And, since 2010 is the International Year of Biodiversity and Conservation, it’s bound to be an extra-special display.

Event Details:

“The Biodiversity Expo is the annual one – stop – shop for all your biodiversity conservation needs”

The year 2010 is the International Year of Biodiversity and Conservation. The Biodiversity Expo 2010 was designed to address the failure of many South Africans to recognise the true value of biodiversity. The Expo serves as a communication and education tool to reach those South Africans who will be responsible for the future of our countries environmental wealth.

Biodiversity Expo 2010 will have more than 30 conservation exhibitors. Exhibitions will focus on various conservation issues ranging from threatened species to calculating your carbon footprint. There will also be live animal displays, music and theatrical presentations.

Date & Time: 25 March 2010 to 28 March 2010 | 09h00 – 16h00
Entrance Charge: The Expo is free to all and is at the Visitor Centre, but free garden entry is subject to special conditions.
How to book / obtain tickets: Contact Augustine Morkel on a.morkel@sanbi.org.za
Venue / Location: Old Mutual Conference Centre, Kirstenbosch NBG

Description: The Expo will have more than 30 conservation exhibitors exhibiting on various conservation issues ranging from threatened species to calculating your carbon footprint. Thursday and Friday are primarily targeted at schools and we are expecting a rush on the Thursday and Friday mornings – general welcome as well.

On Sunday we have a special program, sponsored by Cape Nature, planned where Avril Kinsey and other musicians will be performing various music pieces related to environmental issues. We will also have the Jungle Theatre Company presenting “Hoerikwaggo”, an interactive performance that speaks to young and old, kindly sponsored by the Provincial Department of Environmental Affairs and Development Planning. SANBI’s guest speaker, Dr. Guy Midgley, one of SA’s leading experts on climate change will be doing a presentation.

To close off we will have Cape Nature launch their new program on CTV. The partnership with the Frank Joubert and the Ibhabhatane Project sees learners from previously disadvantaged communities interpret “Biodiversity” through art and this will be displayed from the Thursday to the Sunday.

Contact Details: Augustine Morkel on a.morkel@sanbi.org.za

More details available on the SANBI website.

Meet a Western Leopard Toad

The hard-working ToadNUTS (Noordehoek Unpaid Toad Savers) asked me to highlight the following part of the expo:

“The western leopard toad is a locally endemic frog species, occurring in the southern reaches of Cape Town and around a handful of breeding localities in the Overstrand region of Gansbaai, Standford and Cape Agulhas National Park. This attractive toad is listed as endangered with extinction by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature for reasons such as the loss of habitat to urbanization and agriculture; and road mortalities by motorists. Regardless of these impacts, the leopard toad still manages to hold on for dear life living in urban gardens with a multitude of threats impinging on its survival daily. These resilient toads are an exceptional example of how biodiversity can show resistance and strength under the most difficult circumstances.

Visit the Biodiversity Expo at Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens and meet a western leopard toad and volunteers in person, as well as other fantastic exhibits showcasing what conservation in South Africa has to offer. “

It’s a beautiful estate, with lovely views, award-winning wines and one, most importantly, with an eye on the environmental impact of its operations. Whilst Backsberg hasn’t gone the organic or biodynamic route (which I’ll admit I perhaps idealistically wish they would do), there’s good reason they won the Mail & Guardian Greening the Future Award last year (in the agricultural category) and more besides.

So I’m excited to be going there again, in just over a week’s time, for the third Slow Food Mother City outing of the year.  As a member of the committee for the fledgling Slow Food group, it’s so much fun planning outings like this one (and going on them, of course!).

We’ll be joining Simon Back on a walking tour of the estate, visiting the section set aside specifically for biodiversity (which earned the estate ‘Champion’ BWI status), followed by a guided wine-tasting, and a finger lunch outside the Earth Centre.

Please join us!  The event is open to guests and members alike – cost is R80 for members, R85 for guests and R35 for children aged 3-12. Wine will be available for purchase to take home or enjoy with your picnic. Cool drinks will also be available for purchase.

The full event info:

Date and time:
Saturday 27 March 2010. 11.00am

Schedule:

11h00: Arrival (refreshments served outside the Earth Centre)
11h00-12h00: Environmental Tour of the Estate with Simon Back
12h00-13h00: Wine Tasting in Historical Vat Cellar hosted by Cellar Door Manager, Danwin James
13h00: Finger Lunch outside the Earth Centre

For more details, and a map, visit slowfoodmothercity.co.za.

Hope to see you there!

Thanks to Michelle for finding the awesome drunken snail pic (original here).

On the agenda, four passionate producers who are making a difference in their field:

• Michael Back from Backsberg on CARBON NEUTRAL
• Michelle du Preez from Bon Cap on their ORGANIC approach
• Johnathan Grieve from Avondale -  on their BIO LOGIC approach
• Johan Reyneke from Reyneke Wines – on his BIODYNAMIC approach

I’ve heard two of them speak before (Michael Back and Johan Reyneke), but this time was a little different – it was more of a debate, with some tough questions asked.  Each farm has its own way of doing things.  Backsberg, for example, is not organic, instead choosing to focus on the carbon neutral approach.  Bon Cap is proudly organic but not necessarily carbon neutral.  Avondale and Reyneke wines are taking organic to another level… But is any one of them ‘greener’ than the other?

And, a hotly debated topic: are BWI-certified wine estates really as eco-friendly as they’re marketed to be?  Reserving a portion of land for biodiversity is fantastic, of course, but is that enough to be considered ‘green’?  It’s a tricky one, and I certainly don’t know the answer (though I’m definitely in favour of natural farming versus the chemical- and pesticide-filled versions).

We’ve explored this topic before, and if you’re interested in an overview of what they’re doing to keep things eco-friendly – it’s worth checking out a new video clip on WineTube (created by Charles Lourens of Bottle Plate Pillow).  The footage doesn’t include Reyneke Wines, unfortunately, but instead has a snippet about Mooiplaas, a BWI-member estate near Stellenbosch.

The clip will give you an understanding of what organic wine is, how it is produced and how you can get involved and do your bit to offset your carbon emissions and help to preserve our natural surrounds.

Michelle du Preez from Bon Cap Estate and Jonathan Grieve from Avondale Estate have some insightful answers. In a nutshell, it is produced without any chemicals or pesticides, which enables the wineries to contribute to the sustainability of our environment (and means that it is healthier for us to drink too!).

Grieve also explains how simple and effective this process can be, for example Avondale has one hundred ducks roaming around their vineyards eating the snails as a natural and cost effective alternative to toxic snail bait.

Simon Back from Backsberg addresses another important aspect of ‘eco-friendly’ wines, explaining how Backsberg off sets all their carbon emissions, and explaining how consumers can get involved in the project too.

According to Tielman Roos, Mooiplaas Estate also wants to educate their visitors about their wines and the environment, and invite them to take a walk in the natural veldt before their wine tasting (pre-booking necessary).  (originally written by Emma Donovan for BottlePlatePillow)

BottlePlatePillow, if you haven’t encountered it yet, is an easy-to-use online directory for wine tasting and sales, winery restaurants, accommodation and fun activities on offer on wine estates in South Africa. And, if you’re looking for eco-friendly wine estates, you can now search by ‘Green / Organic / Low sulphur’ to find a few to stop in at (not too many on there, but let’s hope that number grows)

WineTube is a recently incorporated video streaming section where users can watch, upload and share wine clips – and it seems to be nicely done.

According to SANParks, the objective of SANParks Week is to:

…cultivate a culture of pride in all South Africans in their relationship with the country’s natural, cultural and historical heritage, under the established theme “Know Your National Parks” and the feature element of the project is free access to all South African day visitors (especially people from communities around the parks) carrying an official Identity Document, while scholars and young persons under 16 years of age, will be allowed entry, without the requirement for proof of identity.

Now, down in the Cape we may not have easy access to parks like the famous Kruger National Park, but we certainly do have a few of our own very spectacular variety.  I wondered how many Capetonians have been to all of them… so I’ve put together a list, in order of proximity (within a limit of 400km from Cape Town).

Here’s to visiting them all (though not necessarily in the space of one week!)

TMNP (Table Mountain National Park).

A unique feature of the TMNP is that it is primarily an open access Park with only three points where conservation fees are payable, Cape of Good Hope, Boulders and Silvermine, the rest of the Park is open access and free for all to enjoy.

Situated at the south-western tip of Africa, the Table Mountain National Park (TMNP) encompasses the incredibly scenic Table Mountain Chain stretching from Signal Hill in the north to Cape Point in the south and the seas and coastline of the peninsula.

The narrow finger of land with its beautiful valleys, bays and beaches is surrounded by the waters of the Atlantic Ocean in the west and the warmer waters of False Bay and has within its boundaries two world-renowned landmarks – majestic Table Mountain and the legendary Cape of Good Hope.

Normal rates for SA citizens: R70 per adult, per day or R10 per child, per day.

West Coast National Park

Location: about 100km from Cape Town, along the West Coast road (R27).

Just inland from the secluded harbour of Saldanha Bay one finds the azure waters of the Langebaan Lagoon, focal point of the West Coast National Park. Thousands of seabirds roost on sheltered islands, pristine golden beaches stretch endlessly into the early morning mist and brooding salt marshes are home to vast concentrations of migrant waders from the northern hemisphere.

During the spring the strandveld is embroidered with a tapestry of multi-hued flowers, while in the Postberg section many antelope are to be seen in a setting that is as unique as it is idyllic.

Being flower season, the tariffs are higher than the rest of the year, and you’d be saving yourself R38 per person, per day or R26 per child, per day.

Agulhas National Park

Slightly further afield, approximately 230 km from Cape Town, on the East Coast, you can also stand at the southern-most tip of Africa, located in the Agulhas National Park.

Geographical extremes capture the imagination. From ancient mariners to contemporary mankind, the quest has always been to reach the poles, sail around the tips of continents, conquer the highest peaks and dive to the ultimate depths. This is the same spirit that captivated the explorers of yesteryear who braved one of the most challenging sea crossings of their time: the Atlantic-Indian Ocean crossing via Cape Agulhas.

As the southern-most tip of Africa, it has always had its mysteries and adventure, and still captures the imagination of contemporary explorers.

There is no conservation fee for the park, but you’ll pay R15 per adult, per day (half that for kids) to enter the Lighthouse Museum.

Bontebok National Park

Location:  about 6km from the picturesque and historic town of Swellendam, 240 km from Cape Town (along the N2).

Bontebok National Park is a place of simplistic beauty and peaceful charm. The majestic Langeberg Mountains provide a picturesque backdrop for this Park of colorful riches. A part of the Cape Floral Kingdom, now heralded as a world heritage site, Bontebok National Park always offers something in bloom.

The Park is proud to promote its achievements in biodiversity conservation, from the endangered fynbos veld type, coastal Renosterveld to the namesake bontebok!

Normal entry fee: R18 per person, per day.

Tankwa Karoo National Park

Location: inland, about 180km from Ceres and approximately 330km from Cape Town.

Tankwa Karoo National Park is situated on the southern boundary of the Northern Cape with the Roggeveld Escarpment in the East, Cederberg in the West, and Klein Roggeveld Mountains in the South.

Just a four hour drive from Cape Town brings you to this unique national park situated within the Succulent Karoo Biome where you’ll find rare and endangered plant species, rich endemic birdlife, and landscapes that will take your breath away – from the sheer cliffs of the Roggeveld Escarpment to the moonscapes of the Tankwa Desert.

Not a huge saving here – the usual tariff for entry is R18 per person, per day.

And so, one misty morning, about two weeks ago, I hitched a ride with the greenies from Urban Sprout and headed for hills, curious to see what innovations Backsberg had in store.

Once gathered, we all sat down for coffee and listened as owner/winemaker Michael Back described his vision for the estate, and the various measures they have taken to reduce their carbon footprint and become ever more eco-friendly, whilst managing to be just as productive, if not more so.

What was unusual, and thought-provoking, was that some of the methods employed would at first seem to fly in the face of traditional ‘greening’.  Planting a forest of invasive water-sucking trees like bluegums, for instance, seems peculiar, as does allowing alien Port Jackson to grow instead of uprooting it all like most people are doing.

And it is peculiar – I’m still getting my head around the idea – but Michael Back’s view is that these trees are only invasive if you don’t control their spread, and that their value as renewable energy crops (bluegums grow fast and burn well) and biomass (port jackson grows fast and can be chipped and turned into compost) far outweighs their overall impact on the environment.

In addition, the bluegums are irrigated with waste water from the winery, so hopefully won’t be draining the water table, and the Port Jackson grows on the poor soils of what would otherwise be unused, unfarmable land – so both crops, though alien and traditionally spurned by environmentalists, are put to good and carefully monitored use.

Other, less unconventional ways in which the estate is lowering its environmental impact include the following:

• Allowing more natural light into farm buildings by creating skylights.  A simple low-tech and low-cost solution which instantly reduces the amount of artificial lighting required (and therefore cuts down on electricity, obviously).
• Introducing the Lyre system layout to new vineyards.  This shift away from the standard narrow width of vineyard spacing to wider rows with V-shaped vines (it’s quite something to see) is just as productive, or more so, whilst requiring fewer resources (installation is simpler and less resource-intensive, and maintenance involves fewer tractors).  There’s a detailed explanation here.
• Increasing the space between fruit tree trellises from 6m to 7m.  This means fewer poles are required overall, which in turn means less transport, labour and fewer other raw materials.  That’s a saving not only environmentally, but in terms of cost, as well.  
• Downsizing from fuel-heavy farm vehicles (cars, bakkies, tractors) to smaller, more efficient versions, when they need to be replaced.
• Encouraging rootstock to grow wild below the vines, covering the soil.  Not only does this hinder weeds from growing (which then have to be eliminated, usually in a not so eco-friendly way), it also cools the soil naturally, lowering the irrigation required and saving water.
• Using a Varispeed controller to control the volume and pressure of irrigation water (maximum output at lowest amount of power possible).
• Changing harvesting hours from 7.30am to a much earlier 3.30am.  Because most of the harvesting (done with headlamps) is done in the cool of early morning, grape temperatures are lower, and less refrigeration is required during processing.
• Converting from heavy weight to light weight glass bottles means Backsberg will bring in and ship out about 75 tonnes less glass per year.  
• Utilising straw bale insulation around their two main water tanks means the estate uses virtually no daytime (peak) power for the cooling of their cellar buildings (easier on the power grid, and more cost effective, because of the reduced rate for off-peak power)
• Using dam water to cool their red wines during fermentation.  Instead of having to rely on electricity-powered refrigeration, the estate circulates cool water from the dam (water temperature remains a constant 15 degrees below 3-4 metres) into cooling plates and then back out to the dam.

The list of green initiatives goes on, including carbon-offsetting by planting of nearly 1000 trees in neighbouring Klapmuts, setting aside 10% of their land for biodiversity conservation, devoting an additional 10% of their land to renewable energy crop-planting (like the bluegums), propagating their own trees in an onsite nursery and creating their own compost (instead of trucking it in).

Impressive indeed, and I thoroughly enjoyed my visit, especially riding on the back of a bakkie, around the estate!

Best of all, for me, though, was the realisation that ‘going green’ doesn’t have to cost more, as seems to be the general perception.  Sure, if you’re going to do it all at once, and replace everything without using up what you already have… then it’s likely to require a substantial outlay. 

But, implement those changes as things come up for expiry (vines that need replanting, vehicles needing replacing), and it starts making a lot of sense.

Here’s a winery that has managed to become carbon neutral, be more productive and cut costs – without compromising the quality of its wines…

Where moral and environmental pressures might not budge a wine farm owner to be more eco-friendly, I’ll bet the cost-saving and increased productivity aspects just might, and even if that’s all that motivates other wineries to follow in Backsberg’s green footsteps, it’s still all the better for the planet, so hats off to them for setting what I hope will become a trend!

PS.  Read Urban Sprout’s great article on the outing: ‘no holy cows for Backsberg‘

But not this time!  I am planning to visit the beautiful Postberg Reserve once again, and though I probably won’t make it all the way up to Namaqualand this year (danged petrol price being what it is), I am planning a trip up to the Biedouw Valley, near Clanwilliam.

Apparently, the flowers up there are superb, and at the Enjolife Adventure and Nature Farm, which is where I’ll be staying for two glorious nights, there are sections that have not been used for grazing – which means pristine land full of wildflowers.  Yay!

If you haven’t yet made the trip out to the West Coast National Park (of which Postberg is a part), I can highly recommend that you do so this time around.  Whilst every year is different, the flowers I saw there two years ago blew my mind, and the prospect of a sunny day out in the countryside is very appealing indeed.

If you’re planning to go:

• It’ll take you about an hour to get there: the main entrance to the park is on your left, about 90km from Cape Town, on the west coast road (R27) before Langebaan.
• Entrance to the park costs R30 for South Africans, R60 for tourists.   If you have a Cape Cluster Wildcard, it’s free.
• The Postberg Reserve is a section of the park that is only open to visitors during flower season (August and September).
• If you’re going during the weekend, get there EARLY.  The queues can be quite staggering and frustrating, and it’d be a pity to have driven out all that way to get only a few moments of flower-gazing.
• The main gate opens at 7am (until 6.30), and the Postberg section at 9am (closes 5pm).
• The best viewing times for the flowers are apparently between 11am and 3pm.
• Keep in mind that flowers turn towards the sun, so it’s best to view them with the sun behind you.

I spoke to the folks at the park yesterday, and was told that the flowers are just starting to come out now, and advised that I give it another week or so before heading out there.

So, by the weekend of the 15th of August, they should, weather permitting, be in full and glorious swing!

Additional flower-hunting reading

There doesn’t seem to be much info on the wild wild web, but here are a few useful links:

‘Cape flower power‘ – an article on iafrica with tips on where you can go to see the flowers, and what kind you’re likely to see.

‘South Africa: Wild flowers of the Western Cape‘ – detailed flower information from Travel Africa Magazine Online.  Click the ‘pdf’ icon at top right of the article for the full info (and in an easier to read format).

Darling Wildflower Society – another great place to view the flowers is Darling, and the website has a fair amount of useful and current information.

Clanwilliam Wild Flowers and Cape Fynbos – great resource for the Clanwilliam and Cederberg areas.

Well, admittedly, the grisly photos got me first – a leopard’s paw, mangled by a gin trap, and jackal carcasses strung up along a farmside fence – not pretty.

Stomach-lurchingly un-pretty.

When I’d recovered sufficiently, I got to reading the article itself, and started feeling a bit better:

‘New meat brand aims to protect wildlife’

A conservation group (the Landmark Foundation) is poised to launch its own ‘predator-friendly’ meat brand that will discourage the use of ‘barbaric’ leg-hold traps, indiscriminate poisons and hunting-dog packs to ward off predators including leopards, lynxes, caracals and jackals.

In case you’re wondering how else the farmers can keep their flocks from being chomped, a number of ‘non-lethal and holistic’ ways of protecting livestock are put forward as alternatives, among them using Anatolian shepherd dogs and fitting sheep with protective collars (I’m curious as to what these do, exactly…).

By buying meat bearing the new ‘wildlife-friendly’ brand eco-conscious folk like you and me will be able to support actively the farmers who have ‘shifted to non-lethal ecologically and ethically acceptable predator management’ instead of those who couldn’t be bothered.

Sounds good to me and, apparently, the major retailers (Shoprite, Pick’n'Pay, Woolworths and Spar are mentioned) have indicated their support for the initiative.

But, no doubt they’ll still need to be encouraged, so next time you’re out shopping, ask (nay, insist!) on predator-friendly meat options – because the more of us do so, the greater the demand will be for them, the more likely it is that farmers will switch to ‘ecologically acceptable’ farming practices and, of course, the more likely it is that shops will stock them.

(And, most importantly, the fewer mangled leopards’ paws we’re likely to see when browsing the weekend newspapers – amen to that).

“To celebrate the International Day of Biological Diversity (22 May 2008), Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden is hosting a Biodiversity Expo to showcase the diverse range of biodiversity conservation projects currently taking place in the Cape Floristic Region”

Over the course of the day, a variety of knowledgeable speakers will cover topics such as “Urban Conservation”, “Climate Change and Biodiversity Conservation” and “Restoration work on the Cape Flats”.

In addition, exhibitors from a number of organisations including Cape Nature, Biowatch, Working for Water (and many more) will be on hand to show visitors what work is being done to conserve and protect South Africa’s biodiversity:

“Visitors will be able to see what conservation work is being done, meet the people involved, find out all sorts of interesting information about biodiversity conservation, explore career opportunities, find out where to study and what to study, and obtain information on how to get involved as a volunteer.”

The Biodiversity Expo is on at Kirstenbosch’s Marquee Lawn (Gate 2) between 9am and 4pm. A full programme of events is available on the SANBI website. For more information, contact the Kirstenbosch Information Desk on 021 799 8783. There is no charge for the expo, but a normal garden entry fee applies.