National Geographic defines a grassland as a large, open area of grass typically maintained by grazing animals and frequent fires. As an eco-estate, Simbithi is home to several grasslands, which our environmental team has been focusing on intently during the last several years. We chat to Environmental Manager Ayanda Duma about our recent burning exercise and the journey to restoring our beautiful grasslands.
The main grasslands of Simbithi, Ayanda explains, are located on the Nsimbi, Mannie’s Farm and Tamboti trails, and there are a few patches on the northern half of the Estate. Until recently, our grasslands were afflicted by an infestation of Panicum deustem, an invasive grass accidentally introduced with a seed mix in 2004. “In 2021, we began implementing a methodical grassland rehabilitation process, beginning with eradicating the Panicum,” Ayanda says. “First, we identified the areas we would target for removal. Then, our team employed mechanical methods, like brush cutters, to remove the invasive grass from the larger areas.” The third step was a chemical application to kill the regrowth of the Panicum, which would introduce indigenous grassland forbs.
Four years later, there has been significant progress and Simbithi is 90% Panicum-free. “It is a persistent weed,” Ayanda shares. “So, even though we have eradicated almost all of it, we constantly have to monitor our grasslands to ensure it does not invade again. One of the ways we do this is ploughing individual occurrences of regrowth as and when we find them.”
Earlier this year, a vegetation assessment was undertaken to ascertain which of our grasslands were in a condition suitable for the next stage of management: grassland burning. There are several types of grasslands, Ayanda clarifies, and Simbithi’s are classified as coastal. “A coastal grassland is usually located along a coastline and is able to withstand harsher environmental conditions like significant wind, sea salt spray and heavy rains.”
Grassland burning is a technique used to revitalise a grassland. “The fire, which a controlled burn, clears old, decaying vegetation and renews the grassland for our antelope who graze there,” Ayanda outlines. “This is in line with our strategic initiative of adhering to environmental, social and governance principles, which is an important part of our strategy.”
A patch of grassland in Tamboti was identified and the burn was successfully conducted in September. Before we were permitted to proceed, Simbithi had to become a member of the local fire protection organisation and inform KwaDukuza Municipality of the planned burn. “We were also required to have the local fire department on standby, and ensure our staff, including fire marshalls and environmental team, was properly trained to be on site,” Ayanda says. “We are thankful to the residents in the area who co-operated and understood the need for us to burn the grassland.”
With one successful burn completed, Ayanda and her team are monitoring the remainder of our grasslands to ensure they are well-maintained. “We will continue with grassland burning next year, during burning season. With one successful burn done, we will now incorporate this into our management practices, where we will burn a third of the grasslands within a three-year cycle. By keeping our grasslands healthy, we keep our wildlife happy and the fauna of Simbithi will continue to flourish.”
