Checkpoint 20

 

This afternoon, a sundowner meeting was organised at Checkpoint 20 on top of the Sugarbush Ridge by the Sugarbush Ridge Coalition for all the stakeholders involved in protecting this amazing ridge. A storm threatened as we made our way through the Protea Forest towards the top of the ridge where the meeting place was setup.

This sundowner meeting was a lovely ending to the year of conservation. Our job has not ended, but just to take time to meet all the other Eco-warriors in the middle of this awesome environment.

Wasp Pollinator

I am not sure what this fella's name but this is not the first time I have seen this wasp pollinating the Protea trees when s/he comes in for a tasty sweet snack.

Walking in the veldt outside my home, it is just rocky grass covered slopes with Protea trees. Now a then, if you look carefully you catch a glimpse of colour. No wait the veldt is full of colour, you just have to open your eyes, and see.

Pilgrim Intruders

Sitting at my desk on a Friday, the dogs start going ballistic and I looked out to check what is going on, when I saw a glimpse of a person in the veldt carrying an orange bag disappearing amongst the Protea trees. 

I rushed and put on some shoes ideal for the veldt, called River Song, and we were off in pursuit. But by the time we got out into the veldt, the intruder was gone. So called religious pilgrims trespass into the veldt to get closer to their god with an added benefit, they believe that the 3 springs below in the valley are holy waters. I don't mind them coming for the holy water and to pray. what I do mind is the overnight camping, laying of snares to catch bush meat, and the cutting down of trees. The pilgrims normally start moving in from Thursdays and stay till Sunday, cutting down Protea trees for firewood as it has been cold. Last night the valley was littered with campfires, not good at all.

Protea Stump

Yesterday a huge bush fire erupted from an illegal ZCC church gathering on private land. This fire just about decimated the grazing of the endangered Mountain Reedbuck. The teams that went in to stop the fire were shocked to find 12 illegal pilgrim groups, over 200 cut down protea trees, and to make matters worse, a dead Mountain Reedbuck was found in a snare. :-(

This morning I went into the portion of veldt outside my home, I found only a pilgrim couple praying on my side but on the other side of the valley, it was dotted with pilgrims very 100m or so. I found a number of cut protea trees too, this one stump shown above which was cut down some time ago is struggling to regrow and it doesn't help if the branches are broken off regularly. 

This has to stop!

15 Bodies

Last night River Song, my German Shepherd cross Belgium Shepherd puppy would not stop barking. It was a windy night with an ill feeling in the air. After many checks with a touch, I resigned myself that I must have a problem puppy as she is just barking at the wind but this morning I learnt that I was far wrong.

Last night another pilgrim fell to the Mamlambo, a mermaid snake like African spirit/goddess that can shapeshift her form at will. Well the Mamlambo that lives here in the splash pool of the Manie Mulder waterfall was on the prowl last night which according to statistics here in this gorge she does on average just over 3 times a year when she is hungry. Our stats count last night's victim as body number 15, the 2nd one this year to be fished out of the Muldersdrift Se Loop, a stream which springs out of the rocks between Roodekrans and Krugersdorp. For the record, the 1st victim this year was on Sunday the 21 January 2018 and a Police helicopter was sent to retrieve the body.

Come on 15 bodies in 4 years! This has to stop. This is a very strong spirit that lives down in the splash pool of the Manie Mulder waterfall, very strong. This Mamlambo, she is very unhappy about all the Protea Trees that are being cut down for firewood and the sewerage that plagues this stream and the Walter Sisulu National Botanical Gardens downstream.

The only fix I can see is to stop people going down into this gorge at night. And to do this I propose that this, the deepest gorge in Gauteng, home to the last 2 African Tree Ferns in the wilds of Gauteng, to be incorporated into the National Botanical Gardens. Yes this area needs to be protected! Alien trees to be removed and the area returned to its natural state. Allow access only during the day for the pilgrims to collect the Holy Water, and to wash themselves spiritually but then leave before dark. No one should be allowed to stay overnight in this spiritual realm, no one. That way the Mamlambo will be happy again.

Well according to the statistics, 1 more pilgrim has to feed the hunger of the Mamlambo before the year is over. Surely 15 deaths is way too much for one stream to cause. Let us put a stop to this and at the same time protect the environment

Living on the Edge

Everyday now, I've been taking River Song for walks on the lead and I try take different routes to make it exciting for her. I think she is enjoying it. Today I walked the side of the gorge and took this photo facing north towards the Walter Sisulu National Botanical Gardens which is downstream. It is there that the famous Black Eagle pair nest just 2km from where I am currently standing. Every now and then they drift up the gorge looking for food.

To the right off camera of course is my house at the edge of this beautiful area, and to the right also off camera is the deepest gorge in Gauteng, the Witpoortjie Kloof.

Albertina Sisulu Orchid

I joined the annual count for the Albertina Sisulu Orchid along the southern slopes of ridge that runs through Proteadal. This orchid was once thought to be extinct but a few years back a viable population of the orchid was found. Once thought to be extinct, in 2015, just over 100 of these extremely endangered ground orchids were counted. The problem is that developers want to build very close to where the orchids are and with their own environment specialist claimed that there where no endangered plants such as this orchid there. Well every year an annual count is done.

The following year 2016 only 3 were found, and 2017 it was a bumper year with nearly 150 found. So today we spread out about 5 metres apart and walked and walked and walked. What felt like 20km, we only walked just over 10km but over rough terrain. Even with the 5m gap being searcher we could have missed a few plants but this margin of error is the same every year and gives us an indication of how many there actually are. The main issue is that the orchids are there, and it contradicts the environmental specialist hired by the developers, assessment that there are no orchids here. Sadly we only found 8 Albertina Sisulu orchids on our count today and I was finished. Kaput! No more walking for me for a while.

I saw plenty of other orchids, more common ones and also just as beautiful. we saw plenty of the African Red Toads, yet no snakes. 2 Flap Neck Chameleons, a Giant Eagle Owl, a couple of Night Jars, and lots of Francolins. Below are a sample...

Large Flap Neck Chameleon waiting for lunch on some pompom weeds

A much smaller Flap Neck Chameleon, this one was very aggressive and bit me twice as I moved him safely to a tree

I stand corrected with the names, we saw plenty of pink orchids and these white Habenaria epipactidea

A big problem, Protea tree deforesting for firewood

Protea flowers

Now this is my favourite find, also an orchid 

Damage done by 4x4s in the area

I have been told that these repairs to the 4x4 tracks have already cost over R4million

And finally a giant caterpillar on a protea tree 

Sweet Nectar

It is the first Sunday of the year, and I feel excited meeting up at Centre Church in Northriding. Matthew is a little down as his old school friends have let him down, they were supposed to go to Gold Reef City but the dates had changed and were finally settled on this Sunday but at the last minute it was called off as they had no transport to meet Matthew at Gold reef City and now had planned to go out locally in Benoni too far for Matthew to join them.

Matthew keeps pestering me to take more walks into the wild outside our house. And why not, the Protea Trees are in full bloom. It is just an awesome sight, a forest of Proteas all flowering at the same time, just a few metres from your front garden with the sunbirds are taking full advantage the the sweet nectar.

Canadian Surprise

Friends of ours, Nic, Suzanne, Nika, and Aidon, from Canada are in town for the Christmas holidays, and they came round for breakfast much to the surprise of Matthew. Oh course I kept it a secret and he was sure surprised to see his friend Aidon who he last saw way in 2008 when Matthew visited Toronto. And my Aidon has grown, he is a head taller than Matthew and Matthew is tall himself. What are they feeding him in Canada?

After breakfast we took a walk into the Protea Forest to the edge of the gorge, it was River Song’s first walk into the veldt and she enjoyed it although she did get stuck at some of the rocky bits and Aidon helped her.

ZCC Disaster

Protea trees are their own worst enemy, as they are one of the few species of trees that can burn while still green. In other words, you don’t have to wait till the wood to dry before using as firewood.

Down in the valley, the pilgrims come from all over to access the holy water springing from the rocks. Thankfully reports I received on Saturday from the Walter Sisulu National Botanical Gardens downstream from where we are, is that the water has never smelt cleaner in a long time. Thanks to all the hard efforts by all the groups concerned. And the pilgrims are too very happy that the holy water is now clean from sewerage.

I don't have a problem with most of the pilgrims, as they just come to pray and collect the holy water, but some like this chap from the Star denomination of the ZCC religious group shown above, spend a couple of nights at a time, roughing it in caves and rock crevasses. It is these chaps which cause the problems.

I caught this ZCC Star member breaking down Protea tree branches to use for fire. Now I have nearly exhausted all avenues in stopping the destruction of the Protea trees. The trees are protected by law but no one, not even the Green Scorpions, are doing anything to stop it. I have spoken to individual pilgrims, I have shown them the alien trees that can be cut down, I have left alternative timber for them to use as firewood, I have spread the story of the Mamlambo, an evil African spirit that lives at the waterfall below us that, who is angry that people are cutting down her children, yet still the Protea tress are being destroyed.

It is becoming a disaster area, and I am losing the battle. Maybe some high ranking ZCC bishop can help? My last resort is that I may need to move away from the religious groups and look at the traditional healers such as sangoma and inyangas. They are respected by the people, so who can help put some powerful muti around here in the Protea forest and along with the ancestors, and the African spirit living down by the waterfall, the Mamlambo, they all can help protect this African heritage?

Protea Regrowth

In the dry winter months in Africa, fire is inevitable and the vegetation has adapted to the dry weather conditions and of course fire. And the Protea trees are no exception as they need the fire every year or two to burn off all the dead, feed the soil, and help the regrowth of the new buds.

It is amazing to see the transformation, the rains are not here yet but the Protea tress are already starting to sprout with green life.

Veldt Rejuvenation

After the veldt fire a month ago, the veldt has started rejuvenating. New life is and green shoots are sprouting everywhere I look, Yay! I took a walk around this afternoon just enjoying the last of the warm winter sun before spring which officially arrives next week. The birds were singing while the late nest builders were scurrying along building their nests. The busy bees were collecting pollen from the few colourful small flowers that were scattered around the rocky veldt.

And the air was clean, after yesterday’s dust storm, which was a worry but I was way too busy sorting out my electricity to even worry about it. Yesterday an almighty wind blew across the dry land blowing a dust storm of note and hiding the sun from the city of Johannesburg. The worry part is that the wind picks up the fine dust particles of the mine dumps which a lot are radioactive on the West Rand and carries this radioactive dust and dumps it onto the city. Yep it is a problem. But today the air is clean and crisp.

I was enjoying my afternoon in the veldt until I saw this. Yes the Protea trees are still getting destroyed at an alarming rate for firewood. People are still staying overnight in caves and hollowed out hovels in the veldt for religious reasons. When are we going to stop this wanton destruction?

White as Black

Remember the fire I mentioned on Tuesday’s post, yip the veldt fire that decided to happen on the day we decided to go on our winter holiday to the seaside. When we got home our cats and dogs greeted us like the prodigal son returning but both Minky and Paddington were covered in black soot from the remains of the grass fire.

Minky’s white chest was now a mid grey colour and Paddy a much darker ginger. Oh well they can be thankful that it is winter as the both of them would be in the bath. Not that their bath has been cancelled but rather postponed till a warmer day.

All we can now do is explore the damage along with the guinea fowl scratch at the remains. Like the vynbos in the Cape, the Protea trees and the ground orchids here in the veldt need the veldt fires to burn off all the stubble and rejuvenate the new growth.

Ben in the Veldt

Monday when the labourers were cutting the firebreak, I took a walk with my dogs into the veldt and down to bottom gorge. On my hike I found someone’s driver's licence which was later linked to a house break in about a month ago. This was all the proof that we need to link the people living in this green belt to crime in the area.

Today I took my neighbour Pieter and his dog Ben to show him the place where I found the driver's licence, this time we went another route and found lots more such as a Congolese passport and a doctor's South African Medical Association Practice identity. This new evidence links to a house breaking in November last year.

A badly damaged Protea Tree

I have found out that the source of the stream below which is just up this gorge is deemed holy water to some religious group who come and pray here in the hills and get baptised often in these waters. This is now serious as criminals coming into area and operating from the safety of the gorge with its many escape routes, are mixing in with the pious. How are we going to separate the religious and the criminals?

Thank goodness, signs of life in what seemed to be a dead Protea Tree

Along with the old prospecting tunnels that are being used for living and I hope not, illegal gold mining, indigenous trees are being cut down at an alarming rate in this gorge for fire wood, soon there won’t be much left.

While standing overlooking the gorge, what looked like a juvenile Black Eagle flew up the gorge below us looking for the dassies which had already scrambled to safety ahead of the noisy humans. Dassies are the local word for the Rock Hyrax which were once plentiful in this area and are the main source of food for the Black Eagles.

Please note that I am planning a photowalk in the area along with the Joburg Photowalkers in celebration of my 50th birthday which is coming up next month. This is part of Johannesburg that many don't know about, and the exposure that the Photowalkers can bring is priceless as I found out that the council wants to rehabilitate the hiking trails below.