by KBergReserve

JOIN US AT THE RETREAT AT GROENFONTEIN

- Merrilee Berrisford I was in  the Klein Karoo last week, and stayed at The Retreat at Groenfontein in the foothills of the Swartberg. Last spring I was there, mostly on hands and knees looking at flowers, I felt it would be a good place for a Kogelberg Branch stay. There are two possible plant people who could guide us. As John Rourke says, it is not a really botanically rich spot but it is Klein Karoo, different. There are special places on the way where we may meet to botanise. Rates are very reasonable with deductions…
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by KBergReserve

AN INTERNATIONAL HONOUR FOR A BRANCH MEMBER

- Merran Silberbauer Dr Tony Cunningham, who is a member of our Kogelberg branch has recently received the Society for Economic Botany’s (SEB) 2016 “Distinguished Economic Botanist” award in recognition of his contribution to ethnobotany and economic botany over the past 36 years. This lifetime achievement award was presented to Tony at the SEB’s meeting in the United States of America based on his publication record, including the widely used book “Applied ethnobotany: people, wild plant use and conservation” (2001), which is also available in Spanish and Chinese and his contributions to mentoring students across…
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by KBergReserve

HERMANUS FLOWER FESTIVAL

The Hermanus Flower Festival will take place in the Fernkloof Nature Reserve from Thursday 22 to Sunday 25 September. Our theme for this year is “Fynbos and Fire”. Join us to enjoy this flower spectacular, including fun, activities, teas and meals. Open from 9 am to 5 pm. Entry R20, children under 12 free. Contact Hermanus Botanical Society at botsochermanus@telkomsa.net.
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by KBergReserve

HERMANUS FLOWER FESTIVAL

The Hermanus Flower Festival will take place in the Fernkloof Nature Reserve from Thursday 22 to Sunday 25 September. Our theme for this year is “Fynbos and Fire”. Join us to enjoy this flower spectacular, including fun, activities, teas and meals. Open from 9 am to 5 pm. Entry R20, children under 12 free. Contact Hermanus Botanical Society at botsochermanus@telkomsa.net.
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by KBergReserve

HERMANUS FLOWER FESTIVAL

The Hermanus Flower Festival has been showcasing the wonders of Spring in the fynbos for over 60 years!  This year is no exception.  This special event will take place in the Fernkloof Nature Reserve from Thursday 22 to Sunday 25 September. Following the Fires in Fernkloof Nature Reserve in December, our theme for this year will be “Fynbos and Fire”. Join us to enjoy this flower spectacular, including fun, activities, teas and meals. Open from 9 am to 5 pm. Entry R20, children under 12 free. Contact Hermanus Botanical Society at botsochermanus@telkomsa.net.
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by KBergReserve

MARCH TALK

Andrea Benn Keir Lynch - The Overberg Lowlands Conservation Trust Watercourse Restoration Project Another unique area was described in this talk by Keir Lynch. Once again we were made aware of how important good stewardship is for these areas of global interest. Keir and Eloise have been involved in Conservation Management as game rangers in Klaserie, Phinda, Sanbona and Shamwari. It was David Attenborough programs that opened a new world for Keir. The question that became his passion was, are we able to protect what David Attenborough speaks about?  In the Western Cape there are…
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by KBergReserve

SUCCEEDGROUP AND KOGELBERG BRANCH

Merrilee Berrisford SucceedGroup senior consultant, Emmerentia Fick, held a meeting with three branch committee members at the new offices in Somerset West at the end of March. Emmerentia had sent us a comprehensive Action Plan detailing what SG would like to do for us (in addition to designing and sending out the newsletter and designing publicity material). The meeting was to take us through the plans showing how the branch can be brought into the digital age to more effectively promote our message: “Committed to the Conservation of a Unique Wildflower Heritage”. Barbara Attwell, newsletter…
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by KBergReserve

MARCH WALK

Botsoc Kogelberg Walk Report: 19 March 2016 Tim Attwell The village of Pringle Bay was anything but sleepy on the morning of 19 March. The hugely popular and well organised annual Village Festival made assembling the eager Botanical Society walkers among the crowds of festival goers tricky to say the least. Not to be deterred, sixteen members found each other at the Drosters Centre and drove in convoy to the start of an exploration of the much less populated and splendid coastal path beginning at Moonlight Bay (aka Grootbaai), circling round to Cape Hangklip with…
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by KBergReserve

FEBRUARY WALK

Hangklip Ecological Corridor with Allan Heydorn: Saturday 20 February Tim Attwell Conserved by vision, determination and generosity; hallowed by tragedy, tender memory and deep love for the vulnerable splendour of the natural environment, the Hangklip Ecological Corridor, or Hangklip Nature Reserve, is the most recent addition to the core zone of the Kogelberg Biosphere Reserve. The weather forecast had been gloomy, but the clouds made for perfect walking conditions as eleven Botsoc walkers set off on the trail from Clarence Drive, a stone’s throw from the entrance to Pringle Bay, into the pristine fynbos of…
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by KBergReserve

JANUARY WALK

Leopard’s Kloof, 16 January 2016 Tim Attwell  Yes. There they were: A trail of Disa uniflora midway up the second last waterfall in Leopard’s Kloof, in plain sight. A second group graced the waterfall high above the pool at the head of the kloof. Mission accomplished, smiles all round. A strong wind made any other trail in the Kogelberg’s mountains distinctly uninviting, but Leopard’s Kloof provided both shade and windless conditions for eleven eager Botsoc walkers on the annual pilgrimage to see the icon of Western Cape mountain flowers strutting their stuff. We were not…
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