by KBergReserve

Success story of the hackers of the Kogelberg biosphere

Chris Geldenhuys Convenor, Pringle Bay Hack The following article appeared in the December 2017 edition of The Pringle Post: The purpose of this article is to enlighten the residents of Pringle Bay and the greater Kogelberg Biosphere of the activities of the Hack Group. The purpose of the Hack Group is to eradicate or, at the very least, to limit the growth and spread of invasive alien vegetation in the area with a view to protect the natural fynbos.  That is done by cutting down and poisoning or uprooting alien plants and trees.  Many of…
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by KBergReserve

Future Events

TALKS PLANNED FOR 2018: 20 JANUARY 2018: Rod & Rachel Saunders will be speaking on Gladioli. In South Africa there are about 165 species of Gladiolus.  A number of them grow in the summer rainfall regions of South Africa, and a number of them flower in mid summer.  Rod and Rachel have visited the Drakensberg 4 years running to try to find several species that flower in December in the mountains. As of today, they have found and photographed 164 of the South African species, and only have one left to find - Gladiolus uitenhagensis which comes from…
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by KBergReserve

GROENFONTEIN EXPEDITION – TWO BOTANICAL RAMBLES

SPRING in the Klein Karoo, Kevin Koen, professional nature guide of Calitzdorp and Kogelberg branch members – a magic mix. Without Kevin, how would we know that right on the outskirts of the town is Jacobskop, a treasure house of succulents? There we saw how aptly Haworthia arachnoida had been named - see the picture of leaves that could be spider web. Nearby was H truncata known as perdetande from the rows of leaves on the ground (no stems), leaves which have translucent tips for photosynthis. This is a local special found only from Calitzdorp…
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by KBergReserve

Botsoc Kogelberg Walk Report 18th November 2017

For some reason the assembled Botsoc members and guests were reluctant to scan the distant heights of the contour path from the Fairy Glen parking area before we set off. ‘Let’s just get on with it’, they said. Sometimes it’s better to just sally forth and deal with the steep gradient as it comes. So that’s what we did. The objective was to survey the early summer flowers on the western slopes of the Three Sisters Peaks by traversing the contour path from Kasteelkopnek to Spooknek and descend via Dot’s Dash and the Klipspringer path…
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by KBergReserve

The Wednesday Hack

Although the weather also interfered this month, some work was done on the pine infestation on the slopes between Pringle Bay and Rooiels. A bad Australian Myrtle patch on the western side lies waiting. An easy maintenance hack was held at Kapensis (formerly Three Flavours), the hack was complete at tea and then moved on to Ed’s Valley Frik Potgieter Convenor
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by KBergReserve

‘ED’S VALLEY’ – ‘Where hackers sweated to remove alien plants under the leadership of Edward Silberbauer’

On Wednesday, 22 November, Hackers of the Kogelberg gathered to unveil the ‘Ed’s Valley’ plaque to commemorate not only a great hacker, Ed Silberbauer, but all those who hacked with him to return a large portion of our biosphere to its natural state. ‘Ed’s Valley’ is testimony to the tireless and unremitting commitment of many people over three generations to the restoration and conservation of this part of the Kogelberg Biosphere Reserve, some of whom made significant contributions to the designation of the greater part of this area as a Biosphere Reserve in the first…
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by KBergReserve

PRINGLE BAY HACK REPORT N0 130

Today, the 26th of November, was the last hack of 2017 for the Pringle Bay Hack Group. We thought we would make it a quick and easy hack and tackle the verges of Hangklip Road, so we would not be too exhausted for the braai later! Little did we know, the exotics had their own idea. It was tough to eradicate the small stuff, especially the ever present Australian Myrtle! But we did it and cleared an area, which has always been avoided! Thank you guys! That was a good achievement and at least that…
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