Rainfall temperatures for February 2018
2018 2017 Rainfall mm 48.5 32 Temperature 0C Max 29 32 Min 14 13read more
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Future Events
TALKS PLANNED FOR 2018: 17 MARCH 2018 Otto Schmidt of the Cape Bird Club will be presenting, ‘Namibia – Prime birding in magnificent and varied landscapes’. We will be travelling through widely varying & visually stunning habitats, from the arid Namib Desert to the lush waterways of the Caprivi Strip, looking for the rare & colourful birds that make Namibia, our immediate northern neighbour, a must visit destination. 21 APRIL 2018 Sheraine van Wyk of the Whale Coast Conservation will be presenting, ‘Planting a Seed – Life as an Environmental Educator’ 21 April 2018, 18h00 at…read more
Pringle Bay Hack Report No 132
On 25 February 2018 the Pringle Bay Hack Group convened at Drostergat at 08h00. At January’s hack it was agreed that the Pringle Hack would assist with the pine hack across the Buffels River. So, we moved there in our numbers today! The pines were gone, but the Spider Gum trees, which survived the fire by depositing millions of seedlings and coppicing on the mountain slopes of Small Hangklip Mountain, were the challenge! It required the hack to go down on their knees and pull every seedling out one by one! Surely it required a…read more
Betty’s Bay Hack Report No 659
The Battle for Betty’s Bay A smallish but enthusiastic contingent turned out to attack the Spider Gums and Rooikrans on the municipal ground next to the Crassula Hall. Good progress was made. Thank you all! The tea was made by Merran Silberbauer, and the sandwiches by Di Knott. Thank you both! The troops were: John Benn, Sue Fielden, Rosemary Fowkes, Maarten & Hilary Mauve, Ulli Niemann, Willem Stiglingh, Jack Wixley, Greg Mossner (a new hacker from Pringle Bay- welcome Greg), Sue Weaver, Ed Silberbauer and Frik Potgieter. At teatime tribute was paid to Natalie van…read more
Kogelberg Branch Botanical Society Members Interest Survey
Thank you to all our members and non-members for participating in the Kogelberg Branch Botanical Society Members Interest Survey. We have analysed the results and the findings are reflected below. The committee will be reviewing the suggestions and watch this spot for future local activities and branch engagements. Question 1 Question 2 Question 3 Question 4 Question 5 Question 6 Do you have any suggestions or comments? A serious attempt needs to be made to inform and involve more non-whites on the inherent value of the Fynbos and natural environment. I see a need for…read more
Vacancy: Newsletter Coordinator Volunteer needed
The Kogelberg branch is looking for a volunteer to co-ordinate their monthly newsletter that contains regular features as well as special events, articles of interest and branch updates. The person would require the following: Ability to liaise with multiple contact points to meet deadlines. Good command of the English language for editing purposes. The ability to use Outlook, Calendar, Word, Mailchimp, Adobe, mail merge, and an understanding of word press is advantageous. An understanding of social media is important, specifically Facebook and Instagram, for sharing of content purposes. Follow up, tenacity and attention to detail…read more
The Wednesday Hack
Work continued on the slopes of the Klein Hangklip Mountains between Pringle Bay and Rooi Els. During the month 54 Man-hack days were thrown at the enemy, more than the two Sunday hacks put together! People attending the hacks were: Tom Dreyer, Ed Silberbauer, Frik Potgieter, Jan Joubert, Ulli Niemann, Selwyn Botha, Louw Toerien, Chris Geldenhuys, Mike Begley, Jane Fearnhead, Mike Robinson, Willem Stiglingh, Sue Fielden, Sandy Middleton, Chris Cadman and Greg Mossner. Frik Potgieter - Convenorread more
More on our Otters
A letter to the the Chairman from Dr Nicola Okes Dear Merilee, Thank you so much for the wonderful morning last weekend in Pringle Bay. I thoroughly enjoyed hearing the stories of otter sightings from the people who came to the talk and discussing things further over coffee and delicious croissants. It was such a treat to meet so many other nature and otter enthusiasts! I was particularly touched by the kind gesture from John Carrol. The print he gave me is just beautiful and captures the otters cheeky, curious, defiant yet playful nature so well…read more
Fynbos Gardening
How to create an attractive firewise garden - By Jenny Berrisford This article, written by Jenny Berrisford, originally appeared in the January 2014 Kogelberg Branch Newsletter. It is, without a doubt still incredibly relevant today. The recent very wet winter has resulted in either very lush new growth or dead plants which have been “drowned” by the high water table. First and foremost you need to remove all dead vegetation, and then prune back any tall growth near the house. This will certainly leave you with a huge pile of potentially hazardous material should there be…read more