Heritage Weekend 2020: Nature is heritage priority ONE
On the 24 to 25 September, a voluntary group of 16 (Sat) and 9 (Sun) called together by myself, all the way from Agulhas, Bredasdorp, Greyton and Muizenberg, supported by the Swellendam Hackers Team, did a botanizing recce of Hessequaskloof Farm (farm 660 of the Klipfontein mountain, destined for Manganese Mining) to count how much biodiversity we could record.
This was bundubashing at its best, climbing over rocky crops (where some lovely species were found such as the Holotrix, Lachenalia (over) and the leaves of crossyne, the few boophone etc were found. Parts of the mountain were covered in adult Clilffortia, making botanizing painful and studying the ground impossible.
On the first day we split up into teams of seven, with Ismail leading the one team up the south-eastern side (parallel to the N2), whereas the other group started from the kloof (east) side. The black eagles were spotted in the distance (they nest in the kloof cliffs) and some whitenecked ravens were also spotted. Mountain swifts were present too.
We had a specialist succulent identifier (also a geologist) on our team and he quickly found some of his favourites. No Haworthias were spotted. We all noticed that it was rather dry and that we had missed the Spring flowers and bulbs - which was a pity. Up the mountain were more Erica and Seruria (also over).
However, volunteers can only do this at their leasure - otherwise it becomes WORK and the fun goes out of the effort.
It was still amazing what we saw and identified, and on Sunday 3 of us managed to clamber to a top part of the mountain. More Serruria and Leucodendron were more abundant, and we are certain that with a good controlled burn, the Cliffortia and spiny asparagus will make way for wonderful bulbs and surprizes.
We hope that our example will be followed by other biodiversity "nuts" as one weekend will never be enough.
Owner Erick Kellerman thanks all for their wonderful contributions and eager help.
Willemina de Wet, Swellendam CREW & Swm Hackers Team organizer
Representing Southern Overberg BotSoc in Swellendam
