Summing Up


What makes the Helihack project unique is that the highly skilled teams do what other loggers can’t do at high-altitude locations where access is complex and dangerous. Helihack operations are more expensive, dangerous and challenging than other approaches to eradicate invasive alien vegetation, but are more efficient. Remote locations in the high catchments can be cleared to prevent spread downstream.


The Helihack project benefits the people of Cape Town and surrounding areas as it contributes to biodiversity conservation and an increased water yield in the Boland and Groot Winterhoek Strategic Water Source Areas.


The Helihack teams complement other non-native tree clearing projects that focus on rivers and low-altitude areas.


Funding and Organizational Specs


The Helihack project is planned, organized and managed by the highly skilled Aleck and Chris McKirdy, who have assembled and trained enthusiastic volunteer teams.


The project is based on collaboration and partnerships between several agencies and supported by the Agricultural Research Council, Water Boards from Villiersdorp and Hex Valley, the Western Cape Department of Environmental Affairs and Development Planning, and South African National Parks.


Drakenstein Trust coordinates the funding of the project (Contact details: Jay Cowen email: jay@bechet.co.za). Drakenstein Trust was formed in 1995 and is a registered NPO. Its initial primary purpose was to help finance the development and deployment of biological control agents to combat alien vegetation types prevalent in the Western Cape.


The trust’s mandate has since been broadened to support organizations such as Helihack that clear alien vegetation types, and to provide scholarships to student scientists in relevant fields.


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Jan/Feb 2022


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