• Pre-Congress; 4 days, 3 nights; September 5-8, 2003
• Based in new park facility, uKhahlamba-Drakensberg World Heritage Site and Ramsar Site
• Organizers: Larry Hamilton, Trevor Sandwith, Ian Rushworth, Sonja Krueger, Derek Potter, Kevan Zunckle, Graeme Worboys, Dave Harmon
  
• Co-sponsored by The Nature Conservancy, University of Turin, and the University of Aquila

Highlights

• San Cave and Cliff Paintings
• Indigenous Conservation Management Areas
• Maloti-Drakensberg Transboundary Situation
• New Visitor and Education Centre, Didima
• Water Source Areas for the Lowlands
• Visits to 3 Units in KwaZulu Natal Nature Conservation Service Complex to see WH, PA Management Issues
• Production of Improved Guidelines for Mountain Protected Areas
  
  

A message from workshop organizer Larry Hamilton (posted 10 January 2003) -- Our workshop is now oversubscribed, and no more applicants are being accepted. I will now send all of your names to WCPA at Gland, strongly recommending that official invitations be sent to you. These are supposed to come at the end of January. As soon as you hear, those of you who are self-funded are urged to get in touch with either your travel agent, or with African Conferences Worldchoice, who are able to provide excellent discount airfares on South Africa Air to Durban. Via e-mail steve@wssddmc.co.za; fax, attention Theresa 27 11 4630867. Plan to arrive 4 September and book into Holiday Inn Garden Court, North Beach. We can get a special rate there of US$55 (single), $71 (double), breakfast included, and it is an excellent hotel. Bus will be outside door next morning for departure. You can also book it for your stay during Congress 8-17 September. Hotels need to be booked to get rate through Sherene Allaman, Global Conferences Africa sherene@globalconfafrica.co.za; fax 27 11 7069768. It is walking distance from the Conference Center and is on ocean frontage. Specify North Beach, because there is another Holiday Inn Garden Court, further in to town.

Click here for a list of participants accepted, and the topics. I think you will agree with me that we have a stellar cast, an excellent range in topics from a good geographic spread.

To assist you in budgeting, my estimate of reasonable Congress costs (in addition to airfare) run at: Registration-$300+100 for in-Congress field trip or training session; Food and lodging for 10 days@ $95--950 at a good hotel, but cheaper ones are available that are quite adequate. That price on Registration is for early listing, before May 31, otherwise $150 higher.

The Didima Camp (see photo & map below) where we will be staying looks terrific. I have the brochure for this brand new facility, and you will all be pleased, I know. They are a series of individual thatched-roof huts. I am hoping that almost all of you will be willing to share with one other person at $26 per night. Those needing a unit to themselves--$39. I will need to zero down on this later, since a deposit has to be made for around 24-30 units. There is a swimming pool and a tennis court, if we have time for such frivolity.

Didina Camp

KZN map showing camp location

Format

DAY 1

Kamberg Rock Art Centre – Cultural/Archaeological Theme

09:00 Depart from Durban for Kamberg Rock Art Center.

12:00 Arrive at Kamberg Rock Art Centre for lunch, audio-visual presentation on the history of the area with particular emphasis on the San rock art, and a walk to Game Pass Shelter that will be guided by one of the members of the local community who have been trained specifically for this purpose. The walk is on well-made paths with a numerous stops where the guide will provide information on the surroundings, culture and history. Fresh mountain water is available along the way. The walk would also provide opportunity to look at some of the management issues related to the eradication of alien plants and the production of alien fish (trout).

16:00 Depart for Didima Camp at Cathedral Peak for over night.

19:00 Presentation by Roger Porter on the Global Significance of the Maloti-Drakensberg mountain region orientating delegates to the area, its history, origins and some of the institutional and management arrangements and issues.

20:00 First working group session.

DAY 2

Mnweni/Upper uTukhela Community Area – Community Conservation Theme

08:00 Depart for the Mnweni/Upper uThukela area where the aManwane/Mnweni Cultural Hiking Centre will be visited. Here the Mnweni Trust will host the delegation and make presentations on the history behind the community conservation initiatives that have taken place in the area. Delegates may even be treated to local cuisine and art forms such as dance and song before being accompanied to view some of the San rock art this spectacular part of the Drakensberg has to offer. This would also be an opportunity to approach the subject of possible mechanisms to establish and manage a community based protected area.

17:00 Return to Didima Camp for supper and second working group session.

DAY 3

Day three offers two alternatives based on level of fitness.

Mont-aux-sources – Transfrontier Theme

Alternative 1 (Medium to high level of fitness required)

06:00 Depart for Sentinel car park and a 6 kilometre walk to the summit of the Amphitheatre and Mont-aux-sources. The walk to the summit includes the scaling of a chain ladder up the last 20 – 30 metres of the ascent. The drive will take delegates into the Orange Free State province and through a densely populated area that was set aside by the Apartheid government as a homeland, namely Phudaditjaba or Qwa Qwa. The Sentinel is the most northerly point of the KwaZulu-Natal Drakensberg and besides providing a spectacular view from the lip of one of the highest waterfalls in Africa, the Tugela, delegates will be exposed to the challenges of the providing benefits beyond boundaries without compromising the integrity of the protected area. Mont-aux-sources is not only the origin of four important rivers, but is in close proximity to two of South Africa's provinces and the Kingdom of Lesotho, all participants in the Maloti-Drakensberg Transfrontier Conservation and Development Program. The program coordinators from both South Africa and Lesotho will participate in this excursion and be available to present information on the program and discuss relevant issues.

The Witsieshoek Mountain Resort that is situated just below the car park will provide breakfast and a late lunch.

15:00 Depart for Didima Camp.

Alternative 2 (Medium to low level of fitness required)

Cathedral Peak Wilderness Area – Protected Area and Wilderness Management Theme

08:00 Travel via Mike’s Pass to the top of the Little Berg and walk as far as possible towards and into the Cathedral Peak Wilderness Area. The focus of this excursion will be to look at and discuss various mountain protected area management issues such as the control of alien invasive plants, the use of fire as a management tool (long-term research results available for discussion), path maintenance, erosion control and wilderness management. The relevant research and management staff will accompany the group to deliver presentations and be available to lead/participate in discussions on management issues that are raised.

Packed lunches will be provided.

15:00 Depart for Didima Camp.

19:00 All delegates to meet in plenary to present and listen to feedback from the each group over supper. The points raised and lessons learnt during the two excursions need to be captured at this point and worked back into the appropriate working groups.

20:00 Third working group session

DAY 4

Didima Camp – Conceptual Development Planning Theme

08:00 Facilitated plenary discussion on working group progress.

10:00 Tea

10:30 Critical review of Didima Camp as a tourism facility in a mountain environment preceded by a presentation on a recommended conceptual development planning procedure.

12:30 Lunch and departure for Durban.

Participants will bring to the Workshop, short papers addressing significant issues in Mountain PA Management and Policy. These papers will not be presented in our evening program, but will be distributed and form the substance of subsequent publications. They might also be something that you are giving at the Congress itself. We are also asking that those giving field presentations during the day prepare written material, and this will be handled the same way. Bring 50 copies.

Our evening programs will consist of small working groups focusing on specific management principles or guidelines that have been published, in order to update and improve these. These guidelines will come from mainly two sources: Protected Areas Management, Principles and Practices (Worboys et al., 2000) and Guidelines for Mountain Protected Areas (Poore, 1993). Participants will be contacted prior to the Workshop to assess their preferences for specific working group topics. An update and expansion of both of these publications is planned as products of the Congress.

Please direct questions to Larry Hamilton, hamiltonx2@mindspring.com. Thank you.

August 1, 2002

Larry Hamilton, WCPA Vice Chair, Mountains, 342 Bittersweet Lane, Charlotte, Vermont 05445 USA
Tel/Fax 802 425 6509; hamiltonx2@mindspring.com