Desiree Du Preez - Chairperson - GARDAG - Garden Route Dam Action Group Community initiatives by GARDAG - Garden Route Dam Action Group

GARDAG - GARDEN ROUTE DAM ACTION GROUP

GARDAG NPC: 2023/553797/08 PBO PENDING
GEORGE | GARDEN ROUTE | SOUTH AFRICA

GARDAG Mission, Aims & Objectives

20250304: GARDAG is committed to protecting and preserving our natural resources specifically in response to the Municipality's proposed development at Erf 464, Garden Route Dam Eco System, George - Western Cape - South Africa

Canvass local government to improve governance & protect our main water source, the Garden Route dam (Erf 464, George) from over-development.
     
Raise awareness regarding waste and the resale value of plastic waste.
     
Encourage businesses and the private sector to engage in initiatives focused on ecosystem restoration, responsible development and the importance of preserving our dwindling natural water resources.
     
Educate school children and local communities & raise awareness regarding water scarcity.

Implement and develop projects dedicated to the removal of invasive alien plants.


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GARDAG GOALS

Raise awareness about the importance of the Garden Route Dam

Advocate for sustainable water management practices

Engage with government officials and stakeholders to influence policy decisions

Develop educational resources for schools and the community

 

Enviromental initiatives by GARDAG
Garden Route Dam Cleanups by GARDAG
Erf 464 Garden Route Dam George water supply is at risk, support GARDAG

GARDEN ROUTE DAM ACTION GROUP | Meet our Experts & Supporters

Environmental Activists, Scientists & Biologists

Environmental Scientist at Greenfire Enviro, Desiree du Preez is currently the Chairperson of GARDAG and has been a strong supporter of the organisation for the past decade.

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Desiree du Preez - Environmental Scientist at Greenfire Enviro

Desiree du Preez

Scientist

GARDAG is a voluntary non-profit organisation founded by Ken Gie, focused on monitoring water quality of our natural resources within the George, a small town in the South western region of South Africa.

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Ken Gie, founder of GARDAG in George, a small town in the South western region of South Africa

Ken Gie

Founder GARDAG

Hydrogeologist at Veltwater, with a passion for all forms of water. Sonia is the current vice-chair of GARDAG & works daily with groundwater assessments & water resources risk analysis.

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Sonia Veltman, water scientist and member of GARDAG

Sonia Veltman

Hydrogeologist

featured Blog

Image Deirdre Cloete - GARDAG Inaugural Fund Raising Golf day at the The George Golf Club
GARDAG INAUGURAL FUNDRAISING GOLF DAY AT THE GEORGE GOLF CLUB

Happy GARDAG Supporters joined us to tee off at our first annual fundraising golf day! The day dawned bright and clear, the sun rising to a cloudless sky, ensuring a great start to a day of fun and friendly competition on the greens as we raised much needed funds and awareness for the GARDAG, the Garden Route Dam Action Group.

GARDAG Water Monitoring Programme Plan
GARDAG WATER MONITORING PROGRAMME

Good data is an invaluable resource in confirming the health of our water resources.

The Garden Route area is under increasing pressure from development and the blue and green drop water reports are biased to what the George Local Municipality must report as a minimum.

Other governmental agencies’ monitoring points are sparse and often monitor only background / ambient / unimpacted areas. The GARDAG monitoring programme aims to create a baseline of independent data to either confirm or challenge the available information, as well as add to the sustainable development of the area, to not reach a future the available water resources cannot support.

 

Desiree du Preez - Chairperson of GARDAG with volunteer and local George resident, Pauline Lourens
GARDAG - Restoring ecology of Meulen River

Correspondent Pauline Lourens | Tuesday, 04 October 2022, 08:01
GEORGE HERALD - READ THE ARTICLE

GEORGE NEWS - Big ideals came to the fore on Saturday when the Garden Route Dam Action Group (Gardag) celebrated National Heritage Day (24 September) and World Rivers Day (25 September) by hacking out alien vegetation and cleaning up the Meulen River.

George and the Garden Route Dam catchment from Tierkop
GARDAG Water Monitoring Results 2024

In OUR backyard - George

In the past, GARDAG undertook a series of water samples to refine our understanding of impacts from urban pollution and potentially Stage 6 loadshedding on the Garden Route area.
The tests were undertaken over a period, at points that were highlighted as impacted.  Ideally these tests should be undertaken on the same day of every month, but time and financial limitations dictated the monitoring frequency. During 2024, monitoring was increased and some of the active monitoring points are measured more regularly. This post discusses the results from the previous monitoring events, up to November 2024.