As usual, when we hike in the Groot Winterhoek
Wilderness Area, we were the only people there. The only car parked. We did
meet a group of young people being trained to maintain the trails.
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| His grass, backlit with bokeh |
Our fynbos is threatened by global warming. Proteas,
ericas, bulbs and daisies. The plants could retreat up the mountain slopes, but
they are used to paddling their toes in the mountain streams. Those mountain
streams flow down to the Voelvlei Dam
and supply Cape Town with tap water. Or not! If global warming bites.
Melanie Gosling wrote on
the 17th May, about research by Mike Meadows from UCT. Our winter rain
comes on westerly winds from the Antarctic. However global warming would
shift this rain south, so it falls in the ocean. Meadows used diatoms in
sediment cores from Verlorenvlei to measure rainfall back 1,800 years. Compared the data to Antarctic ice cores
to confirm the changes in the westerly winds. Guy Midgley from SANBI – ‘Not a 10% reduction in winter rainfall, it’s just not there’.
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| Hiking in the Groot Winterhoek with white Melianthus and red leaves on a Pelargonium |
Pleased to see new trails laid out with clear
signage. We took a fresh route to the Protea Pool. A lone protea bush
perched on top of the rock outcrop and many seedlings coming up after the fire in 2009. A garden gnome sought the life of a hermit in the
wilderness. Here be dragons, maw wide open to devour all comers.
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| Rock formations in the Groot Winterhoek |
We picnicked at the Protea Pool, then followed
the winding river back, to where we saw Disas earlier in the year.
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| My view of the water at Protea Pool |
The same stream, seen thru his eyes and camera
with an early Protea. The most
striking plants in the fynbos are the proteas, from low to the ground,
pollinated by mice, to the waboom trees
– in every colour except blue or purple. 320 Protea species.
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| His view of the water |
The most pervasive plants are the restios. 310 species. The
leaves visible year round, now blooming exuberantly. Some species saying here
there is water.
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| Restios |
These flowers are truly wild, for Gail at Clay and Limestone’s Wildflower Wednesday. We have Erica, 722 species. Again any colour except blue. Also a huge variety of bulbs from the
Oxalis almost on the ground up to watsonias
brushing your shoulders.
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| Erica and Oxalis |
Daisies, 986 species. On the 31st of May mostly tall feathery
yellow, and luminous glowing pink everlasting.
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| Everlasting |
Not quite so alone after all. We saw scat, dry
and hard with industrious little black armoured beetles. Another, older and
dryer, scattering into bundles of fur. As I walked back, each of us busy
with our camera, alone. The low winter sun caught scat, fresh and still
gleaming wet. Marine Drouilly of the Caracal Project at the Cape Leopard
Trust – ‘The scat is the one of a predator. I would say a cat
according to its shape. Could be a caracal or a leopard. How big was it? Did
you measure it?’
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| Big cat scat |
words by Diana of Elephant's Eye
- wildlife gardening in Porterville,
near Cape Town in South Africa
near Cape Town in South Africa
(If you mouse over brown text, it turns shriek pink.
Those are my links.)
Those are my links.)
I thought for one moment that the top picture was a plant covered in frost!!
ReplyDeleteThe everlasting flowers are incredibly beautiful.
Jane x
In July in deepest winter, there IS frost and snow up there.
DeleteHow very beautiful - sections reminded me of areas in Northern Ontario - except we're looking at bear, not cat scat. It's just amazing to see so many wonderful tropicals growing out in the countryside that we pay $15.00 a stem for. Just curious, are there rules about picking wildflowers there? For us it's forbidden to pick trilliums - but that's about it.
ReplyDeleteBarbara
Protected area. You may NOT pick any flowers here. Leave only footprints, take only photos. (Not tropical, just mediterranean).
DeleteDiana, Truly wild and truly beautiful. What a wonderful read...The Everlasting stars are so lovely. Thank you Diana for the delightful tour of the Groot Winterhoek Wilderness Area. gail
ReplyDeleteSo cool to see some of the flowers we get here as cuts, and bedding plants growing happily in nature.
ReplyDeleteWe forget that they started their journey in another place.
[It wasn't ucky, just wet, and expensive....lol.}
Jen @ Muddy Boot Dreams
Absolutely love the pink everlastings, they are so pretty! A great post Diana.
ReplyDeleteThose are some of the loveliest wildflowers...I also love those Everlastings...so different almost like a cactus flower...what a beautiful area at the Protea Pool and all the rock formations...you do live in such an incredibly beautiful place. I love the Kipling story and very cool to run across scat and think a cat is in the area and you might catch a glimpse...
ReplyDeleteIt was a curious feeling, making the hairs on the back of my neck rise up as I looked across to the rocks.
DeleteIt's amazing that such delicate and beautiful flowers thrive in such a rugged area.
ReplyDeleteTotally different vegetation than we have here--and such a thrill to see it on your blog! Although we do have a few varieties of Oxalis. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful hike! The area is nice and open. A lot of our hikes are similiar here in the desert....although now is not the time to hike:) Much much too hot. It's nice when you're the only ones on the trail, but it's also a shame that more people don't hike such a beautiful area. And even more fascinating is the scat. While I'm on a trail during the day, it's very rare encountering animals. Where do they hide?:) Yet at night, it is extremely active and you'll see eyes looking at you from all over. Enjoy the rest of your weekend. Chris:)
ReplyDeleteBeautiful wildflowers in your wilderness, thank goodness such areas still exist.
ReplyDeleteWonderful, beautiful plants!
ReplyDeleteHave a blessed day!
Lea
Lea's Menagerie
The American mountain west is on fire this summer. Some of the fires are in populated areas and many people have lost their homes. Fire is a natural part of the ecology there but with the dry, hot summer we are having, many fires are spreading faster than they can be contained. As we learn more about our planet, the more there is to learn. I am not convinced that humans cause weather/climate change but I do agree that the climate is changing. In Michigan, the Great Lakes are at low levels so something is happening.
ReplyDeleteI have read that part of the problem is fire management over the last 100 years. Because of the houses fire breaks can't be burnt. Also beetles killing the trees, and standing dead wood burns more easily. We'll agree to differ on the anthropogene causing global weirding.
DeleteBeautiful winter wildflowers, and it must have been exciting to see evidence of wild cats! As for climate change, this week we are scorching, with temps above 100. But that is not so unusual for July here. Other parts of the country are having our kind of weather, and it is not normal for them. A lot happens on our planet to cause climate change, at least temporarily. But nature adapts...
ReplyDeleteThey are very beautiful wildflowers, and i am always fascinated by the absence of blue and dark violet in hot climates like ours. So what do you think they are absent in our climates. And even if you don't have rain, at least your temperatures are cool. Imagine having high temperatures, high humidity and long dry season! That is what we have!
ReplyDeletehmm blue? We have Aristea bulbs. And dark violet? Have seen some flamboyant multicoloured disas with deep purple petals. They do stand out for dancing to a different tune.
DeleteDo you have 722 Erica species?, It is amazing!
ReplyDeleteOn the other hand, are familiar to me some of the flowers I see, that pleased me and makes me think how close we are biologically despite the great distance that separates us.
The wildflowers look like such tough prairie plants and yet they too are threatened if the water does not run. A wonderful walk - would make me want to reach out and touch everything -other than the cat scat.
ReplyDeletep.s. interesting difference in the shots between you and the ungardener at the Protea pool
Incredible tour, Diana! ...but fresh scat?!?... You are a very brave soul!
ReplyDelete(In my 'neck of the woods', the most wild it get's are coyotes, mischievousness raccoon, deer and a stay fox from time to time. Black bear and mountain lions are up North or out West). I'm such a wuss!
Its sad how global warming and other human elements are impacting on an area like this. Sad, sad, sad. I would love to visit this area one day. Love the proteas, fynbos and grasses. I imagine it gets a bit hot in summer though.
ReplyDeleteNo shade, except against the rocks or in the valleys. We don't think of walking there in high summer. But winter, and hopefully snow in July calls a siren song!
DeleteInteresting that you are having less rain. Here in Ireland it is like monsoon, very heavy rain for some weeks now means that farmers can't cut hay or silage. Climate change...affecting each of us in different ways.
ReplyDeleteWhat a gorgeous walk you had Diana. Thanks for taking us along. I love the rock formations and the low grass, a very different landscape than I'm used to seeing.
ReplyDeleteone of the most wonderful things is when wild places are also places where you can truly be alone away from the crowds. Thanks for sharing such a wonderful hiking trip, although the changing climate is a worry, and how all the species adapt and cope cannot really be predicted I think.
ReplyDeletePS I forgot to say - yes - how the leopard got its spots, great story, used to read it over and over to my kids and read it as a kid myself too. For you guys it must be specially meaningful.
ReplyDeleteJust lovely. Made me realize how much I would like to go back to South Africa and get out of the city.
ReplyDeleteGreat post Diana, I felt I was with you on your walk. The area is truely beautiful. Do Protea need fire to set seed or for the seed to germinate? Some Mediterranean plants do. Christina
ReplyDeleteYes, fynbos is fire adapted and dependent. I have a few posts about the fire, and what we saw of the plants growing back. Until they closed the reserve for rehabilitation. We saw the little protea plants steadily growing big enough to make flowers in their turn.
DeleteWhat a glorious walk, Diana! I always love "tagging along" on your expeditions. I had an experience like that once, coming across unknown but very large scat in a wilderness area and becoming VERY AWARE that I was alone and hadn't bothered to tell anyone where I was going... Frightening but exciting, too.
ReplyDeleteSeeing your comment about fire management--the paper reported some good news recently. Apparently where the fires burned in northern New Mexico last year, at least the ones that were not so hot as to be completely destructive, the forest is returning to a healthy state. The biggest trees survived, the small saplings and beetlekill that carry fires up to the tree crowns (that's when the fires become truly destructive and fast-spreading) have burned away, and soft, herbaceous growth is coming back in. If there's another fire, the herbaceous growth will burn off quickly, without destroying the established trees. The forest service will have an easier time managing those areas going forward, rather than always playing catch-up for the last 100 years!