Green Noise climbs higher with return of Season 3
Green Noise, the acclaimed podcast series from CapeNature, is returning for its third season, promising its most immersive and thought-provoking episodes yet. Breaking away from the studio, CapeNature levelled up and recorded the entire season live and on location, atop the mountainous terrain of the Hottentots Holland Nature Reserve, ranging between altitudes of 500 metres and 1 590 metres.
Season 3 offers extensive insights into the complex intersection of biodiversity, water security, and sustainable human development across the Western Cape.
The new season kicks off with an episode on Biodiversity Restoration and Water Security, featuring Dr Ashley Naidoo, CEO of CapeNature, and Louise Stafford, South Africa Country Director of The Nature Conservancy (TNC). Filmed high up in the catchment area, the episode confronts the stark reality that South Africa faces a significant water deficit over the next five years.
The guests unpack the systemic threats to the water supply, notably the massive consumption of water by alien invasive plants (IAPs) in mountain catchments and detail the 30-year solution: the Greater Cape Town Water Fund. This pioneering public-private partnership is investing in nature's infrastructure by clearing these "water thieves".
We are moving the conservation conversation out of the boardroom and into the field where the work is actually being done. Starting the season live from the Hottentots Holland Nature Reserve sets the tone. It's about bringing the audience directly to the source of our most valuable resource – water – and showing them, the extraordinary lengths required to protect it.
According to Stafford, there's a prediction that the country will have a 17% water deficit in 2030.
Studies show that we lose between one and a half and two and a half billion cubic metres of water every year as a result of invasive trees in our catchments. If we put that in a household context, it's water for 3 million households of an average of four people each. For agriculture, it's 120,000 hectares of irrigation for one year for crops. For a country facing a 17% water deficit by 2030, this leak in our natural systems is deeply concerning. As part of the Greater Cape Town Water Fund, TNC is committed to restoring catchments and securing water for millions.
What to Expect in Season 3
Green Noise Season 3 will explore how the efforts of CapeNature and its partners directly benefit both people and the planet, focusing on tangible, impactful projects across the region.
Key themes for the season include:
- The Power of Partnership: Examining how the collaborative model of the Water Fund, which has already cleared 40 000 hectares of IAPs and created over 1 300 green job opportunities, is providing a scalable solution to the water crises.
- The Business of Successful Events in Protected Areas: Exploring how Protected Areas are managed to create sustainable economic opportunities and drive a deeper connection between citizens and nature.
- Conservation Innovation: Looking ahead at cutting-edge funding models, including the potential for Water Bonds, to ensure long-term sustainability of conservation efforts.
- A Behind-the-Scenes Look at Filming Movies & TV Commercials in Nature: Featuring the filmmakers who work with big movie production houses to recreate magical backdrops using CapeNature reserves.
- Honouring Culture and Ancestors in Conservation: The enlightening conversation about culture and the practice of initiation processes on CapeNature reserves.
Season 3 of Green Noise is a must-listen for policymakers, environmental professionals, business leaders, and every citizen invested in the future and upliftment of the Western Cape. Listen to the latest episode of Green Noise on Podbean, Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon and on the CapeNature website.
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