Welcome
Welcome to the newsletter of the Noordhoek Environmental Action Group. Like fynbos after fire, we have revived the newsletter after a period of dormancy, and hope that like fynbos it continues to flourish. In each issue, we intend to run a longer feature of ecological interest – in this issue we look at the recent fires – and an ongoing series on the green spaces of the Noordhoek Valley. We launch the series with a place that is close to our heart – the Chapman’s Peak Nature Sanctuary – as experienced by Tim Ellis, who first explored it one memorable Hallowe’en.
In this issue you will also find a book review by Rob Anderson, who also lists some of the resources we offer for members. In this and future issues, we will keep you informed of relevant news from the Valley and from partner organizations, as well as forthcoming community events. The newsletter will be a quarterly, and will coincide with the equinoxes and solstices. Submissions are welcome – whether you have an idea for a feature, or would like to let the community know about an event you’re planning, email us at nicewriting@yahoo.com.
Fighting Fire with Fynbos
TESSA OLIVER and NICK PAUL
The wildfires of late April and early May left thousands of acres of burnt fynbos, closed popular recreational facilities, and raised questions about our ability as a city to respond to events like these as climate change makes them more frequent and severe. But they’ve also highlighted the ability of our communities to work together in a crisis, and the capacity of our wild places to regenerate and thrive.
The Tokai fires, which burned from the 27th of April to the 2nd of May, started by an arsonist, fuelled by dry late-summer vegetation, and fanned by a steady northwesterly wind, leave behind them 2800 charred hectares of fynbos and former plantation. The fires burned from the upper Tokai forest area, south as far as Kalk Bay, west across Silvermine, and north to upper Constantia, causing million of rands in damages and millions more in firefighting costs.
The response on the ground involved between 120 and 250 firefighters at any given time drawn from SANParks, the City of Cape Town, Volunteer Wildfire Services, Enviro Wildfire Services, and Provincial Disaster Management. The fleet of response vehicles included up to 19 City fire vehicles and six SANParks trucks, supported by four helicopters that conducted 1,515 water drops — each carrying approximately 1,000 litres.
Counting the Cost
The fires, while dramatic, were not an unmitigated disaster. From a strictly human perspective, no loss of life was recorded, and no homes, businesses, or public infrastructure was burnt. Most of the vegetation burnt was fynbos, which has evolved to survive and thrive through occasional fires. Unfortunately though, some indigenous riverine forest was lost, and the fire did not rid the peninsula of as much exotic plantation and invasive aliens as it might have, with larger aliens like Eucalyptus, Port Jackson willow and black wattle left substantially undamaged.
This resulted from the nature of the fire – a late season event that burned quickly through the fynbos while leaving some aliens intact. The fire season usually ends sometime in March; this fire burned through the early days of May. It was exacerbated by relatively high air temperatures and extremely low humidity, and fuelled in places by large stacks of alien vegetation that had been allowed to dry after removal, particularly in Tokai.
The fire’s impact was not uniform, since some areas had already burned since the last major fire ten years ago. Some patches of fynbos had fallen prey to arson some three years ago, and with their relatively new growth these patches were badly affected. Similarly, Farmer Peck’s Valley, which runs up to Ou Kaapse Weg from Muizenberg, has burned multiple times in the past decade as a result of accidental fires, and has been badly affected. While Noordhoek Manor had to be evacuated as the flames approached within 100 metres of its boundary, effective measures by firefighting teams left our residential areas largely unscathed.
One of the major concerns for people during a fire like this is the plight of the slower-moving animal species – including tortoises, snakes and chameleons. While some are lost during a blaze like this, most of these species have evolved with fires over millennia, and most animals survive, particularly if there is not a high fuel load of alien vegetation. Chameleons, for example, turn pitch black, and will find their way in crevices between rocks and holes in the ground. Tortoises lay their eggs in late summer, and these are safe underground. After a fire, there’s actually a lot of lush vegetation for the baby tortoises to feed on.
Some SanParks infrastructure was lost – notably the ablution facilities at Silvermine, the boardwalk around the dam, and some of the anti-erosion struts on the trails. Because of this – and to prevent walkers from creating new trails on burnt ground and through fragile new growth – Silvermine West will remain closed for some months.
Green Shoots
From an ecological perspective, most of the area that the fire burned was due for another burn; the last major fire was in 2015, which means that most of the vegetation was 10 years old. For some species, this is an ideal interval – when a protea is burned, its seeds fall to the ground where they germinate, in the wet winter season. A protea takes about five years before it reaches reproductive age and starts producing flowers – but you don’t want a fire in year six, because it takes longer to produce more flowers.
With the first rains of winter, there is a delicate green gauze of new growth across some of the slopes, and down the watercourses. What vegetation has started to come through? Some grasses have started to regrow, including restios (Restionaceae) whose runner roots allow for swift regrowth. Bracken ferns (Pteridium aquilinum), a hardy pioneer species which stabilizes soil and thrives after fires, is already blanketing areas along Ou Kaapse Weg, and the more delicate asparagus fern (Asparagus setaceus, actually a species of orchid) may also be seen here and there. The slim ribbons of Watsonia leaves promise a spectacular spring, when we will also see the flowers of some species of orchids, including Disa atricalpilla and Disa fasciata, that bloom only after a blaze. The ericas and proteas will take a little longer.
Because different fires affect different species of fynbos vegetation differently, with different rates of recovery, fire contributes to the massive diversity and dynamism of this unique floral kingdom. According to Cape Nature, the interval between fires should largely be determined by the growth rate of natural, existing plants. Ideally, no fire should be permitted in fynbos until at least 50% of the population of the slowest-maturing species in an area have flowered for at least three successive seasons (or at least 90% of the individuals of the slowest maturing species in the area have flowered and produced seed). Similarly, a fire is probably not necessary unless a third or more of the plants of these slow-maturing species are either dying or no longer producing flowers and seed.
What’s next?
Silvermine East reopened on the 1st of July, and the western section of the park opened in early Spetember, with temporary ablution facilities in the main carpark while the permanenet structure is being rebuilt. The City of Cape Town and Sanparks are involved in a legal tussle over costs and responsibilities; the details of this remain subjudice. It’s the contention of SanParks that the City has not properly maintained its firebreaks. The City has since announced a proposed R17 million increase in fire and rescue funding as part of its draft budget. More locally, the NEAG and the Noordhoek Ratepayers (NRPA) are working with the City of Cape Town to ensure better maintenance of firebreaks in the Noordhoek area.
How Can I Help?
The best thing for any concerned resident to do in the event of a wildfire is to keep out of the way of the crews fighting the blaze. In these days of social media, fire tourism is a growing menace and an impediment to the teams who are getting the job done, and having well-meaning civilians on the fire line is one of the worst things a fire chief can cope with. People should also ensure that any donations – of food and beverages for example – are exactly what has been asked for.
For people with a genuine calling to get involved in firefighting efforts, there is the Volunteer Wildfire Services, which has been combating dangerous and sometimes deadly runaway wildfires since its inception during the devastating fires that ravaged Cape Town in 1999 and 2000. Today there are over 350 volunteers operating out of four locations in Helderberg, Newlands, the South Peninsula and Stellenbosch. They’ve contributed over 100000 firefighting hours protecting lives, ecosystems and properties, with services of an estimated value of R12 million. The training is time-consuming and expensive, and the work is gruelling and dangerous – so this is one for the truly committed only.
For those of us with less capacity, but with an interest in fire prevention and the protection of ecosystems, joining a local hacking group is perhaps the most valuable year-round contribution we can make. Friends of Silvermine Nature Area (FOSNA), established in 1992, does great work in preserving a valuable and beloved natural resource; Friends of Tokai does similarly important work on the eastern slopes. Both offer a number of volunteer opportunities, including regular alien hacks. Closer to home, Project Noordhoeked creates jobs to keep Noordhoek’s natural spaces clean and free of invasive plants, and welcomes financial support for their small but dedicated team.
Fire is a fact of life on the Southern Peninsula and in our own valley. This time around, Noordhoek was left relatively untouched. But as climate change leads to longer fire seasons, drier air conditions and unpredictable winds, we are likely to face more threatening fire events. We should perhaps take our inspiration from the fynbos itself – evolve, respond, and work on growing our resilience.
For more on the management of the fire, read this excellent Daily Maverick article.
For more on the ecology of fire and fynbos, read this paper.
Tribute to Donovan Kirkwood
ROB ANDERSON
Dr Donovan Kirkwood, Noordhoek resident, staunch NEAG supporter and renowned conservationist, died after a fall in the mountains above Jonkershoek on 26 August. He was one of a group of botanists searching for a critically endangered plant.
Donovan earned a PhD in ecology at UCT, then spent many years working for CapeNature. He also consulted in plant ecology and veld management. He was an exceptional botanist and a man whose enthusiasm for plant conservation involved him in many projects outside of his work, where he was always happy to give advice and hands-on assistance.
Since 2018 he headed the botanical garden at Stellenbosch University, where his dedication and energy earned the garden international recognition for the conservation of threatened species. Even his home in Noordhoek became a mini botanical garden, with all sorts of rare plants in various stages of cultivation and propagation, including species rescued from “under the bulldozer” of developers.
Don’s knowledge and enthusiasm were central to NEAG’s efforts to protect the Sanctuary below the Red Herring centre. He compiled a list of more than 120 plant species from frequent visits as well as checking our (sometimes inaccurate) identifications. Not only did he freely give advice, but he collected seeds of certain species, germinated them at home and returned young plants to the more degraded parts of the sanctuary. In fact, Don was the person behind what we now know about the plants in the sanctuary!
Don’s tragic death at only 54 years of age leaves a huge gap both locally and nationally. NEAG offers heartfelt condolences to Don’s wife Rosie, and to his surviving family members.
If you would like to make a donation in Don’s memory, please email Razelle@sun.ac.za.
Funds raised will support the development of display beds for critically endangered Fynbos, using rescued plants from a patch of land that is currently being cleared.
Green Spaces of Noordhoek: The Chapman’s Peak Nature Sanctuary
TIM ELLIS
It is Hallowe’en and, for reasons of limited availability, I am dressed as a pirate. The patch over my eye is making it difficult to navigate the low-hanging branches of the Milkwood trees as I stumble after my friend Ingram’s very excited children, and frankly, a very excited Ingram. Our barely sipped pints are sitting on a table at the Red Herring, abandoned under duress for this scramble in the dark.
If you live in the lanes and have children, or perhaps if neither of these are relevant to you (as they weren’t to me at the time), this scene may be familiar. The surprise of an opening into the trees behind the carpark, and a path that twists and turns past skeletons and werewolves, grim reapers and bloodthirsty vampires, all out to scare the wits out of you as the children shriek with horrified delight.
Whose land is this? Who has created this devilish path through (what I now know to be) the last patch of Tall Southern Coastal Forest that once stretched past Monkey Valley to the dunes?
This is, in fact, the northwest corner of the Chapmans Peak Nature Sanctuary. Over 3 hectares of land mapped as a ‘Critical Biodiversity Area’, comprising two distinct ecosystems that once covered large parts of Noordhoek.
The land covers three erven, the smallest of which is a narrow band adjacent to the Red Herring zoned as ‘Public Open Space’ (site of the Hallowe’en adventure). The vast majority, however, falls within two erven owned by the Western Cape Department of Education.
You may well have strolled through the southern section on one of the many paths leading off Oak Avenue, perhaps past the owl box put up by the Call of the Wild children, or paused at one of the wooden signs explaining the key plant species. This is endangered Cape Flats Dune Strandveld in exceptional ecological condition, and forms the more open 1.2 hectares of the Sanctuary. More than 110 plant species have been identified here, many of which are being rediscovered for their traditional uses as food and medicine.
If you’re one of the fortunate few who decide to sit in a sunny spot on a still day, you will likely have come to know some of the more-than-human inhabitants. The flashing iridescence of a double-collared sunbird, perhaps pausing momentarily with cocked head and shining colours. Or the precise unhurried patterns of a geometric tortoise, surprisingly quick to disappear after crossing your path into the undergrowth beyond.
Looking up, you may see the milkwoods through which we limboed in pursuit of ghostly children. These trees form a 2-hectare forest alongside Beach Road and down the eastern boundary with Hurter Avenue: the surviving remnant of what was once 14 hectares of Tall Southern Coastal Forest contiguous with the Short Milkwood Forest that extends down to the beach.
This combination of ancient forest remnant and endangered Strandveld is considered not only a biodiversity conservation priority, but also an important heritage feature and community resource. Collaboration between NEAG, local residents and the City’s Biodiversity team to formally proclaim the Sanctuary as a protected area has been stalled by the Education Department’s wish to retain the erven. While there is no immediate intent to develop, the risk remains.
A few years ago, I spent the winter living in a flat with a picture window gazing across the Sanctuary forest to the sunset beyond. In need of inspiration for my writing, I would often wander into the milkwoods on one of the inviting paths. The soundscape would change, cars and leaf-blowers receding through the thickness of the forest web. Scents of comforting richness would rise from the leaf litter and my eyes would shift their binocular focus to a more diffused gaze, seeking out the subtle trails that lead off the main track.
There is an Alice-in-Wonderland effect here, far more to explore than you might think possible from walking swiftly along the periphery en route to the beach, or – with scratched arms and wide-eyed children – back to your barely-sipped pint.
NEAG have been custodians of the Chapmans Peak Nature Sanctuary since the 1980s, clearing alien vegetation and working with local stakeholders to protect the remaining biodiversity as well as curate an open and educational community resource.
Turn off that light!
ROB ANDERSON
Review: The Darkness Manifesto – Why the World Needs the Night by Johan Eklöf
Vintage Books (Penguin Random House, UK, 2023)
Have you ever wondered how to get that neighbour to turn off his thousand-watt security light that shines through your curtains all night? The facts you will need to persuade him are to be found in this book …
“Light pollution” – a term coined by astronomers and unheard of a few decades ago, is now the subject of scientific research and a recognized problem worldwide. In this short, very readable book, Johan Eklöf, a Swedish biologist, brilliantly summarizes why too much light damages our world – and our physical and mental health.
The facts are woven into four main sections, each subdivided into many short chapters. Even those of us who think we know something about the subject will find much that is new and interesting – and those in search of “gee whizz” facts will not be disappointed.
Embracing the Darkness
When we disrupt the cycle of day and night we also disrupt the natural cycles of most plants and animals around us (including our own!). More than half of insect species depend on dark nights for mating, finding food, or evading predators. The alarming decrease in insect populations is caused as much by too much night-lighting as by the more accepted factors of habitat loss and pesticides. And that means fewer pollinators and loss of plants, crops, birds.
Effects on mammals (including bats) are largely known, and each sends ripples that extend through, and usually disrupt, entire ecosystems. For example, bats usually abandon roosting sites that are lit at night, and illuminating an historic building for tourists will drive them out. A single bat eats thousands of mosquitoes in a night, so reduced bat populations can lead to increased mosquito-borne diseases in a city. There are many more examples.
We humans are directly affected by too much light. Like all living creatures our bodies are governed by daily rhythms that are set by light/dark regimes and mediated by hormones. But now we extend our days and subject ourselves to evenings of blue light from cellphones and monitors, contributing to sleeplessness, depression and even some forms of cancer.
A Glimmer of Hope
The last, brief chapter ends optimistically with a call to use common sense and technology to reduce and control lighting. Already some countries and cities are re-designing (or even switching off) inessential outdoor lighting and changing light systems in public buildings.
Reducing light pollution is something we can and should do, both for ourselves and for our world. Among the many environmental problems the world faces, this may be the most easily solved.
The book is a highly recommended read for anyone with an interest in the environment and a vital source for those fighting light pollution. And I think it should be compulsory reading for architects and town planners!
Postcript: No streetlights in Noordhoek!
More than three decades ago, an official proudly told a Noordhoek ratepayers meeting that the city had funding to install streetlights here. There was an angry roar from the audience and someone shouted “We’ll shoot them out!”.
“Okay, okay, no streetlights, then.” was the official’s reply, and this happy situation has remained.
Noordhoek can proudly claim to be ahead of its time as one of the few Cape Town suburbs where the stars are visible at night and all the little beasties can go about their lives (relatively) undisturbed. Let’s keep it that way.
Knowledge is Power: Borrowing books from the NEAG library
NEAG has assembled a small but valuable collection of resources for our members, who are welcome to borrow books for a month (or more, by arrangement). Collection is by arrangement: call (or preferably whatsapp) Rob on 060 648 2157. I’m at 6 Erica St in Noordhoek (the area also called Chapman’s Peak Estate, south of the Red Herring centre). We’re keen to expand the library; donations of books on natural history or the environment are most welcome!
List of books in the NEAG reference library:
- Wild Flowers of the Table Mountain National Park (SA Wild Flower Guide 12) (T. Trinder-Smith).
- Field Guide to the Spiders of South Africa (Ansie Dippenaar-Schoeman )
- Problem Plants and Alien Weeds of Southern Africa (Clive Bromilow)
- Field Guide to Fynbos Fauna (Cliff & Suretha Dorse)
- Field Guide to Butterflies of South Africa (Steve Woodall) (2nd Ed).
- Birds of Southern Africa (Sasol – 5th ed.) Sinclair, hockey, Tarboton, Perrins, Rollinson, Ryan).
- Frogs and Frogging in South Africa (Carruthers & du Preez).
- South African Wildflower Guide 8. SOUTHERN OVERBERG (Mustart, Cowling, Albertyn).
- A Guide to the Dragonflies and Damselflies of South Africa (Warwick & Michelle Tarboton).
- Pocket Guide: FYNBOS (John Manning).
- Pocket Guide: Birds of Southern Africa (Ian Sinclair).
- Scatalog. Quick Guide to southern African animal droppings (Kevin Murray).
- Tracks and Tracking in Southern Africa (Louis Liebenberg).
- Grow Bulbs (Graham Duncan).
- Grow Succulents (Ian B Oliver).
- Grow Restios (Brown, Jamison, Botha).
- Grow Proteas (Duncan, Brown, Nurrish).
PETCO award for Project Noordhoeked
The amazing work done by PN was nationally recognized On 26 June, at PETCO’s annual award ceremony in Johannesburg, with first prize in the Conscious Consumer category. PN’s indomitable leader, Karoline Hanks attended the ceremony and receive a framed certificate and a R 30 000 contribution towards equipment. PN will use the money to partly fund a new trailer.
PN was recognised for their many initiatives: education via kakapo the whale, home waste footprint, public relations, as alien clearing, restoration of infrastructure in nature areas… and all the other amazing things they do. PN is delighted with the award, and Karoline reports that the event was well attended, with representatives from an inspiring range of projects that are active all over SA.
PETCO is a national organization and the awards “recognise inspiring work within the collection and recycling value chain throughout South Africa”. A well-deserved a feather in the cap for PN, and for their supporters in Noordhoek!
