Pondoland C.R.E.W. Blog: Red Desert 2 December 2021

We met at Red Desert in the Umtumvuna and slowly made our way through the grasslands and finally to the rocky edges where one can see the bridge that crosses over into the Transkei. Matt Williams the owner of the property had done extensive alien invasive control and it was good to see Grevillia banksii cut to ankle height and poisoned but these are such opportunist trees that they literally flower as a mere sapling to land grab and as we botanized so did, we pull these invasives out. I don't think one could ever win here but if we do a little each time, we go there that does amount to something substantial in the end if everyone pulls their weight. It was good to see this little desert being conserved.

Red Desert

Invasive's being removed, an on-going battle.

Asclepias albens

Helichrysum spiralepis

Matt and his team hard at work removing out the invasive bottle brushes.

Hard at work pulling out the invasive Lantana.

Dorothy and Maggie catching up.

Acrolophia chochlearis

Satyrium sphaerocarpum

Satyrium sphaerocarpum

Rachel.

Rachel.

Protea roupelliae

Desmodium dreganum

Cassinopsis tinifolia

Heliophila rigidiuscula

Heliophila rigidiuscula leaves

Alf and Tracy finding a spot of shade.

Dorothy climbing down a steep embankment determined to cross over onto the otherside.

Earthworm

Schizocarphus nervosus

Heliphila elongata

Heliphila elongata seed pods.

Anne and Tracy tackled the Lantana growing on the cliff's edge where we once had seen a python and Gail meandered on a little further saying that she was off to find snakes jokingly as the Lantana's roots where deeply entrenched and was about to cross a crevice when she thought better of it and went around. Shorty Tracy followed behind and being as agile as a Klipspringer jumped across the rock and hiding in this crevice, she startled a Green Mamba. I'm not too sure who got the biggest fright but Tracy turned into the Pondoland Ghost and was lost for words, her hand reached to her palpitating heart and turned foot. She had had enough of this day and simply wanted the comfort of her home to return to.

Meandering along the forest edge and cliff

Umtamvuna

Delosperma sp."yellow"

Antidema venosum

Anne and Tracy determined to get the Lantana out of the reserve.

Tracy clutching her heart after a scare with a Green Mamba.

There were many scuffles in the bushes on those rocks that day as the sun had come out after days of rain and snakes were enjoying basking in the sun. We generally don't come across them too often but when we do a Puff-adder or Mamba can leave us a little unsettled.

Eriosema sp

Eriosema sp.

Dietes grandiflora

The beautiful Lotonis meyeri sparkled in its misty silver-grey foliage, abundant in buds and a little chameleon found refuge in this bush. Brachycorythis pubescens we flowering, an abundance of soft pink standing like a candle in the grass-land. It's a joy to see a beautiful plant such as this where it can be easily passed had one just walked one meter in a different direction or not paid attention to where one walked.

Lotonis meyeri

A shy chameleon found near the Lotonis meyeri

Gail quietly enjoying her favourite plant and it's sparkly silvery foliage, the Lotonis meyeri.

Lotonis meyeri seed heads

Brachycorythis pubescens

As we began to head home, some a little more quickly than others Anne and Gail saw this gentleman wearing nothing but a pair of shorts and a good pair of shoes carrying an interesting object which we had seeing lying in the grass many months before, it was an electricity insulator! We walked past him and he past us and made conversation enquiring what he was actually doing as it looked energetic and quite exhausting in the heat of the day. This very cheerful man was in training. Maggie had known him as a child and we all left smiling having bumped into someone of an interesting nature whilst botanizing.