With matching support from the San Diego Cactus & Succulent Society, CSSA funded Wi-Fi and covert cameras to monitor Lithops habitat and deter poachers.
Update 2025
The cameras are proving very effective. Although one of the cameras was stolen in November 2024, the message sent by the camera to the manager’s phone altered us to the theft and with the assistance of the police and security company they were able to retrieve the camera.
The CSSA provided a grant to purchase nature cameras to prevent poaching in a critical Lithops habitat in South Africa’s biodiverse Succulent Karoo. One camera was funded by CSSA and the other camera was funded by San Diego Cactus and Succulent Society. CSSA is proud to partner with our affiliate club, SDCSS, to fully fund this proposal.
Overt pole-mounted wi-fi cameras combined with covert hidden cameras linked to mobile phones instantly alert security to intruders in protected areas facilitating rapid response, and deterring potential repeat offenders. Mounting cameras on steel poles (rather than wooden poles) is costly but prevents vandalism of poles and cameras. In this way donations of cameras and mounts from CSSA and SDCSS are helping to secure rare endemic plants in South Africa’s biodiverse Succulent Karoo.
Consider supporting these programs by becoming a member or contributing to our Conservation Fund.
