Research into remaining pristine ecosystems and environmental education in Africa is of great importance but not well supported by local governments which have limited resources. Over the last 30 years the Buffelskloof Herbarium, a privately funded research centre, has built up an impressive record of research and support for environmental students and scientists in Southern Africa and indeed worldwide. It has been found particularly valuable as a relatively safe place to work in by female students and scientists. It has contributed greatly to environmental research and education of African students and scientists in Africa. This is highly significant as indigenous conservators will be far more likely to be effective in convincing their governments of the importance of conservation. The remoteness of the surrounding reserve and its high rainfall ensure an abundance of wildlife in outstandingly rich high-altitude grasslands and forest. In addition to the diverse flora, the birds, antelope, small animals, reptiles and insects are of great interest. The reserve has been in existence for nearly 50 years and now has a healthy population of leopard, the top predator.
The Herbarium has built up strong links with international organisations such as the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew and the Naturalis Biodiversity Center in the Netherlands who greatly value the services offered by the Herbarium. All of its 24,000 specimens are available on the Buffelskloof website collections while 200 or more high resolution scans, including all the types housed in BNRH, are available on the ALUKA database (USA) to scientists across the world. A significant milestone is the publication of the first ever comprehensive book on the trees and shrubs of Mozambique with lead author JE Burrows whose many trips to Mozambique over the past 14 years have been fully supported by the Herbarium. Another important service to science has been supplying plant material to Professor Jill Farrant (Cape Town) for research on drought-resistant crops. The Herbarium and reserve have been visited by many scientists from all over the world and hundreds of students both on field trips and as a base for research projects. In these circumstances it has been deemed imperative to set up the John Rae Trust to ensure the continued survival of the Herbarium as a source of support for scientists and of inspiration to African students, the conservators of the future.
