Bark stripping on the rise: How YOU can help save Newlands Forest

The Newlands Forest Conservation Group has raised the alarm about a spike in bark stripping in this cherished Cape Town green space.

The group defines the practice as the illegal harvesting of tree bark for private use by individuals.

Tree bark has historically been part of traditional medicines and rituals in many parts of the world, and is widely used by traditional healers in South Africa.

Ironically, scientific studies have shown that most tree bark, especially near the base of the tree which the strippers target, has a low concentration of active ingredients.

John Maytham chats to Willem Boshoff, co-founder of Newlands Forest Conservation Group.

While bark stripping has been going on locally for decades, it really spiked during the COVID pandemic Boshoff says, when big groups and syndicates moved in.

And while things have been quieter over the past year or so, they've noticed an uptick during the past two months. 

The most effective deterrent the group has been relying on is painting the bark of targeted indigenous species, which is done by professionals sponsored by the Sugarbird Project.

"We've seen syndicates moving to Newlands Forest and stripping trees on a large scale, ostensibly for commercial purposes. We figured out that if we paint the trees it 'spoils' the bark to the point where it becomes uneconomical for them because it takes a lot of effort to remove the paint."

"Over the years SANParks have caught a few groups operating in the forest at night. We've seen these guys on security camera footage on the streets around Newlands with their backpacks and their bags of bark."

Willem Boshoff, Co-founder - Newlands Forest Conservation Group

The group painted around 3,000 trees between 2022 and 2023, which led to a big dip in bark stripping, Boshoff says.

The aim is to get to another 3,000 in the next couple of months.

While they do get requests from nature lovers who want to help paint the trees, this is a job that has to be done professionally, Boshoff emphasizes.

How members of the public CAN help is to spread awareness about the unsustainability of this large-scale bark stripping.

Mountain users should also report any suspicious activity, so that SANParks and the authorities are aware of what is happening, he says.

Financial support is also important, as it means they'd be able to employ more professional painters to expand the existing team.

Visit the Newlands Forest Conservation Group website for more info on how you can help save the forest.

Scroll up to the audio player to listen to the interview