Description
Eden Resilience restores Knysna's ecosystems by strategically clearing invasive vegetation, rooted in local knowledge and scientific expertise. Their work aims to reduce fire risk stemming from the region's vulnerability to wildfires, exacerbated by extensive alien forestry, deforestation of native forests, increasing climate variability, and inadequate state funding for alien plant clearing. This follows the catastrophic 2017 Knysna fires, which destroyed tens of thousands of hectares of farmland, plantations, and natural habitats, burned 938 houses, and caused hundreds of millions of Rand in infrastructure damage. Their recent work includes the Knysna Fire Corridors Initiative (2025-2028), targeting three strategic zones to reduce wildfire risk while creating local employment. The organization serves the local Knysna community and relies on donations to fund its conservation and fire-risk reduction efforts.