RESEARCH Amateur botanists in the KBR can think of joining up with CREW Hottentots Holland (Custodians of Rare and Endangered Wildflowers), a small group of volunteers who assist SANBI in the documentation of plant species in our area from time to time. They are given target species to look for but during outings they […]
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Blackwood Acacia Melanoxylon melantarius spp.
RESEARCH Don’t underestimate the effectiveness of bio-control agents in combating invasive plant species, says director Edward Molteno. The flush of flowers on Black-wattle can be completely galled by an insect called Dasineura rubiformis so that no seed pods are produced, as is illustrated in the attached photo’s. The galled flowers go gray brown and look […]
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Desalination the future for Cape Town’s water needs
RESEARCH In this scientific article Edward Molteno shares with us the basic facts about the Western Cape water system dams and the Palmiet River Catchment Management Plan. It seems that tough water restrictions are waiting for Cape Town as there is less water available to share from our side of the mountain and the future […]
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The Argonauts hit our Shores again
CONSERVATION Nature. Always nature. Journalist Nadia Krige submitted this story: There’s a certain boredom that characterises this era we’re living in. Or maybe it’s fatigue. The constant barrage of information that has nurtured our curious minds, has also eroded our souls, leaving us aching for something … anything … that is unknown. In the dead […]
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Seals at Rooiels
CONSERVATION Rooiels’s rocky shoreline seal colony One of the best-kept secrets of the coastal Overberg, according to Nadia, is a small seal colony that has made itself at home on one of the furthest reaches of Rooiels’s rocky shoreline. It was established a couple of years ago – no one can be sure exactly when […]
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Leopard sightings
CONSERVATION Can this area sustain more leopards? Leopard sightings and recordings by special camera’s in the Kogelberg Biosphere Reserve occur quite commonly these days. On the one hand we are glad the Kogelberg seems to be a sanctuary for our special cats, but on the other hand there is concern about the capacity of this […]
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Cycads and Barcoding
CONSERVATION Are cycads in your garden legal? The newsletter of March 2016 contained an article by Retha Visser with the title Cycads in your Garden: are they legal? In “Veld & Flora” a new development in the fight against the illegal trade in cycads is discussed, which is briefly summarised here. This has to […]
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Meet our new directors
KBRC OFFICE During the course of the year, we co-opted not less than three new directors to the KBRC’s Board. They are: Michael du Toit Michael is a farmer / business man of the Elgin Grabouw area, who is keen on adventure experiences and hopefully will give us good guidance on building out our […]
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Taking leave of Chantal
KBRC OFFICE Unfortunately, we do not have only good news to share. In view of our financial plight our co-ordinating officer Chantal Esterhuizen, who became mom for the second time and had been on maternity leave the past few months, agreed to accept a severance package. We have great appreciation for her services over many […]
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KBR’s Message
Team South Africa at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show I want to send off Team South Africa to the Royal Chelsea Flower Show with all the best of wishes that we as KBRC can muster. We are extremely proud of the fact that our biosphere reserve was chosen as the theme of this year’s display. […]
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South Africa in Bloom
41 years at the Chelsea Flower Show SANBI-Kirstenbosch’s 41st annual entry to the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) Chelsea Flower Show (CFS) will place the Harold Porter National Botanical Garden – A Gateway to the Kogelberg Biosphere Reserve World Heritage Site on centre stage at the exhibit. The Harold Porter National Botanical Garden in Betty’s Bay […]
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Message from SANBI CEO, Tanya Abrahamse
This year we showcase Harold Porter National Botanical Garden located in the beautiful area of Betty’s Bay, tucked away to the east of Cape Town near the southernmost tip of the African continent where the Indian and Atlantic Oceans meet. Our Garden is uniquely located within the renowned Kogelberg Biosphere Reserve (KBR) – a place […]
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