A burgeoning indigenous forest has been planted on the De Rust farm in Elgin, home of Paul Clüver Family Wines, in an initiative aimed at furthering natural and community sustainability. The more than 340 endemic trees planted, including yellowwood, Cape chestnut and wild olive, is a combined endeavour between the Paul Clüver Family, the Fairtree Foundation and irrigation specialists Agrico. Agrico is owned by the Andrag family, who are related to the Clüvers. through Gertrude Clüver – née Andrag – the late mother of Dr Paul Clüver.
The Fairtree Foundation donated trees and funds to the De Rust Futura Academy primary and secondary school situated on the De Rust farm. This school was founded in 1957 by Gertrude Clüver, mother of Dr Paul Clüver, to provide education for the children from local communities whose parents were working on the surrounding farms. Today, the school has over 1 300 pupils from Grade 1 to Matric, and besides providing education and meals for pupils, offers an array of extra-curricular activities. The newly planted indigenous trees are irrigated with equipment donated by Agrico.
Paul Clüver Jnr, managing director of Paul Clüver Family Wines, says the project is the culmination of an informal campfire discussion between himself, Walter Andrag of Agrico, Fairtree group chairman André Malan and Hendrik Pfaff from the Longmountain Trust on the importance of re-establishing indigenous ecosystems and the need for inter-generational sustainability of people and communities through education.
“Fairtree, an asset management company, had already established indigenous forests in the Eastern Cape, and on De Rust, we are continually removing alien vegetation and replacing it with indigenous flora,” says Clüver. “Over a bottle or two of Pinot Noir – Paul Clüver, of course – next to the fire under the Karoo skies, we decided to put thought into practice. Fairtree would donate the indigenous trees to complement those my father, Dr Paul Clüver, had established as well as donate a capital sum for the De Rust Futura Academy. With my second-cousin Walter being in the irrigation business, he offered to lay down the watering system to get these beautiful trees off to a great start.
“And then we engaged some of the pupils of the De Rust Futura Academy to help with the planting – besides the donation from Fairtree, it is these children who, as adults, will one day benefit from an environment enriched by the splendours of an indigenous forest.”
Before the tree planting began next to the Paul Clüver Amphitheatre, which is set to re-open later this year after an enforced hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic, André Malan from Fairtree accentuated the importance of natural sustainability and bettering the future generations through education.
“It is about establishing roots,” he said, “the roots of indigenous trees that have over time seen their habitat taken over by invasive species, as well as nurturing the roots of young minds who can one day proudly and with dignity better themselves and their communities through education. These magnificent Yellowwoods, Wild Olives and other trees will, admittedly, take a longer time to reach adulthood than these children still being educated at the De Rust Futura Academy, but their planting symbolises the importance of future generations living fulfilled lives in a naturally sustainable environment.”