Rooted in care: Two women, one vision for people and nature

By Stefanie Swanepoel, Mizizi Editor-in-Chief

The launch of the Veld and Sea Co-operative in Cape Town celebrated the coming together of two remarkable women, their shared commitment to ecological restoration and a different way of working with nature and communities.

There was something deeply intentional about the launch of the Veld and Sea Co-operative on 26 September 2026. From the wildflowers adorning guests’ heads to the beautifully prepared food, botanical drinks and thoughtful details, everything seemed to reflect the philosophy at the heart of this new organisation: care for people, care for nature and care in how we come together.

But perhaps the most powerful aspect of the gathering was the partnership being celebrated.

Roushanna Gray, founder of Veld and Sea, and Dr Aaniyah Martin, founder of The Beach Co-op, had each spent years building distinctive practices rooted in ecological knowledge, community engagement and a deep relationship with the natural world. Rather than continuing along separate paths, they had chosen to bring their experience, networks and knowledge together.

Joined by founding director Nassima Sadar-Gravier of AfroClimate, they established the Veld and Sea Co-operative, a non-profit dedicated to reconnecting people with nature through ecological education, Indigenous knowledge, restoration and creative practice.

Their collaboration felt particularly significant in a world where organisations are so often encouraged to compete for resources, recognition and funding. Here were two women choosing instead to strengthen each other’s work and build something neither could have created in quite the same way alone.

The Co-op’s flagship programme, Tides of Care, was launched in partnership with SANParks, establishing the Bordjiesrif Education and Research Hub within Table Mountain National Park at Cape Point.

Together with the existing land-based learning space at Good Hope Gardens Nursery, the hub will create a living classroom stretching from fynbos landscapes to kelp forests and rocky shores. Young people, educators, researchers, artists and communities will be able to learn through direct encounters with the natural world, bringing together science, Indigenous knowledge, wild foods, storytelling and ecological restoration.

Importantly, the initiative also seeks to address the historical exclusion of Black and Brown communities from protected natural spaces. Reconnecting people with these landscapes is not simply about environmental education. It is also about restoring relationships, knowledge, cultural heritage and a sense of belonging.

The ambition extends well beyond Cape Town. Learning materials, research and educational approaches developed through the initial two-year programme will be made freely available for communities across Africa to adapt to their own ecological and cultural contexts.

As Dr Martin reflected at the launch, coming together to address shared challenges was itself an act of resistance and hope.

That sentiment seemed to capture the spirit of the afternoon. The beautiful food, flowers and carefully created gathering space were not incidental decorations. They were expressions of the same values that underpin the Co-op’s work: reciprocity, generosity, creativity and attention to the relationships that sustain life.

In a time of ecological crisis and growing social fragmentation, the Veld and Sea Co-operative offers a compelling reminder that restoration is not only about repairing damaged ecosystems. It is also about how we work together, share what we know and create spaces where people and nature can flourish.

And sometimes, the beginnings of a different future can be seen in something as simple, and as powerful, as two women deciding to join forces.

Find out more at veldandsea.com.

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