Karen Zunckel:

ZUNCKEL ECOLOGICAL +

ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES

CEPF MPAH Forum

Mpekweni Beach Resort, Eastern Cape 13 - 16th October 2014

The feasibility

of a KZN

Midlands

Green Map

Presentation

Background

The Green Map concept

The N3TC connection

Progress to date

Next Steps

Two successful and growing Sustainable Living &

Indigenous Plant (SLIP) Fairs in Pietermaritzburg.

Background

Two successful and growing Sustainable Living &

Indigenous Plant (SLIP) Fairs in Pietermaritzburg.

Our limitation in running SLIP again is purely

financial – from every other perspective, the

event has grown and demonstrated the amazing

local capacity we have here in the Midlands.

Need a platform from which to challenge people

to make the shift towards planet friendly lifestyle

choices 365 days of the year (not just over the 3-

day event)

Background

Verdant Life

Two successful and growing Sustainable Living &

Indigenous Plant (SLIP) Fairs in Pietermaritzburg.

Our limitation in running SLIP again is purely

financial – from every other perspective, the

event has grown and demonstrated the amazing

local capacity we have here in the Midlands.

Need a platform from which to challenge people

to make the shift towards planet friendly lifestyle

choices 365 days of the year (not just over the 3-

day event)

Secured a small two-month grant from the Critical

Ecosystem Partnership Fund to look into the

feasibility of developing a Green Map in the

KwaZulu-Natal Midlands

Background

Since 1995 Green Map

System has engaged

over 850 communities

in 65 countries in

mapping green living,

nature and culture

with adaptable

tools and award-

winning icons.

Late in 2008 Open

Green Map was

introduced. Based on

open source and

familiar mapping

technology like

Google Map, Open

Green Map has taken

mapmaking into an

interactive space that

provides a

collaborative resource

centre for map makers

around the world.

Green Map

Award winning Icons

Indigenous Plants

Community Garden

Bird & Wildlife

Watching

Nature Reserve / Natural

Area

Wildlife Habitat

Scenic Vista

Community Centre

Cultural Site

Eco-Spiritual

Site

Environ-mental

Education

Eco Club / Organizatio

n

Online Resource

Eco Products

Healthy Dining

Organic / Local Food

Bicycle Site

Green Building

Wind Energy Site

Mobile Green Map

Site Features

Categorised by the icons, it’s easy to understand

and contribute to the data, which includes sites,

routes and areas

Green Maps in SA

City of Cape

Town

Imagine

Durban

JoBurg

KZN Midlands

Green Map

City of Cape Town

KZN Midlands

Long-term Sustainability/

Replicability

The primary focus of the feasibility study was to ensure

that the project is financially sustainable in the long-

term and funds are available for the Green Mappers

and website’s upkeep.

It is envisaged that the project can either grow to

include the entire KZN province and/or beyond

(following the full length of the N3 corridor), or

alternatively it could be replicated in other distinct

geographic localities depending on a willing driver.

An example of the latter could be the Ekangala

Grasslands Project which has similar dynamics within it,

i.e. transformation of high altitude grasslands and the

need for incentives and tourism spend.

Cape Town has a vision to expand the GMS across SA.

o Verdant Life received funding from N3TC to

begin developing and populating the KZN

Midlands Green map.

Progress

The N3 Corridor

o Verdant Life received funding from N3TC to

begin developing and populating the KZN

Midlands Green map.

o Thus far, we have:

o Subscribed to GreenMap.org and loaded a number of sites on to the KZN Midlands Green Map.

o Moved over to self-hosted website.

o Embedded the Open Green Map on our site.

o Now developing our own geo-directory website on

GeoThemes which includes place and event listings,

pages and blogs.

o This has allowed for:

• Financial management of listings

• Styling

• Faster

Progress

Next Steps The Carbon Protocol of SA and Promethium Carbon is

supporting this project. The Carbon Protocol is the custodian of the Carbon Neutral Declaration and their mission is to raise awareness and facilitate the transition to a climate resilient society.

Promethium Carbon will provide guidance and carbon advisors to this project to ensure compliance with the principles of ISO14064.

Promethium Carbon will be assisting us to calculate the carbon footprint of the toll road itself, its users and the sustainability initiatives along the corridor.

Individual offset projects will be identified and established and carbon footprint reductions will be applied in an accumulative way for the N3TC to purchase credits in lieu of their sponsorship. Individual initiatives to reduce carbon footprints may be inadequate in themselves, but collectively the N3 Green Corridor is about moving towards a low carbon economy.

Measure and quantify impacts of the project (possible post grad thesis).

Establish Verdant Life as a Trust, NPO, PBO.

Please:

o Like and follow

the Verdant Life

website; and

o List appropriate

sites on the

Green Maps

THANK YOU