Cape Fox Gold Award: Best Managed Conservancy
Groenlandberg Conservancy received the Cape Fox Gold Award at the 2017 Conservation@Work symposium.
This was awarded to the best managed Conservancy in the Western Cape.
Lying in the folds of a twisting valley, Porcupine Hills is the sort of place that makes you feel that perhaps, after all, the wild world is not completely in retreat.
Surrounded by the relentless wheat fields and orchards of the Overberg, this private nature reserve and guest farm preserves an area of renosterveld, an enigmatic vegetation type that has been all but exterminated by the arrival of mechanised agriculture.
Unlike fynbos, the vegetation that covers the craggy sandstone mountains of the Western Cape, renosterveld favours the fertile clay soils of the lowlands. In the past, these broad valleys were thick with grasses and heaved with wildlife – eland, red hartebeest, bontebok and zebra as well as their predators: lions, wild dog and spotted hyena.
The big animals are long gone but Porcupine Hills is a reminder of how things used to be. And thanks to the efforts of Cape Nature, you can now see for yourself on a series of newly-built trails that meander over several properties to create an exclusive and very unique hiking experience.
Chances are you’ll see the farm’s signature animals before you set off on a trail. No, not porcupines – you’ll be more than lucky to see one of these nocturnal and shy animals – but Verreaux’s Eagle, a pair have nested on the farm for over 15 years.
And there they were, gliding above us as we set off on a hike. I was with the Friends of the South African Museum, an amiable group of like-minded individuals who were keen to learn more about the renosterveld and whatever else came our way.
And the first thing that came our way was a steep walk up off the valley floor and onto the sandstone ridges that surround the farm. The grey-green scrub of renosterbos – the dominant species in renosterveld) gave way to fynbos plants such sugar bushes and great hedges of buchu that filled the air with their unmistakable lemon and liquorice smell.
The views started appearing as we gained height – we could see the Indian Ocean now – and the floral surprises kept coming: odd-looking proteas, some ground-hugging, others tall and bold, as well as flashy heathers (Ericas) and a droopy-headed Gladiolus. A flash of lilac-blue alerted us to an iris, member of a genus unique in the floral world in having an Afrikaans scientific name: Babiana, named for the baboons that enthusiastically dig up and eat their bulb-like corms.
Other treats were in store: we saw aardvark droppings (large, very sandy), evidence of antelope and porcupines and watched sunbirds and patrolling ravens. On the way down into the valley there were orchids to marvel at and the huge leaves of Poison Squills, a type of hyacinth, erupting out of the ground. Yellow-headed Oxalis flowers were in bloom too, one species of which is still a vital ingredient to that most traditional of Cape dishes: waterblommetjie bredie.
The hiking is easy; the trails have been sensitively built and follow the lines of the landscape, and there’s a whole range to choose from: you can take an hour’s stroll or spend most of the day out there. And with the Overberg’s growing focus on mountain biking and adventure, the hiking trails of Porcupine Hills fit nicely into a bigger outdoor experience. There is accommodation on the farm to suit all types and it’s little more than an hour and a half to get there from Cape Town, making it the perfect weekend destination, or even a day trip.
In a world of shrinking natural habitats and wildlife on the wane, it is heartening to see efforts being made not just to preserve nature but to showcase it too – otherwise how can we conserve what we don’t know? So hats off to the farm’s owners, Tony and Cha Davenport, who have opened up the secrets of the renosterveld to a wider public; with less than 5% of this vegetation type remaining, this is a conservation project that deserves the widest support.
And you never know: you may just see a porcupine.
We have had some lovely exposure recently.
Thank You to Wildekrans Country House for including mentions of the Groenlandberg Conservancy. Country Life covered the recent Land Art Exhibitions that were held at Wildekrans Country House read the article here
The Groenlandberg Conservancy piece titled ”Conservation a priority for Overberg Farmers” has also received exposure in the CSI & Sustainability section on Biz Community read more here.
This week was a very special one for our area, on the eve of heritage day SA Mint in collaboration with the Kogelberg Biosphere launched a series of commemorative coins celebrating a journey through one of the most beautiful areas in South Africa, our very own Kogelberg.
The launch ceremony took place at the Waterkloof Estate, with magnificent views across the reserve. As part of the many invited to represent the area, I felt tremendously proud of this incredible part of the world we get to call home. The collection included four gold and silver coins beautifully illustrated with well-researched scenes from the reserve.
My favorite was of course the Silver R2 coin depicting the Elgin Valley, featuring the honey bee and orchard fruit (above right).
“Queen Kogel” Joanne Strauss beautifully adorned in Okasie outfit and headdress was a charming hostess. We learnt a great deal about the UNESCO Man and the Biosphere Program passionately and cleverly explained by Johan West (chairman of the KBR) and Dr Ruida Pool-Stanvliet.
Lunch served a creative array of local produce paired with Waterkloof Wines.
All in all, a truly uplifting and inspired occasion, a showcase of our rich fauna and flora and a fantastic advert for our area. The coins will no doubt continue to carry the message and attract an even greater interest in this magnificent part of the world.
We are thrilled to announce that the Groenlandberg Conservancy was awarded the Silver Cape Fox award for best managed Conservancy at the Cape Nature’s annual awards evening on 11 September 2015.
The ceremony was hosted by Cape Nature in partnership with Conservation at Work and WWF-SA BWI, with the aim to reward and celebrate excellence in the field of conservation within Stewardship and Conservancies.
The lovely function was held at Christina’s at Van Loveren, Robertson.
Congratulations to all Groenlandberg Conservancy members for their fantastic support, the hard working committee and especially Alison Green our chairperson for her great vision and determined spirit. A wonderful achievement.
BEAUMONT TRAILS
Set at the heart of the Groenlandberg (Green Mountains), the historic Compagnes Drift Farm and Beaumont Family Wines lie just an hour from Cape Town. Well known for its wines and welcoming atmosphere, the farm has dedicated over three quarters of its land to conservation; it is also part of the Kogelberg Biosphere Reserve – a UNESCO World Heritage Site.Beaumont is offering a Spring weekend guided three hour hike to explore this beautiful mountain and its rich flora.
SPRING WEEKEND HIKE @ Beaumont Family Wines – 5th & 6th September 2015
Cost per person is R150
To book please contact trails@beaumont.co.za / 0282849194
for full information please click here.
