The Renu-Karoo project and business idea developed in 2007 from our concerns about the need for returning appropriate indigenous plants to rangelands where they had been reduced or lost through grazing mismanagement or damaged by mining and infrastructure development. At the same time we recognised that marketable skills and employment opportunities were in short supply in our village, necessitating the need for training and job creation. We also noticed that school learners were unaware of the opportunities afforded by the growing interest in biodiversity conservation, biodiversity-based business and ecotourism, and that the local town council was not well informed about environmental issues, and in particular about biodiversity conservation, water management, carbon sequestration and ecologically sound waste management options (composting, recycling, disposal of sewage effluent). As retired ecologists living in a small rural village where 60% of the adult population of some 5,000 people is unemployed, we decided that we could address both social and ecosystem conservation issues by starting a biodiversity based business employing local unskilled people who were keen to learn new skills. This dream is now a reality. Income from seeds, plants and services now supports 11 people, protects a 120 ha nature reserve and provides environmental education.

Our plans for 2012-2013 are to carry out research on ecological restoration in the Karoo, to improve the management of the Nature Reserve, to engage with local communities around the issues of sustainable agriculture and resource conservation, and to continue to develop and share our expertise on indigenous seeds, plants and restoration services.

Research on ecological restoration in the Karoo is being carried out by Masters student Willem Matthee (Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University). Willem is currently monitoring restoration and reseeding projects carried out by about 60 clients in the Karoo over the past five years. His findings will help Renu-Karoo to provide better advice on the preparation of soil, timing of seeding, types of seeds, and protection of seeds or plants used in rehabilitation projects in this arid region. We are also planning to collaborate with the Endangered Wildlife Trust Riverine Rabbit habitat restoration project in research on reintroduction of plants and plugs to eroded and salinised alluvium alone ephemeral rivers in the Karoo.

To increase our contributions to environmental education in the local community we are now participating in the Municipal Integrated development Forum, The Land Care Forum and the Garden Club, as well as providing environmental education and outings for local schools.