Protector of the Forest

Nature is powerful, but it can also be fragile. Litter, deforestation, invasive plant species—managing risk requires constant maintenance. 

In Swellendam, a small village in the western cape of South Africa, that work is ongoing thanks to the Masbiekers Valley Project. The artist Andrew Hofmeyr and his wife, Landia Davies, founded the project to restore a neglected area and to use it as a place to explore art as a vehicle for sustainable change. Masbiekers has since removed about 300 bags of trash, planted almost 1000 indigenous trees, and cleared almost four kilometers (about two and a half miles) of walking trails on the once-neglected site. 

Andrew has involved community members in every aspect of rehabilitating this greenbelt. In 2019, he ran a sculpture competition, inviting school children to design public artworks using invasive vegetation and other materials. Now he’s planning to build a new installation in the forest to honor the women who’ve championed Masbiekers from the start. 

He’ll use our grant for timber, nuts, bolts, a new drill, and rental equipment. He hopes to create a place where people can take a rest from the heat, sit on benches and savor nature. Protecting nature is hard work. It’s worth it.