Volume 16 • May 2020 Editorial By Suvarna Parbhoo-Mohan (CREW Programme Manager) and Domitilla Raimondo (Threatened Species Programme Manager) REW, the Custodians of Rare and Endangered best practice for plant conservation, with the Global CWildflowers, is a programme that involves volun- Strategy for Plant Conservation (GSPC) being the teers from the public (citizen scientists) in the moni- framework that we operate in. After two decades, toring and conservation of South Africa’s plant species of conservation concern. CREW aims to capacitate a network of volunteers from a range of socio-economic CREW, the Custodians of Rare and backgrounds to monitor and conserve South Afri- Endangered Wildflowers, is a programme ca’s threatened plant species. The programme links citizen scientists with their local conservation agen- that involves volunteers from the public in cies, and particularly with local land stewardship in- the monitoring and conservation of South itiatives, to ensure the conservation of key sites for Africa’s threatened plants. CREW aims to threatened plant species. Funded by the South Afri- capacitate a network of volunteers from can National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI), Botanical a range of socio-economic backgrounds Society of South Africa and the Mapula Trust, CREW is an integral part of the work on surveying South Afri- to monitor and conserve South Africa’s ca’s plant species of conservation concern. threatened plant species. The programme links volunteers with their local conservation This newsletter is filled with incredible articles agencies and particularly with local that highlight the activities undertaken by the CREW citizen scientists during 2019. With the aim of keeping land stewardship initiatives to ensure the this citizen science programme optimally effective, conservation of key sites for threatened plant we work towards achieving a balance of monitoring species. Funded jointly by the Botanical our flora, promoting plant conservation awareness Society of South Africa and the South African and ensuring that gathered information is used to in- National Biodiversity Institute, CREW is an fluence conservation decision making. integral part of the work on monitoring The structure and operations of the CREW pro- threatened species for South Africa. gramme have always been guided by international www.sanbi.org CREW newsletter May 2020 2 the GSPC is refining and planning new plant conser- utilises this effective smartphone technology to vation objectives and targets for the next ten years streamline data collection, we have created CREW and beyond, while also aligning the strategy with the projects on iNaturalist and subsequently Red List cat- Convention on Biological Diversities’ post-2020 stra- egory projects. The CREW nodes are overwhelmed tegic biodiversity framework, and the UN Sustainable by the number of observations we have received in Development Goals. The GSPC 2021–2030 will have just one field season. an increase from 16 to 18 clear targets that address specific plant conservation goals, while incorporat- The Red List team has been, for the past few years, ing new aspects and priorities, including ecosystem focussed on the species component of the National services and sustainable use of plants for people. Biodiversity Assessment. One of their analytical find- Ecological restoration is a new target and recovery ings is that the CREW programme is exceptional at plans for all threatened and rare plants are being pro- recording which species occur at a specific site, as posed. Moreover, the strategy has emerging targets in which species are present and what threats are focussing on urban areas, poverty and economic de- effecting the species, but that is only half of the velopment, as well as ensuring access to plants for picture as which species are missing is also required conservation, science and sustainability. to enable the scientists to respond to how or why our species’ risk of extinction change over time. We The CREW programme is fortunate to have already also need to be tracking certain populations to un- begun working on ecological restoration – the Tokai derstand how particular threats, such as livestock project – and recovery plans – Marasmodes undu- grazing or invasive species, impact them. South lata. Donavan Kirkwood (curator of the Stellenbosch Africa has progressed in fine-scale biodiversity geo- University’s botanical garden) detailed the risk of graphical information systems such that we are now having the vast majority of remaining populations of able to obtain a map detailing species that could our species of conservation concern remaining at a occur at a specific site. This enables us not just to handful of sites, many of these under no protection, record what is at the site, but also what is absent, at the CREW annual Cape Floristic Region (CFR) work- and this is what is required to complete the gaps shop. He suggested extending our CREW model by in our knowledge on the status of biodiversity. It is creating a GREW component (Growers of Rare and also important that we return to sites we have visited Endangered Wildflowers) – plant growers focussing before and record when species that we knew were on increasing ex situ mother stock for specific species there in the past have disappeared. Each CREW of conservation concern – that can be used to rein- node is now tasked to assist with collecting species troduce and bulk up wild populations. If you are keen absence data and we are currently finalising the on growing plants, please read Donovan Kirkwood’s methodology. article elsewhere in this newsletter and chat to your node coordinator to discuss how we can unlock Attendees of the CREW annual summer-rainfall funding to initiate GREW, as it correlates with the region workshop would recall the brainstorming species recovery plans target of the GSPC. session whereby groups discussed four topics – in- creasing support to biodiversity stewardship pro- This has been a year of many successes, obstacles grammes, working with traditional healers and and fascinating discoveries. The CREW programme’s indigenous knowledge, supporting municipalities, network of citizen scientists has, once again, col- and expanding the CREW network. The CREW team lected accurate, reliable and recent plant species data interrogated these topics further at our biannual stra- to input into the National Red List, lodged close to tegic planning workshop and have earmarked a few 1 000 new specimens at herbaria across the country, activities to be pursued in the upcoming year. and banked an assortment of seed collections for the Millennium Seed Bank Partnership (MSBP) pro- Finally, our last newsletter introduced the concept gramme. Passionate about mentoring and contribut- of the national environmental screening tool – the ing to transforming the biodiversity sector, the CREW process of using spatial environmental data to de- programme has hosted nine individuals across its termine if applications for environmental impact as- three nodes over the past year, and each intern has sessments have considered the major environmental detailed their work and particular projects. issues in the area where development is being pro- posed. This tool, which is now available at https:// iNaturalist is a powerful tool to capture biodiversity screening.environment.gov.za/screeningtool/#/ observations while engaging with a wide network of pages/process, will empower our citizen scientists citizen scientists. In response, the CREW programme on commenting on applications, verifying the exact CREW newsletter May 2020 3 footprints of the proposed development and confirm- are appreciative to everyone who has contributed ing the level of sensitivity (likelihood of species of con- over the past 17 years towards maintaining the CREW servation concern to be present) of the particular site. programme’s success. We sincerely thank our funders, the Botanical Society of South Africa and the Mapula The articles published in this newsletter are a tes- Trust, for their ongoing support and commitment tament to the high level of commitment, camara- to the CREW programme, as well as the Mohamed derie, resourcefulness and willingness of citizen bin Zayd Species Conservation Fund for funding the scientists that participate in all CREW activities. We CREW CFR node’s Marasmodes project. CREW Cape Floristic Region (CFR) overview By Ismail Ebrahim daptation and resilience is a key requirement for encourage participation. We were witnesses to the Aspecies survival in challenging conditions. The power of citizen scientists! drought has affected vast areas, but in many cases we see the incredible resilience of nature. The CREW pro- Our course was set and after an amazing week of gramme, too, has undergone a period of adaptation collective effort by the citizens of Cape Town, we and, hence, we continue to successfully implement came out tops with 53 775 observations and 4 587 species recorded. This was enough to the give Cape this amazing programme and still continue to grow. Town the win. Some of our CREW volunteers featured We keep the programme fresh by always adapting in the top 10 for number of observations, number and trying to improve on what we have done. Em- of species recorded and number of identifications bracing technology has been one of the recipes of given. The 2020 City Nature Challenge was sup- our success. posed to take place from 24–27 April and the cities The iNaturalist platform has opened a world of op- of Cape Town, Durban, Tshwane, Port Elizabeth and portunities for citizen scientists to contribute to our the Garden Route were to compete for top honours. understanding of the natural world and advance bio- diversity data collection. At the beginning of 2019, Dr Tony Rebelo announced that Cape Town will be com- Figure 1: Learners from Pella Primary School participating in the City Nature Challenge. peting in the Global City Nature Challenge whereby members of the public observe and record as many species in nature as possible. Cities compete against each other to see who can post the most observa- tions, record the most species and engage the most people.