OVERBERG RENOSTERVELD CONSERVATION TRUST NEWS
Newsletter 34 | August 2024
by Dr Odette Curtis-Scott
Get ready for a rip-roaring renosterveld spring
Renosterveld doesn’t follow a calendar. This year our renosterveld landscapes in the Overberg seemed convinced that spring had already arrived early in August. It’s likely linked to the very wet winter season in the Overberg – including another flooding event in June.
For the ORCT, it means we’ve had to jump into action a little earlier, to start our spring botanising. And I’m excited about what I’m already seeing. So far it’s promising to be a very special spring for renosterveld indeed.
A bit of a change…
We’ve heard over the course of many years that our name, the Overberg Renosterveld Conservation Trust, is a bit too long and complicated. So we’re making a small change – we’re becoming the Overberg Renosterveld Trust.
That doesn’t mean that conservation doesn’t remain at the heart of what we do. But it simply means that our name is easier to remember. And you’ll start to see the changes to our platforms over the coming weeks.
Over 1,000 specimens strong: Growing our renosterveld herbarium
Herbarium specimens are only as good as their collection, pressing and curation; and these have been of the highest quality.
A test for new tech: SA’s largest wind farm comes to the Overberg
A new wind farm approved near Swellendam is set to be the biggest in South Africa. But in the heart of the Overberg, this also means an added layer of risk for our indigenous species.
Pedals, plants & peace: A renosterveld stop on the Overberg Meander
How does a week of gravel cycling through the Overberg’s rolling hills and secret valleys sound? If you’re drawn to quiet back roads, big skies, and even bigger adventures, cyclist Brenda Silberbauer and her crew have a tip for you: make sure the Haarwegskloof Renosterveld Reserve is on your route.
Haarwegskloof declared a Nature Reserve: A win for renosterveld conservation
In a victory for biodiversity conservation, Haarwegskloof – which includes the largest remaining connected stretch of renosterveld left on Earth – has officially been declared a Nature Reserve.