Pondoland C.R.E.W. Blog

Wednesday, 20 April 2022

14 April 2022 - Beacon Hill

Kwa Zulu Natal had a cut-off low pressure that developed into subtropical depression ISSA with winds reaching 95 km/hour and some areas receiving 300 millimeters of rain in 24 hours. Over 400 people died.

The winds swirled round and round relentlessly driving rains into one's houses. We had had three days of torrential rain which caused mass destruction to homes and infrastructure. There were landslides, collapsed walls, homes were destroyed, trees fell over, roads collapsed and raging rivers took away beaches. After several days of persistent rain which could leave one a little anxious, one was happy to see the weather app showing that our Thursday’s botanising day was predicted to be sunny.

To not have a day holding mops, wringing old towels and emptying buckets was a day that one looked forward to and when we received a notification the night before from Tracy sending out an S.O.S. message we gathered our gumboots and packed a lunch and we were off before you could say “Go.”

We pulled on our gumboots and squidgy walked upon the squishy, spongy earth that felt cushioned and gave one a soft little bounce up when treading watery forward. Ravines, gullies and cliff edges we avoided as we would have found ourselves like children sliding down a natural slide and finding oneself right at the bottom of the Umtumvuna river.

One could almost hear the petals opening of the flowers as the lack of sun for day upon day had left them in hibernation and they opened up their beautiful faces that had been refreshed and washed. The Brunsvigia grandiflora were magnificent. They stood there in their pink magenta as round and as big as flower galaxies. Tentatively, we crossed the gushing stream, the nut/banana farmer’s illegal dam had burst and through the fence he littered the Umtumvuna Reserve with his bags and water feather lettuce. Anne and Tracy got stuck in ripping out Wild Ginger that was growing, Dorothy helped fill the sacks we found wedged between rocks full of invasives and Gail tried to collect all the water invasives. Anne was chucking the ginger out and Tracy ended up spattered in mud and almost required a new ID whilst Gail looked like a splattered Dalmatian dog.

Every week everything has it’s time to shine and this week the hills rolled in the delicate Pimpinella caffra. We watched the river that flows into Ingrid Falls and we’ve never seen it flow so fast and full. The smell of sulphur came from the water as it flowed from the farmer’s land. We spent a lovely while admiring the six different butterflies that skipped from flower to flower sipping the nectar from the Syzygium cordatum tree. There was every insect that came to this flower, be it from moths, bees, wasps, ants and beetles. This tree provided the very thing that all these animals required to survive. It was spectacular to just stand there and watch this tree so alive, it was a bit like the magic that happens in fairy tales.

With full hearts we meandered back savoring every moment watching the dark clouds roll in threatening to rain.

Brunsvigia grandiflora - Giant Candleabra Flower
AMARYLLIDACEAE

Disa polygonoides
ORCHIDACEAE

Syncolostemon ramulosus
LAMIACEAE

Syncolostemon rotundifolius
LAMIACEAE

Anne and Tracy removing alien invasives from the stream.

Anne catching her breath. She had worked very hard. Well done girls.

Dorothy

The beautiful Umtumvuna Reserve.

A sculpture in itself. Very Henry Moore.

Notobubon laevigatum
APIACEAE

Insy winsy Bark spider chased Anne out.

Anastrabe integerrima -Pambati-tree
STILBACEAE

Aspalathus chortophila - Tea Bush
FABACEAE

Helichrysum auriceps
ASTERACEAE

Gazania krebsiana subsp. krebsiana - Common Gazania
ASTERACEAE

Stachys aethiopica - Wild Sage
LAMIACEAE

Gail standing next to favourite rock.

Dorothy, our tree lady.

Anne, Dorothy and Gail
Syzygium cordatum subsp. cordatum- Umdoni
MYRTACEAE

Tracy, Anne and Gail.

Robsonodendron eucleiforme - White Silky-bark
CELASTRACEAE

The waterfall cascading over the rocks.

Incredible to see this waterfall cascade down to Ingrids Falls.

Tracy being the catch of the day.

Inulanthera leucoclada
ASTERACEAE

Lotononis eriocarpa seed
FABACEAE

Lotononis eriocarpa
FABACEAE

Pimpinella caffra
APIACEAE

Helichrysum pannosum
ASTERACEAE
Endangered A2c

Monsonia natalensis
GERANIACEAE

A Flower Mantis

Gerrardina foliosa - Kranz Berry
ACHARIACEAE

Senecio polyanthemoides
ASTERACEAE

Nidorella auriculata
ASTERACEAE

Moraea stricta - Bloutulp
IRIDACEAE

Helichrysum adenocarpum subsp. adenocarpum

ASTERACEAE

Strelitzia nicolai
STRELITZIACEAE

Pondoland C.R.E.W.
Gail B-W, Tracy T, Dorothy M and Anne S

Mpenjati North - 7 April 2022

A cool southerly wind blew and one was grateful for the jacket that was nearly not packed which protected one from the chill that was in the air. Our female clan congregated on the north side of Mpenjati which had been closed to the public as the public ablutions had been vandalised but having Yvie with us, the gate was unlocked and we had access into this beautiful little reserve on the Mpenjati river and into the coastal forest which had ancient huge trees in it that have weathered the test of time.

We began meandering along the trail with Fish eagles and a Crowned Eagle calling. How majestic and how fortunate to be able to listen to this and not be somewhere else with the noise of a population, sirens and hooters that all come with city life.

The reserve was in need of alien control and our group helped Yvie identify the aliens that KZN Wildlife had to focus on in maintaining the reserve within its boundaries. Tracy and Anne have eyes that are like a Peregrine falcon when it comes to invasives and no matter if the stems have thorns, they have their hands wrapped around these plants and will remove them with a fight if need be.

Strelitzia nicolai stood tower high with their leaves looking big enough to be a sup board. Here the Phoenix reclinata growing in the wetland grew into the most magnificent palm tree, so different to when it’s growing in a dry area and stunted with its lethal spines. The colours on the bark of the Milkwoods were like artwork and one simply just stopped and looked at it, some of patterns looked like a tortoise shell. The Dracaena aletriformis grew so densely that one wouldn’t be surprised if a dinosaur were to come out of this jungle.

Tracy with incredible eyes for all things small pointed out tiny frogs that lay on the Lagoon Hibiscus as if they were speckled jelly babies. It was lunch time and although it was windy with the sand that blew like mirages on the beach, we decided that along the bank we would sit and then Tracy (again) looked at what she thought to be a tyre that was lodged into the embankment only to find it was an African Rock Python! Oh, what joy to see a reptile of this size. It was so impressive in its scale that that is where we decided to have our lunch and at the same time keep an eye on each other in case he thought that one of us should be lunch.

We walked with jackets flapping along the coast line, Thick-knees flew lowly above the beach pumpkins. One’s soul is simply comforted in nature. It heals everything. We need to conserve and protect our environment, reserves and land.

Ipomoea pes-caprae subsp. brasiliensis

CONVOLVULACEAE

Yvie, Anne and Tracy

Ipomoea pes-caprae subsp. brasiliensis

CONVOLVULACEAE

Ipomoea pes-caprae subsp. brasiliensis

CONVOLVULACEAE

Ipomoea pes-caprae subsp. brasiliensis seed capsules

CONVOLVULACEAE

Mpenjati beach

Lasiosiphon macropetalus (was Gnidia)
THYMELAEACEAE

Talipariti tiliaceum var. tiliaceum - Lagoon Hibiscus
MALVACEAE

Millettia grandis
FABACEAE

Mimusops caffra
SAPOTACEAE

Mimusops caffra bark
SAPOTACEAE

Osteospermum moniliferum subsp. canescens

ASTERACEAE

Cyperus albostriatus
CYPERACEAE

Peddiea africana - Poison Olive
THYMELAEACEAE

Peddiea africana - Poison Olive
THYMELAEACEAE

Phoenix reclinata - Wild Date Palm
ARECACEAE

African Rock Python

Tracy

Dorothy getting closer to the Python

Sideroxylon inerme inerme - White Milkwood
SAPOTACEAE

Sideroxylon inerme subsp. inerme - White Milkwood
SAPOTACEAE

Strelitzia nicolai - Natal Mock Banana - stem
STRELITZIACEAE

Talipariti tiliaceum var. tiliaceum - Lagoon Hibiscus
MALVACEAE

Yvie

Arctotheca populifolia - Sea pumpkin
ASTERACEAE

Tracy

Cryptocarya latifolia - Broad leaved Wild quince seed pod
LAURACEAE

The girls hard at it.

Zanthoxylum capense - Small Knobwood
RUTACEAE

Pelargonium capitatum
GERANIACEAE

Taking notes.

Anne having a close inspection.

What is it?

Hibiscus surattensis
MALVACEAE

Hibiscus cannabinus - Ambari Hemp
MALVACEAE

Hibiscus cannabinus - Ambari Hemp
MALVACEAE

Dracaena aletriformis - Large- leaved Dragon-tree
RUSCACEAE

Deinbollia oblongifolia - Dune Soap-berry
SAPINDACEAE

Commelina erecta
COMMELINACEAE

Chaetacme aristata - Thorny Elm
ULMACEAE

Berkheya erysithales

Barleria obtusa - Bush Violet
ACANTHACEAE

Asparagus falcatus - Thorny Creeper
ASPARAGACEAE

Antidesma venosum - Tassel-berry
PHYLLANTHACEAE

Aneilema aequinoctiale
COMMELINACEAE

Allophylus natalensis - Dune False Currant
SAPINDACEAE

Acokanthera oblongifolia - Dune Poison-bush
APOCYNACEAE

Trichilia dregeana - Natal Forest Mahogony
MELIACEAE

Rauvolfia caffra - Quinine Tree
APOCYNACEAE

Pondoland C.R.E.W

Tracy T, Anne S, Yvie, Maggie A, Dorothy M and Gail B-W.

"You cannot get through a single day without having an impact on the world around you." - Jane Goodall.