Example of a Photo Report. Used with permission from SALT (South African Large Telescope).

WHERE AND WHAT IS SALT AND PROJECT?

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PEOPLE EMPLOYED

The two people employed by the project. Mr. Van Wyk left and Mr. True on the right.

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What they do

Restoration is progressing in stages. Firstly. Restoration starts of with cropping (softening or plowing of the land). Most of the area to be restored is already cropped. Cropping was done using a tractor. A small section down hill, around 20% (?), was not cropped during the site visit.

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Secondly. After cropping stones are collected and packed. 20% (?) of the area was packed with stones.

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Thirdly. Organic material from ant heaps are collected and used as natural compost. Above is some of the natural compost.

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During the site visit the two people employed by the project were throwing the compost on the area under restoration. Presently seed is being planted at another location and will then be planted during the final stages of the restoration.

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Above are some of the seeds from various species the employees collected. Seed are collected. 50% of the seeds stored in paper envelopes and kepts on site. The other 50% is being planted in a nursery to be used later for the restoration.

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Non destructive and in partnership of greater program

Stones were collected in such a way as not to create destruction. This path was built and the stones used in the SALT land restoration project. The SALT land restoration project was done in partnership with the community who built this foot path. This hiking trail forms part of a broader initiative of SALT.

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Helping the environment while creating entrepreneurs

The employees are documenting the biodiversity found on the SALT premises as part of the project. Above is the form they use to record where the plants occur.

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Above is their record of the different plant species that occur on the premises.

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The project nurture an entrepreneurial spirit. Above is a book one of the employees, True, got on his own from the department of agriculture to enhance his knowledge. The employees want more books, but funds for that are lacking.

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Above are some of the plant experiments the two conducted on their own. Seed were sown in these halved containers to see which seed grows first.

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The employees have the basic tools to do the work. Above are the tools bought from the project

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Necessary fencing was bought and will be put up when the time is right

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The workers themselves are looked well after in terms of their safety.

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Safety boots

Protection against snakes

Warm clothing for harsh winter

Safety goggles

There are challenges

The project experience some unforeseen challenges that boiled down to an unplanned increase in the budget. The cheaper mechanical means off cropping could only be done to the area on the left the line. The reason was that the tractor was ripping out the sewerage pipes. The area on the right will have to be done with picks using manual labor.

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Another setback was that some contractors drove over the cropped area with their vehicles. This means that the work will have to be done over because the soil is now compacted again.

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Vehicle Tracks

The area that needs to be rehabilitated in winter. Sutherland is the coldest place in South Africa.

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Extreme weather conditions contributed to the longer than expected time it took to do work. Warnings on the inside of the door leading to the area outside of the telescope warn people of the extreme weather conditions.

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THERE ARE RESULTS

Even at this stage the project has very small signs that the rehabilitation process is successful. Pioneer plants are already appearing.

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