ANNUAL REPORT OF THE KOGELBERG BRANCH OF THE BOTANICAL SOCIETY OF SOUTH AFRICA: JULY 2016

– Merrilee Berrisford: Branch Chairman

Last year as we launched our book, Your Place in the Kogelberg by Tim Attwell, could we have imagined that it would be selling at the South African stand at the Chelsea Flower Show, its cover pictured on the back of the official brochure?

Sales of Your Place in the Kogelberg have been steady with outlets in the Kogelberg villages, Kirstenbosch, Somerset West, Grabouw and Hermanus. The Kogelberg Biosphere Reserve Company bought 120 copies to sell through its network. At the Botsoc Branch Convention in Port Elizabeth, ten copies sold out within minutes.

Our next aim is to publish an Afrikaans edition. Last year, member Louise du Toit surprised us with a finished translation. This is being edited and we are hoping to find sponsorship for this effort which we feel is important for our area.

The book has driven many of our actions this past twelve months. Its publication was financed largely by the Education Fund of the Botanical Society of SA so it is fitting that just over 10% of the 1000 copies printed were given to local individuals and institutions which could benefit from its content. In addition, copies were bought by the University of Stellenbosch and CPUT. While we must keep some of the proceeds of sales to fund ‘on-demand’ reprinting of the book, we have been able to contribute to environmental education organisations which do valuable work that is outside the scope of our branch. We have given altogether R7000 to Whale Coast Conservation to fund three educational activities, mostly for children from Kleinmond schools – a beach day in the Easter holidays and a Fynbos Expo for 200 children next term; R1600 was given to Pikkewyntjies staff in December; R1000 went to the Botanical Education Trust, a KZN BotSoc fund which promotes botanical research with the aim: “Advancing indigenous flora”.

Our branch is very lucky to have an annual source of income from Judy New’s “Travel Talk with Supper” evenings. In November we heard her exciting “Travels in Peru”: this earned us around R6000 which we have spent on new books for the libraries of not only Harold Porter NBG but also the Hantam NBG. In this way we are furthering our aims to promote education and to support the National Botanical Gardens. In addition, an anonymous member from this area donated the six books of the Indigenous Knowledge Series published by Cambridge University Press, which we have given to Qhayiya Secondary School in Zwelihle, Hermanus.

Kogelberg Branch has been on the receiving end of a major donation: member Priscilla Blake has given us sixteen original flower paintings by Ethel May Dixie, the first botanical artist to have been given a commission to paint flowers way back in 1910 for Marloth’s Flora of South Africa. Both Vicki Thomas and Dr John Rourke confirmed that these are early Dixie paintings in excellent condition and should be kept together as a collection. We have had acid-free mounts put in but have kept the original frames and are in the process of obtaining a proper display stand so that the collection can be on view in Nivenia Hall, Harold Porter NBG. Application will be made to the Botanical Society’s Partnership Fund to pay for this. Provision will be made for storage in the case of the hall being hired out. We are extremely grateful to Priscilla for this special gift.

The famous Betty’s Bay Hack Group, fifty-three years old, has had veteran hacker, Edward Silberbauer as Convenor for the past twenty-six years. What an impressive record he has, a legacy which is clearly visible as one drives round Betty’s Bay – open spaces are largely free of invasive aliens. We have to say a huge thank you to Edward for leading from the front for so long. He has planned and toiled, cleaned and sharpened the tools for not only the monthly hacks but also the weekly Wednesday Irregulars. The January hack saw Edward officially handing over the reins to experienced hacker, Frik Potgieter.

The Pringle Bay Hack is thriving under the leadership of Chris Geldenhuys.

For some years the hack has been attacking the huge Acacia elata’s in and around the Disa Kloof Jeugkamp. Thanks to the sustained efforts of Dr Allan Heydorn in drawing attention to the fact that these trees were spreading up the slopes of the mountain, threatening the core of the Biosphere Reserve, they have all been felled by professionals appointed by SANBI.

The New Zealand Christmas Tree (NZXT), Metrodideros excelsa, is enemy number one in Betty’s Bay, thriving in huge numbers in certain damp areas and difficult to destroy even when very small. We are fortunate that an official campaign against this tree is being led by Dr Ernita van Wyk, Western Cape Co-ordinator: Invasive Species, SANBI. She has held meetings for interested parties at Harold Porter NBG and with Overstrand municipal officials; our members have mapped the density of invasion in Betty’s Bay. SANBI has secured funding for 480 person-days for the year ending March 2017; herbicide companies are testing the efficacy of products against NZXT; in spring, the testing of different treatments will begin on the eastern side of Betty’s Bay where the trees are spreading. We have to rejoice that one of our biggest problems is being tackled by a government institution and on this scale. Quite coincidentally, the first of our “Good Plant, Bad Plant” posters featured the NZXT.

Last piece of Hack news is that the R25 000 worth of power saws given to the branch by BotSoc Head Office at the Book Launch last May, are now insured by Head Office at no cost to the branch.

While the Betty’s Bay hack is on the first Sunday of the month, the branch programme for the third Saturday of the month has a nature walk in the morning and a talk in the evening. The walks, on mountains, along the coast, are attracting more and more members. We are very lucky to have Tim Attwell, a qualified nature and mountain guide, to lead them. Barbara Jenman and Rea Borcherds help choose routes and contact walkers.

As always, the talks cover a wide variety of topics linked to the environment. Starting with last year’s AGM we have had Dr John Hanks on a new approach to reducing wildlife crime, Dr Roger Parsons of Pringle Bay on “The Hidden Hydrology of Groenvlei, Sedgefield”, Ulrike Irlich’s “Jumping the Garden Wall”, Prof Gavin Maneveldt on “Wildflowers on road verges and urban open spaces”, Grant Brooker of Pringle Bay on eco-pools, Prof Anusuya Chinsamy-Turan of UCT on “The Life and Times of Dinosaurs” – the December talk held in the morning and attended by several children. This year started with Betty’s Bay’s Richard Starke on his cruise with a scientific slant to Iceland, then botanist and conservationist, Sean Privett described the different types of forests in the Grootbos area, Eugene Marinus, Curator of the Hantam NBG, spoke on how this “garden” has evolved from a sheep farm with very special plants, Dr Ernst van Jaarsveld gave a beautifully illustrated talk on his botanical expeditions and last month, and Cameron McMaster was back with us for the third time speaking about the extraordinary variety of bulbous plants around Napier.

The branch is anxious to improve the audiovisual system in Nivenia Hall for the benefit of our audiences. Peter Berrisford has investigated options; the Partnership Fund of BotSoc may well provide funds so we can look forward to a much better arrangement by the next AGM. The branch has paid for the repair and replacement of blinds in the Hall.

Early in October, twenty members and friends spent a happy morning exploring three fine gardens in Betty’s Bay, those of Helen and Geoff George up on the mountainside, Lindsay and Kate Birch’s acres going down to the sea, and then the garden full of special Proteaceae belonging to Vicki and Robbie Thomas.

This past year has seen dramatic changes in Kogelberg’s monthly newsletter. First, editor Charlotte Rademeyer introduced photographs, then from September, SucceedGroup, formerly of Betty’s Bay, now of Somerset West, designed and sent out the electronic version. This change coincided with a new editor; Charlotte’s work was leaving little time for the newsletter and luckily for us, Barbara Attwell, a professional in the field, was available. We are very grateful to both of them and so is BotSoc.

This is what Lee Le Roux, Vice Chairman of the Botanical Society Council, wrote to us:

“I have just received your latest newsletter, and what a pleasure it is, so I’m sending this to commend your editor and the team responsible for putting it together.

The design and lay-out are professional, the newsletter looks clean and interesting, the contents are engaging and it makes one want to read it immediately – as against other newsletters one puts away to read later (and then sometimes don’t). I really like what this does for the BotSoc brand and the professional yet accessible image it portrays. Being on the Council responsible for marketing and communications these things are close to my heart.”

SucceedGroup is the Kogelberg branch sponsor, the BotSoc logo is displayed in their office along with those of their clients. In the coming months staff will be designing a website for us, giving committee members Intellectual Business Email; and will be available to design and produce publicity material at no cost. We say a big thank you to CEO Ben van der Westhuyzen and his team.

2015 marked the thirtieth anniversary of the transformation of the Betty’s Bay Wildflower Society to a Branch of the Botanical Society. The thirtieth birthday celebration was a damp picnic held in December at Die Stroompie along our coast. This was a good occasion for us to present the Botanical Society’s Certificates of Appreciation for 2015. Your chairman handed certificates to Judy New for giving her fundraising travel talks and to Tim Attwell for writing our very successful book, Your Place in the Kogelberg; the chairman was then taken aback to see Merran Silberbauer produce a third certificate in the name of Merrilee Berrisford. Recipients who were unable to be at the picnic were: Jenny Berrisford for her inestimable service and guidance in matters horticulture; Louise du Toit for the translation of our book into Afrikaans and crafting a pendant raffled for branch funds; Priscilla Blake for the generous donation of the sixteen paintings by Ethel May Dixie.

Your committee is as enthusiastic and hardworking as ever. There have been changes with Charlotte Rademeyer resigning because of work, Barbara Attwell and Rea Borcherds were then co-opted; Frik Potgieter, replacing BB Hack Convenor, Edward Silberbauer and Chris Geldenhuys, Convenor of the Pringle Bay Hack were welcomed as ex officio members. Barbara Jenman has been a staunch and able vice-chairman/secretary, Peter Berrisford retires after eight years as an excellent treasurer, keeping meticulous track of our funds; Andrea, Gwen, Rea, Jan, Tim all have taken on a variety of tasks, writing minutes and talk/walk summaries, serving wine, taking Pikkewyntjie children on outings, delving into the intricacies of environmental regulations, sourcing audiovisual equipment, planning walks and talks; I  have to add that Andrea represented us as a volunteer at the SA stand at Chelsea Flower Show.  What a multitude of activities and there are more. Kogelberg Branch is very well served by its committee and its busy, involved members. I thank you all.

A2.1
Enjoying the warmth of the fire at the AGM were,
from left to right, Barry and Galia Manicom, Karin Fry and Caro Attwell.