Project description
In a surprising number of cases, National Parks and conservation areas are 
situated on the boundary of a country next to a neighboring countries' national park or conservation area. Often these international boundaries simply cut through important ecosystems. In such cases there is a strong need for co-operating conservation management on either side of the international border. Such co-operation provides a serious managerial challenge but can be a vehicle for promoting peace and mutual prosperity through tourism and natural resource benefits. This is what trans-frontier conservation is all about and it has attracted major political and conservation interest and is resulting in some very large conservation areas.
The Malolotja-Songimvelo trans-frontier conservation area is a prime example of where co-operation is taking place across an international boundary in a bid to conserve one of Africa 's most important mountain ecosystems. This area is a global biodiversity hotspot and falls within the Barberton mountainlands centre of plant endemism and the south east African center of bird endemism. Malolotja-Songimvelo is home to the big four (elephant, rhino, leopard, buffalo) and also contains some spectacularly beautiful scenery.
This project involves research and monitoring to investigate the ecology of 
threatened species in the Malolotja-Songimvelo trans-frontier conservation area and to help in their conservation. Threatened birds and plants are a focus of this project in particular their reproduction and survival. Rhino and elephant are also monitored to identify activity patterns and home ranges as are Bats and small predators.
In terms of hands-on conservation action this project involves fire break management, alien plant mapping and control, fence patrols and hiking trail marking and maintenance. It also involves community outreach to improve community-park relations and to spread awareness of conservation practices.
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