38 INTEGRATED ANNUAL REPORT 2022 Biodiversity NCT and members farms are managed as commercial operations with the primary objective of producing wood and other commercial produce. However, significant areas are managed for conservation and other environmental services. Wetlands (including streams and rivers) have been delineated and the riparian buffers provide important ecological corridors for biodiversity. Many farms have set aside representative conservation areas. Good examples can be seen in the numerous forest patches and grasslands that have been preserved on farms. On NCT-owned farms approximately 25% of the land area is unplanted and managed primarily for conservation purposes. These include areas of high conservation significance such as a 202ha mist belt forest and the Natal cycad colony in a protected area. NCT also supports: • The Ground Hornbill project through a monitoring programme on all farms where the bird has been identified. In association with the Ground Hornbill Project, a series of awareness presentations are regularly carried out in surrounding communities. • The Oribi Working Group in its translocation programme, annual surveys and anti-poaching activities. • The Karkloof conservancy in protecting the crane species and anti-poaching efforts in the area.
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