Michells Overview

The farm is also a key property within the greater Dassenberg Coastal Catchment Partnership, a climate change adaptation corridor along  the Cape West Coast of Southern Africa, one of the highest priorities for conservation action in the country. The farm contains remnants of Critically Endangered Atlantis Sand Fynbos, with numerous threatened Cape lowlands Fynbos species spanning nearly half the extent of the farm – around 10 ha. These remnants are now conserved under a Conservation Stewardship Agreement, since 2015 with CapeNature and the City of Cape Town: Biodiversity Management Branch as partners. Part of the initiative is to secure the catchment area of the Witzands aquifer, mostly spanning the private land along the Klein Dassenberg hills with the actual aquifer contained within the Witzands Aquifer Nature Reserve, critical for Cape Town’s long term water security.

After the water restrictions of 2004/2005 and again in 2017/2018 the Company set about consciously to decrease the footprint of the production facility on the farm, the goal to reduce the impact on the environment and precious living ecosystem. In 2018 funding was obtained to clear all remaining invasive alien species, mostly Australian Acacia’s from the Conservation Area with continuous follow-up work done annually. The aim being the restoration of the natural ecosystems and protection of important ecological infrastructure. Fences between the San Michell Conservation Area, Nirvana Fynbos Nature Reserve and the City’s Witzands Aquifer Nature Reserve have been removed to allow unrestricted movement of wildlife and with active restoration taking place, the following threatened Fynbos species have been recorded for the first time and are currently thriving within the conservation area;