Bark stripping endemic

Bark stripping in Newlands Forest has reportedly reached its highest levels since 2023, with illegal harvesters stripping trees at night and even lighting campfires near major trails.

- NAMHLA MONKALI

Conservationists warn that if the destruction continues the forest’s delicate ecosystem could face long-term collapse.

Tree painting, a preventative measure introduced by the Newlands Forest Conservation Group with support from the Sugarbird Project, has emerged as a highly effective solution. Of the 3 000 trees painted to date, less than 0,3% have been stripped, prompting a renewed campaign to paint 3 000 more trees over the next few months. At R50 per tree, the group is urgently seeking public donations to hire more painters and scale-up the effort.

William Boshoff, who co-founded the conservation group after moving to Newlands in 2019, said the damage from bark harvesting was first visible high up in the forest.