As part of the C.A.P.E programme, WESSA Western Cape, in partnership with the City of Cape Town, applied to the Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund (CEPF) for funding to embark on an exciting programme in the Blaauwberg Conservation Area. The Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund is a joint initiative of Conservation International, the Global Environmental Facility, the Government of Japan, the MacArthur Foundation and the World Bank. A fundamental goal is to ensure that civil society is engaged in biodiversity conservation. The BCA-CEPF Project has numerous facets and will run until the end of June 2005, significantly furthering the vision of the BCA.

As part of the project, Nature conservation staff were appointed to the BCA, the necessary equipment purchased and a draft Management Plan for the area initiated. Conservation Management Programmes and their associated activities are being implemented. These include access control and management, erosion control, clearing of alien vegetation, law enforcement, planning a hiking trail, developing resource materials, recording biodiversity and habitat rehabilitation.

Capacity-building and training, as part of a poverty alleviation programme, was undertaken with 15 labourers who were recruited from DuNoon, which is 13 km from the BCA. Training took place for two days each month. The draft curriculum, which has taken into account the BCA management needs and the aspirations of the trainees includes: local flora and fauna, tourism and hospitality links to the BCA, fire fighting, First Aid and Primary Health Care, use of herbicides, bank accounts and basic budgeting, literacy and numeracy in the workplace, as well as the appropriate use and maintenance of tools. These labourers will also be working on the ground in the reserve.

The facilitation of civil society involvement in the initiative is an important aspect of the project. To this end, this website has been set up and a database of potential interested organisations and individuals has been put together. The BCA Focus newsletter has been produced and distributed quarterly. Identification of opportunities for various groups to become involved is ongoing. The newly revamped BCA Environmental Education Centre at Eerstesteen, which was launched in February 2004, provides an excellent venue and has been used so far for various lectures, meetings and workshops. The Friends of BCA are also actively involved in this project and are playing a particularly important role in the public awareness campaign.