Special General Meeting Minutes

Minutes of the Special General Meeting of the Botanical Society of South Africa 17 August 2018 UWC Campus GH1 Hall, Bellville at 17h00 for 17h30 Purpose of the meeting  The SGM was called at the request of 67 members in terms of Clause IX (3) of the Constitution. Five motions were proposed being: That the current constitution of the Society adopted on 13 June 2013 be annulled; That the document annexed to the notice as annexure "B" be adopted as the constitution of the Society; That the document annexed to the notice as annexure "C"…
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Ethel May Dixie

(1876—1973) Ethel Dixie was born at Sea Point, Cape Town. She was a freelance, largely self-taught botanical artist who was part of a circle of late Victorian and Edwardian women artists in Cape Town, including Emily and Florence Thwaits, all of  whom were interested in botanical art. Miss Dixie came to prominence as the principal illustrator of Rudolf Marloth’s The Flora of South Africa, four volumes in six parts, 1913-1932. This work occupied her for several years and in this sense she is among the first professional botanical artists in South Africa whose work was…
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Jenny Berrisford

28/11/1940 – 10/8/2018 Jenny B is one of those rare people who left a double legacy in her community: invisible and visible, in our special memories but also in so many landscapes around the villages of the Kogelberg. Those special memories - Jenny telling a story with verve then our unstoppable laughter, her tales of early days in Pringle, Jenny smiling, gracious, defending the right, fun on BotSoc expeditions – Gifberg, Groenfontein. Hardworking always, Jenny qualified as a horticulturist at the then Cape Technicon while mother of four busy children and running an export protea…
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Walk Report – Sept 2018

18 August 2018 For an undemanding ramble with plenty of interesting features, the Denis Heesom Trail has plenty to offer. So it was that eleven members and guests set off from Jock’s Bay – well, actually from the Harold Porter National Botanical Gardens, down Waterfall and Lipkin Roads to Jock’s Bay – on a sparkling morning, the destination being Stony Point. Wind pruned vegetation on the Denis Heesom Trail Cape Seashore Vegetation has to be extraordinarily tough to survive in an environment that is hostile to any but the most cunning of plants. Survival strategy…
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Garden to Garden Visit

Harold Porter NBG to Karoo Desert NBG Wet, cold Harold Porter 8.30am, Monday 3 August, seven intrepid members who realised that just round the mountains would be bright sunshine, and across the Breede Valley a Garden of many delights. The journey was a highlight on its own – Theewaterskloof Dam nearly brimming, a pair of fish eagles perched above a farm dam, snow on the mountains and flowers aplenty, especially on the way home. Already at the garden were four more Kogelberg Branchers and our old friend, Werner, the Curator, to show us round for…
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Future Events

WALKS PLANNED FOR 2018: 15 SEPTEMBER 2018 09h00 Harold Porter National Botanical Gardens Join us for a combined botanical ramble in the Hangklip Nature Reserve, also known as the Brodie Link. Only it’s more than the Brodie Link – you’ll find out more when you come along. We’ll be combining with members of the Kirstenbosch Branch under the leadership of renowned citizen botanist Ivor Jardine to explore what spring has sprung forth in a rich area, parts of which were burnt early last year. Meet at the Harold Porter National Botanical Gardens at 09h00 on…
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Upcoming Talks

Diarise these dates 20 October 2018 17h30 for 18h00 Topic: Old Four Legs Presenter: Dr Kerry Sink (SANBI) Venue: Harold Porter National Botanical Gardens Dr Kerry Sink of SANBI will give a presentation she calls Old Four Legs which is about marine reserves around South Africa. Old Four Legs is a common term given to the coelacanth. The blue-grey coelacanth adults are about two metres long, weigh about 80 kilograms, and have strange tails, limb-like fins, thick scales and prodigious teeth. The fins contain bones that resemble toes on a reptile. Coelacanths could well be an…
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How Kogelberg branch became proud owner of botanical art

It was mid 2015 when Priscilla Blake, an active member, said she would like to donate sixteen paintings by South African artist Ethel May Dixie to the branch. Priscilla, a physiotherapist from Johannesburg, had retired to Kleinmond when she was a regular at our walks and talks. When a move to Somerset West seemed sensible, Priscilla felt that her flower paintings, needing a new home, would be cherished by Kogelberg Branch. Of course, we were intrigued to know how Priscilla, living far from Ethel Dixie’s Cape home, had become the owner of her flower pictures.…
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