The editor reserves the right to edit contributions. Deadline for the next newsletter is around 26 May 2017. Please address all mail to: Kogelberg Branch of the Botanical Society, PO Box 85, Betty’s Bay 7141 Editor’s e-mail: kogelbergbotsoc@gmail.com read more
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A pleasant early winter morning (sans the rain), and the troops arrived to tackle the demon Rooikrans. A huge number of the enemy succumbed to the enthusiasm of the hackers. At tea there were several suggestions as to where the worst area is, but all agreed that there is a lot more to do in this area. Thus, we will be back here next month. As I will be travelling, Ed Silberbauer has agreed to do the organising. Thank you Ed! Di Knott provided the sandwiches and Merran Silberbauer the tea. Thank you ladies! Richard… read more
Over the last month the group again hacked Rooikrans on the verges of Porter Drive. A new site on the mountain side of the R44 as it leaves Betty’s Bay was started. It is a critical site as the witches brew of aliens are not only threatening the mountain slopes but has endangered the water supply of the properties on the sea side of the R44, thrilling stuff! Frik Potgieter Convenor Cell: 084 600 9891 read more
-Barbara Jenman On 21 Feb this year a wildfire swept across Clarence Drive, raced towards Pringle Bay and consumed a substantial part of the fynbos of the Brodie Link, also known as the Hangklip Nature Reserve, damaging some homes in Pringle Bay and threatening many more. We went to see what flora was emerging two months later. Maybe the little rainfall in the interim had helped. The surprise was evident. Fire resistant Mountain palmiet (Bergpalmiet), Tetraria thermalis, was still intact and erect. “They stood out in isolation in what looked like a wasteland,” says walker… read more
-Andrea Benn Co-existing with wildfire - A presentation by Ryan Heydenrych and Dean Harrison, Directors of Vulcan Wildfire Management: Saturday 22 April 2017 This talk was an excellent, informative presentation. The day after the talk I did a walk around Betty`s Bay with this question in my mind, ‘Were we ready for a wildfire this summer?’ Within 100 metres of our home were three properties heavily infested with large alien invasive species! Since the last fire we have tried as far as possible to reduce the fuel load on our property, but there is more… read more
Saturday 20 May: Dr Allan Heydorn will speak on “The Rock Lobsters of Tristan da Cunha and Gough Island and how they relate to the perlemoen and kreef poaching in the Kogelberg Biosphere Reserve”. At 18h00 – Nivenia Hall, HPBG. Allan, a diver/scientist, while on an expedition actually looking for diamonds, was the person who first discovered the Tristan rock lobsters on Vema Seamount in 1964. Subsequent publicity (not from Allan) led to “a ruthless international onslaught” on this virgin population of rock lobsters from which it has never recovered. Saturday 17 June: Geologist Dr… read more
Saturday 20 May 2017: Jean’s Hill, Kleinmond Winter is coming and so is Protea time. Protea compacta, Protea longifolia, Protea lepidocarpodendron, Protea neriifolia, Protea coronata, Protea cynaroides, Protea repens and more. How many canwe find? A good place to look is on Jean’s Hill above Kleinmond. Protea compacta Protea longifolia The Jean’s Hill Trail is short (just over 2 kilometres to the top and back), quite steep in places and offers splendid views over Kleinmond to the sea. Time allowing, the search for Proteas in bloom can be extended to the… read more
-Chris Geldenhuys, Convenor With the Pringle Bay Festival full on the go in Pringle Bay, the Hack Group gathered at Droster’s Gat on 30 April 2017. Despite the holiday and festive atmosphere, a well-motivated group moved to the intersection of Barbara and Bobby roads in Pringle Bay. The hack group started clearing plot 728. The infestation was mainly Rooikrantz and Port Jackson trees. What made this hack difficult was the amount of coppicing that was encountered. Each stump had to be dug out before it could be cut and poisoned. Our “explorer” came up with… read more
