Committee members Olga and Corrie Kruger visited Knysna in July 2017 to distribute the goods that were purchased with the funds raised during the SAAHK Knysna Fire Relief Fundraiser. Donations were made to Hope for the Honeybees, the Knysna Animal Welfare Society (KAWS) and Go Green Knysna.
More than 300 beehives, each hive holding roughly 60 000 bees, were destroyed in the Knysna fires. Hope for the Honeybees has been providing care for the unique Cape Honeybee found in the Garden Route district during this challenging time. They are providing a valuable service to the ecosystem of the region by helping beekeepers and educating the community. They have a centre called the Honey Room in the Rheenendal area and are currently running two projects – the forage project where bee-friendly saplings are given to people who lost their gardens and smallholdings in the fire; and the information and education centre where bee tours will be given, awareness raised and employment created. Olga and Corrie Kruger visited the Honey Room on 27 July 2017 and met up with Owen, who is in charge of the project. With the help of donations received from the Knysna Fire Relief fundraiser, the SAAHK was able to donate goods to assist Hope for the Honeybees in establishing their information and education centre. The donation included overalls, gumboots, beekeeper jockey veils and beekeeper leather gloves, as well as 50 kg of sugar to assist with feeding the bees.
The Knysna Animal Welfare Society (KAWS) is a non-profit organisation that has given invaluable support to many animals and their owners affected by the Knsyna fires. They are providing shelter for animals that lost their homes in the fires, handing out food and supplies to the affected families of both domestic and farm animals; and also providing feed for the wild animals that have lost valuable food sources due to extreme vegetation damage. Olga and Corrie Kruger also visited them on 27 July 2017. A donation was made on behalf of the SAAHK consisting of 1 tonne of game feed for the wild animals, 80 bales of lusern for the horses in the area affected by the fires, cat igloos, pet carriers and cat toys. A cash donation was also made to Afriforum’s Go Green Knysna project – an initiative that aims to rehabilitate the natural vegetation in the areas in and around Knysna by planting trees and shrubs.