. Our dedicated rangers and our eco-restoration team, the Green Mambas, have now removed all internal and boundary fences, including the hazardous barbed and razor wire barriers that posed dangers to wildlife. This has reconnected the land, allowing species of all sizes to move freely across the expanded reserve. Read more.
Water Security for the Green Mambas
Sisonke came with several large JoJo water tanks, which we have repurposed to support our all-female Green Mamba conservation team. Three team members have already received tanks, providing them and their families with reliable water access. More installations are planned as additional homes are prepared. By securing water for those who safeguard nature, we strengthen both conservation efforts and community resilience. Read more.