Grasslands Research Centre

The University of Fort Hare, the University of Connecticut and the provincial Environmental Affairs and Tourism Department have embarked on a joint conservation and research project to conserve the pristine ecology of the Great Fish River Reserve Area.

The Basil Kent Conservation and Research Centre at Grasslands, Great Fish River Reserve, was officially opened by the Environmental and Tourism head of Department Limekhaya Vanda on Tuesday 21st May 2002. The economy also marked the launch of an African ecological short course offered by the Faculty of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences.

The central objective of the project is to conserve the pristine ecology of the area, conduct lectures on the African ecology and to undertake research on species found in the area. It is also envisaged that the local community will also benefit from the spin offs of the project, as locals will be employed to service and maintain the research centre as well as be actively engaged in the research work undertaken at the reserve.

Speaking during the launch, Chief Director of Environmental Affairs and Tourism, Albert Mfenyana described the centre as milestone in the partnership between his department and the University of Fort Hare. He also commended Fort Hare for further seeking the partnership of the University of Connecticut towards the realization of this project. He said that as, “custodians of the world for future generations, the efforts of all stakeholders in the project were commendable.”

Introducing the African Ecology Course and 16 exchange students Dr Peter Lent said the project had created an environment of international co-operation and had brought the name of the University of Fort Hare to the fore on environmental issues. The team from the University of Connecticut spent three weeks at the centre undertaking intense ecological studies.

Vice Chancellor Professor Derrick Swartz said he hoped that partnerships of this nature would eventually expand to the rest of Africa and to Europe. Addressing the exchange students he said, “The achievements being celebrated here are indicative of the new world order, the world is indeed becoming smaller and we are one race, one human race. You are invited to come and learn about our wilderness, our culture and our humanity and soon we hope our students will also get the opportunity to leave our shores to come and learn from you. I trust this partnership will expand to the rest of the world.”

Prof. Swart handed over records and CD-ROMs for the project together with keys to a new Toyota High Ace 16 seater minibus to the reserve management. The University of Fort Hare, the University of Connecticut, and the department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism donated the vehicle jointly to the reserve.

The research centre is named after one-time owner of Grasslands, the late Basil Kent (1906-1974) who opted to sell the 45 000 hector reserve to the government at well below the market value of the property.

The ceremony ended on a celebratory mood with the close to one hundred guests being treated to a scrumptious African cuisine under the clear starlit Eastern Cape skies. The University marimba band mellowed the occasion with rendition songs of great African legends while some self-proclaimed Xhosa tutors embarked on a futile attempt to twist the tongues of the exchange students to utter the clicks of the language.