Verloren Valei Tractor Appeal

Verloren Valei is a high-altitude wetland reserve situated just outside Dullstroom in the Mpumalanga province of South Africa. It is designated a wetland of international importance under the UN’s Ramsar Convention on Wetlands. 

The Reserve’s wetlands store large amounts of water which are then fed into the four rivers that rise there. This pristine water feeds into two important river basins, the Olifants and Komatie, an invaluable resource in a very dry country such as South Africa. 

At the same time, Verloren Valei is recognised as a biodiversity hotspot. Its montane grassland environment supports a significant number of rare and threatened indigenous orchid species and other flora, butterflies (including two that only occur here), birds (including the highly endangered White-winged Flufftail) and fauna. 

All of these natural resources and treasures need protection and careful management, including the montane grasslands themselves. A big part of this involves the burning of firebreaks and routine block burning to protect the vegetation by mimic...