January newsletter
A name for DSCF 1362 after three years of hunting. I opened John Manning’s Field Guide to Fynbos and there it was, Cyphia digitata, the exquisite precisely twining little plant with pale mauve flowers that you will spot late winter to early spring near the Fynbospad that winds its way to the View Site.
This superb publication contains over 1 100 photographs of wild flowers most likely to be encountered in the Cape floral kingdom. Many thanks to Friend of Pledge Bill Edwards for donating this indispensable guide to the Reserve.
Heartfelt thanks too to Friends of Pledge, Koot and Alta Steenkamp and two friends who tackled the overgrowth on Bitou Trail with loppers. With Grace just returned from leave and our Wednesday helpers deployed to the wetland project, there is a backlog on general maintenance and hands on assistance is much appreciated. With a bit of luck these energetic young people will assist Alfredo Formosa with the annual water lily culling stint later this year.
Speaking of water lilies, it appears that we have at last got the better of the crabs . The top pond is once again full of water to the delight of the white and red water lilies and the little nymphoides. Green algal growth that developed at the silt trap has spread and donations of hundreds of tadpoles to help clear this would be very welcome. Despite the loss of water for some months, the wetland is thriving with the water grasses sending out fresh leaves above the dead ones and success with the introduction of a number of new species such as palmiet, gansgras, arrow grass and Falckia repens. On the downside, the colony of flourishing, flowering arums at the top of the top pond were found uprooted one morning. Porcupine trouble again. I would not be surprised if it’s the same fellow that was transported 20 km away to what we though was greener ‘grass’ – it would have taken him about two months to wend his way back to paradise. Anyway, I’ve capitulated as little ones come back in time. (arums) Its just a pity to lose the large flowering clumps with giant leaves and flowers. I suppose if we keep planting extra ones, supply will eventually exceed demand – provided the porcupine population remains stable. Herein lies the root of the global problem – human demand exceeding sustainable supply.
WESSA received lottery money for small projects and Pledge was one of the successful applicants. Our project is wetland rehabilitation and development. The first stint attended to the leaking pond. The second involves that horrific erosion at the top of Memory Lane following the collapse of the Municipal gabions and increased seepage from the sides resulting in slippages. Several have already occurred so our tactic is to precipitate impending slippages and catch the slide before it hits the stream bed. So far, so good and a most interesting exercise. The first bit was the easiest and a great deal of fun. Austen of the snake around the neck, stood on the bank between the crevice and the stream. As we removed the vertical supporting timbers we shouted a warning which he ignored until the earth below his feet began the descent. His face was a pic of astonishment before he scrambled away. Several cubic metres of soil slipped slowly and gracefully down and came to a stop at the retaining timber. Dead quiet was followed by a cheer all round
Pledge January 2001 Newsletter pg 2
Austen’s snake is a bit of a mystery. Chris Gow responded to our pic casting doubt on the ID as a night adder and suggesting an egg-eater or a skaapsteker. A website entry points out that the Rhombic Adder and a Rhombic Egg-eater are often confused. The egg-eaters are apparently fairly harmless and make up of for their inadequacies by making a great deal of fuss when threatened and displaying cavernous black mouths. The adders have pink mouths. Unaware of this, I did not check at the time and Austen’s snake has been eaten away. It is not quite like any of the adders. egg-eaters or skaapstekers on the internet. If we meet a live one in the future, we shall have to say: Say AAAHH please !
I contacted KPHerald about my response to Ed Hill’s misinformation. The editor said it had also been referred to the Municipality for comment. By now everyone has forgotten what the letter of 4 December was about. I pointed out that we have been waiting for an explanation for almost a year. The editor mentioned that the Municipality had intimated that they had no wish to enter a public debate. I mentioned that this was no debate. It’s a question of either coming up with a valid answer or coming clean. The Municipality now appears to have changed tack from a lengthy red-herring to slamming the door. Whatever. I have the feeling that not just the Municipality but most people would rather the whole thing just quietly slipped under the carpet. Some Trustees are meeting the Mayor and Municipal Manager at Pledge on 13 February. No doubt the annual effort to obtain a grant from the Municipality for the current financial year is a priority but perhaps it will also be an opportunity for the Municipality to relieve the pressure on them with a change of attitude to the development below Pledge.
An improvement to the walkway design would be a great help to Pledge but the shadow over the Corporate Division would remain at a time when a tough attitude to developers rather than siding with them is called for. The proposed spatial development plan aims at densification of central Knysna. There’s not much left at the bottom so all eyes are on surrounding slopes, many of which are made up of the unstable enon (sp?) soils. As I write, a developer is quietly draining a wetland between SANEL and Gardener’s Lane for another 200 units. A walk on the path below the massive gabions erected by SANEL, after the August flood landslides, and above an area cleared of wattles by the developer shows the tell tale signs, tiny cracks that get bigger and lead to seepage, the precursor of slippages.
As things look at the moment, it will be left to history to pass judgement on Knysna.
Larry Eichstadt has officially confirmed that chipping may take place but no composting ( which would have included cow dung) will be allowed near the top of the watershed near SANEL. Forget the melodrama and the packet of Eet-sum-mors, the credit goes to Fujipix. The photos of the exotics crowding the stream that runs parallel with the stream below the proposed site, probably the only pristine stream in Knysna and one not carrying faecal e-coli to the lagoon would have convinced even the most hardened cases that composting at the top of a watershed feeding the lagoon is a bad idea.
Friend of Pledge renewals in 2007 were very disappointing so we can’t afford a bash and I must now tackle the sad task of removing names from the list which had grown from 20 something to 50 something in the past three years. If you are feeling terribly bad about not supporting the most unsupported non-profit organisation in Knysna, you can rejoin this year and get my system into total confusion. On the plus side, renewals for 2009 will not be called for until mid 2009 so you will enjoy 17 months membership for R250, the cost of 12 months membership.
Paid up members are invited to a night walk to the View Site, and back, on Tuesday, 12 February starting at 8pm. Meet at the top parking at 7 .45 with good shoes (night adders), a torch, something warm to wear and something warm to drink at the top. Ina Engelbrecht has returned from Canada with severe bronchitis so we wish her a speedy recovery and hope she will join the walk and point out which star is which. (She has done this on several occasions for me but the darn things don’t stay in the same spot and I lose them) Coffee and cake will be served at the bungalow afterwards. Please let me know ASAP if you will be here for the event as I’d hate to end up with no walkers and a lot of cake to eat or lots of walkers and not enough cake to eat. The Head of Security will be accompanying us.
Regards, Jill and Rubbish