You Help Conservation
The first thing you may want to know is that Namaqualand is situated on the West Coast of Southern Africa. Up north it borders the World Natural Heritage Site known as the Richtersveld which is next to the Namib Desert in Namibia.
The Succulent Karoo
The area that needs protection is actually much bigger – it is called the “Succulent Karoo”.
The “Succulent Karoo” is an huge area in South Africa and stretches along the coastal strip of the Atlantic Ocean, – from Namibia down south to the Northern and Western Cape and it incorporates the entire Namaqualand.
Namaqualand in known for its wild flowers and succulent plants .
More than 40% of the 10 000 succulent plants in the Succulent Karoo are endemic – meaning you will find them nowhere else on earth but here.
We are about the build a Wild Flower Garden on Na-Koi-Ja-Ma Island and want to give you a small piece of land [plot] inside these gardens.
We then want to plant 10, 20, 30, 40 or even 50 different succulent plants from Namaqualand on YOUR plot – the plot of land we are about to give you.
Let me explain:
Together – with your help and purchase – we are going to try and protect the nearly 4000 (40%) indigenous plant species of Namaqualand.
Make no mistake – this is a serious business. We need to save these plants from extinction, mostly due to climate change and illegal harvesting.
So here is what we are about to do:
To help fund our ambitious project to return Na-Koi-Ja-Ma island into the jewel she once was, – and to establish a Wild Flower Garden & Nature Reserve on her, – we decided to sell “citizenship” and other fun title packages to individuals, families and groups who want to help us protect the succulent plants of Namaqualand and support us to build the Wild Flower Garden on Na-Koi-Ja-Ma island.
Each “citizen’s” package includes a parcel of land on the island, obviously inside the gates of the newly formed Wild Flower Gardens.
The size of the land parcels differs depending on the “citizenship” titles individuals or families choose to buy.
For example, the land parcels that are linked to the Royalty titles are 72 square feet in size.
On the other hand, the smaller land parcels that are linked to the Namaqualand Flower Whisperer titles are only 18 square feet in size.
It doesn’t matter what package, title or plot size you choose to buy, you will be able to call your plot of land your own property*.
But there is more and it is important; you will be able to choose indigenous succulent plants from our licensed nursery – and then request us to plant it for you – on your own plot.
Let me explain, in short, the basic’s of how this works:
Let say the package you choose gives you a 72 square feet plot on the island – which as I said before, – will be inside the gates of the Wild Flower Gardens & Reserve.
Your 72 square feet plot will measure 6 feet by 12 feet in size.
We will pen out your plot – it’s exact GPS coordinates will be recorded – it will be registered, in your name, in our company’s books.
We will plant a small signboard on your plot, carrying your name as owner and your official plot number – photos will then be taken of your plot and uploaded onto our online database and platform.
From here – with a special password – you will be able to see and access everything on your plot. You will be able to share it with your friends, family and colleagues.
As a “citizen” and landlord of a parcel of land inside the new Namaqualand Wild Flower Gardens & Reserve, – you can choose how you would like us to populate your plot with the indigenous succulent plants of Namaqualand and plants from the Richtersveld.
Populate Your Own Plot With Succulants
Before we move on to how we intent to roll this out; here is something else you might want to know.
In South Africa the law requires that plant growers who keep Namaqualand flora must have a special license to grow and sell some of these indigenous plants.
Our nursery as well as all the other private nurseries in the surrounding towns has such licenses. The succulent plants that we want to plant on your plot will be collected from these nurseries.
Licensed plant growers & nurseries keep record of all plants they have in stock and then issue permits when they sell to new owners, – one permit for each plant they sell.
Permits to keep plants will be registered and issued to the GPS location and to the official registration number of your plot.
Namaqualand succulent plant experts are available at the Wild Flower Gardens to help you if you need guidance. They will do this via our online platform messaging service – to share pictures with you and to tell you more about the different plants available and help you choose plants to populate your plot with.
It is extremely exciting and because the plants are specifically grown locally for our clients – meaning for Na-Koi-Ja-Ma island citizens, ambassadors, flower whisperers, and other titles, they are very reasonably priced.
For example; prices start from as low as $2 per plant to as much as $20 per plant, depending on the types and sizes of the plants.
But here is the more important point.
We will ever force you to do anything on your plot of land – not even to buy plants from the nursery to populate it. If you don’t want to get involved in the population process, we understand completely, – we have volunteers that will love to do it on your behalf.
So – populating your plot of land with plants is not a requirement for ownership or for citizenship.
It is 100% your choice. You may even want to choose to leave the wild flowers and succulents that may already grow on your plot as-is, and that is fine – we will care for them either way.
The bottom line is this – your contribution – i.e your purchases – doesn’t matter how big or small it is – will help us to build the Wild Flower Gardens – which will ultimately lead to help saving the Namaqualand Succulents.
[*See the FAQ: What does “Land Ownership, Personal Rights & Custodianship” mean?]
