This blog tempts to give an account of our involvement as volunteers with the Van Stadens wildflower reserve. It covers our ups and downs from 2011 to our farewell at the end of 2022. The story is told from a personal perspective but, of course, it took the participation of many more people, not least […]
Over the years we have undertaken many repairs on almost anything that didn’t move. Due to budgetary restraints or difficulty to get people out to the reserve many things got fixed. Here are a few examples worth mentioning. We replaced the plastic sheeting in the nursery a number of times using the funds the annual
The repair man (and women) Read More »
This post tells the story of our attempt to revitalize the stream which forms the north-western border of the reserve. As our neighbor there, Thomas, farms with buffaloes we decided to name it Buffalo Stream amongst ourselves. Over a number of weeks we went down there armed with chainsaws and herbicide working our way downstream.
Of course we can’t help ourselves to try and identify everything we encounter whilst we are tackling these aliens along the stream and we were very impressed by what we all discovered and what is so precious to us. Here is a small selection: Heamanthus albiflos Yellow Bishop Bird adult female Cladonia macilenta Freylinia lanceolata
Buffalo Stream flora and fauna Read More »
We all know about the difference between giving a fish and teaching how to fish. We have tried to impart the little knowledge we have to the generation following us. Here are a few examples. There is a great need to have local knowledge how to join water pipes and fix leaks promptly. Here Vusi
Offload trailer with 75 Proteas and trees. Check why electronic raingauge not registering, funnel blocked with bird droppings Check automatic sprays in green- and misting house, working fine. Close stopcock which ‘they’ keep on opening In nursery put fallen over bags right Close gate left open In Arboretum look for Tarchonanthus for Marie Delport Check
Rainy day didn’t stop us 2022.04.16 Read More »
After the great fire of 2017 the dormant seeds of many aliens woke up and the battle began to clear away large stand of Acacia longifolia throughout the reserve. Almost an impossible task but with some help from Working On Fire we managed to get on top of it and let the indigenous vegetation recover
Stream restoration Read More »
January The low pressure of the municipal water supply was sorted out and a new wate meter was installed by the municipality. This caused a signficnat increase in water pressuse (good thing) and major leaks in the aging reticulation system, three by the houses and one near the misting house. New joints and help by
Friends of Van Stadens 2021 Annual Report Read More »
Work done Present: Ellie, Rudi, Neil, Rasheed, Chris, Debbie and Merike Took trailer full of plants and brushcutter with new airfilter. Unloaded trailer Fetched potting soil, noticed hide was all open. Went there to close. Visitors book misplaced again, other folder dogeared. Wrote in book complaining. Unloaded soil by potting shed. Took blanket stitch out
2021 January meeting Read More »
Keep up the good work Just a summary of the work that was done. Present: Ellie, Rudi, Neil, Rasheed, Chris, Debbie and Merike Took trailer full of plants and brushcutter with new airfilter. Unloaded trailer Fetched potting soil, noticed hide was all open. Went there to close. Visitors book misplaced again, other folder dogeared. Wrote
