Talk by Georg von dem Bussche , Consultant to the Forestry industry, to the Van Plettenberg Historical Society on Sunday , 12th May 2019.

The indigenous forests along the coastal plateau from Mosel Bay in the west to Humansdorp in the east represent the largest more or less uninterrupted indigenous forest belt in Southern Africa. The total area of this closed canopy evergreen forest is slightly more than 60 000 ha of which two thirds are State owned and mostly managed, for nearly a decade already, by the South African National Parkes authority SANParks. The remaining indigenous forest area, mostly in private hand, is subject to strict conservation legislation, controlled by the State Forest authority, presently under the umbrella of the Department Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (DAFF).

The saving of these unique forests from the greed of human endeavour can to a great extend be contributed to many devoted and gifted men, who over a period of nearly 300 years have diligently worked for the rescue and later scientific management of these forests.

These days we are not inclined to look back in history and are mostly involved in the present and are busy making plans? But let us briefly look back at the historic development, which lead to the preservation of these precious forests, which was driven and enforced by outstanding man, who should not be forgotten.

• Venue: The Verandah, Goose Valley Golf Estate, Plettenberg Bay
• Date and Time: 11h00 on Sunday 12th May 2019