Bio-diversity

1. Business Capacity Development & Environmental Awareness o. The project will offer 4business management training courses for small and micro enterprises for existing and new small scale entrepreneurs along the Rooibos Heritage Route. Workshops will be held in both the Wupperthal and Suid Bokkeveld communities and a knowledge exchange visit will be conducted between the Wupperthal community and the Suid Bokkeveld community. o. The capacity development activities will include modules to raise environmental awareness in terms of the importance of biodiversity, biodiversity benefits and the implications of loss of ecosystem services. Experiential activities (field visits, photographing, participatory video) will enhance learning. o. The training courses will also include cultural and gender sensitivity and management of conflict. o. Active mentoring of small scale eco tourism enterprises to ensure sound businesses practice and effective ways of working with conflict o. Appropriate infrastructure of the eco-tourism enterprises is supported to enhance environmental protection and to increase environmental conservation 2. Marketing of the Rooibos Heritage Route o. Developing the Rooibos Heritage Route website: the Route will have its own dedicated website linking to other related websites as GCBC, Cape Nature, local businesses, tourism agencies, etc. o. The website will be updated and maps and downloadable materials will be placed on the website. o. A series of short movies where people along the Route tell stories about the lives of small scale farmers along the route and how they relate to the environment will be produced and can be sold and shown on their website 3. Developing the Rooibos Heritage Route o. A participatory GIS component will be mapping areas of special interest and / or special biodiversity o. An audio guide will be developed, allowing visitors to listen to the guide while travelling on the Rooibos Heritage Route. The tracks will relate to the numbers displayed on the gates along the Route. A printed version will be availableat the tourism information offices in Wupperthal and Nieuwoudtville 4. Mapping special biodiversity & conservation initiatives along the route o. Special biodiversity will be mapped along the route and the data is included in the SANBI database. This and other biodiversity related data (from SANBI and Cape Nature) will inform the marketing material on the Rooibos Heritage Route as well as the interpretational signage. o. On going conservation work will be shared with visitors along the route through appropriated interpretative signage along the route. o. Directional and interpretative signage will be strategically placed along the Route

South africa