Follow the recovery journey through the eyes of our conservancy members
When curiosity meets passion for protecting indigenous biodiversity, a beautiful drive for biological conservation ensues. Perivoli Lagoon House aims to restore areas that have been badly affected by invasive alien vegetation. Rather than simply clearing and burning the accumulated biomass of these invasive alien plants, which is common practice, it is important to gain an understanding […]
Silent battles rage on slopes and in valleys of the Walker Bay area. A race for light, nutrients and space is underway within the ever-changing landscape. This mosaic consists of pristine vegetation, anywhere between 5 and 20 years old, mixed with swathes of young veld undergoing ecological succession after the fires gave the landscape a […]
Where fire raged through six months ago, Roepera flexuosa puts on a wonderful show of yellow flushes across patches of dune strandveld in the Walker Bay area. This plant is known by a few interesting common names: thin twinleaf, maerbossie, spekbossie and vyfpondbos. The origins behind these names are as special as the nature of […]
Many members of the Iris family, Iridaceae, are stimulated to flower after fire. In the last month, three species of Gladiolus have erupted from the ground like fireworks across the burnt landscape, each telling a story of resilience and recovery. The Kaneelpypie, also known as the Fragrant Afrikaner or Rock Afrikaner (Gladiolus guthriei), was the […]
The Royal Horticultural Society’s Chelsea Flower Show is the world’s foremost garden show, featuring a beautiful array of plants and designs from around the world. This year, the award-winning South African team, led by Leon Kluge, presented “Life After Fire” – a garden inspired by the recent, severe wildfires that swept through large areas of […]
A picture paints a thousand words. As part of their efforts to document post-fire recovery of the fynbos landscape, the conservation team on Grootbos Private Nature Reserve selected sites for fixed-point photography and have already witnessed a striking transformation. From bare, sandy soil dusted with ash in mid December, to the first signs of fresh […]
In the recently burnt fynbos, a beautiful Palpares speciosus antlion was spotted among the recovering vegetation. These intricate antlions are usually active at night, their delicate wings catching the light as they flit through mountain fynbos habitats. While the adults are graceful and harmless, their larvae are formidable predators, hiding under sand at the base […]
In a recently burnt area of fynbos, a grysbok (Raphicerus melanotis) was observed feeding on the first shoots emerging from the ash. Fires clear older vegetation and stimulate new plant growth, creating fresh food sources that herbivores rely on. Watching the grysbok nibble on these tender shoots highlights the important role post-fire growth plays in […]
Although the fire removed dense stands of mature invasives, it also created ideal conditions for rapid germination. Many invasive species, like stink bean (Parkia speciosa) are strongly fire-stimulated, and large flushes of seedlings are now emerging across the landscape. This post-fire window offers a valuable opportunity for cost-effective management, as young seedlings can still be […]
