On 12 December the R44 Task Team launched the “BE AN R44 LIFESAVER” Safety Campaign.
The aim is to encourage motorists and bikers to “go slow” in order to protect the lives of people and wildlife.
There have been too many lives lost on this road in tragic accidents involving cars and motorbikes. And too much wildlife has been hit and either injured or killed.
The 100kp/h zone between Rooiels and Betty’s Bay, that passes the Kogelberg Biosphere Wildlife Rescue Centre, is one of the hotspots for speedsters and, sadly, a very high “kill” zone for wildlife.
On this 100kp/h stretch, the R44 also forms part of a dangerous four-way crossing at the entrance to Pringle Bay. The R44 bisects the villages of Rooiels and Betty’s Bay and wildlife is also killed on these sections.
Leaflets have been distributed in Kleinmond, Betty’s Bay, Pringle Bay and Rooiels. The message has also been spread on local social media groups and to some bikers’ groups.
We are asking drivers and bikers to slow down and to join the drive to make the R44 a safer road.
Not just in the holidays, but every day!
Please help to spread the word and “BE AN R44 LIFESAVER”.
In 2025, the R44 Task team will develop other aspects of this safety campaign.
“BBC4thTHURSDAY” EVENT ON CHAMELEONS: 21 November 2024
Did you know that male chameleons can walk about 10m per day?
That’s quite a distance if you are small and a really slow mover! The females tend to remain within the same area and are less active than the males who move around looking for females.
This was just one of the interesting bits of info about these creatures that we heard at the BBC event. Our speaker was Sheraine van Wyk, the facilitator of the Chameleon Rescue Project for Whale Coast Conservation. From the good turnout for this BBC event, it seems chameleons are one of our popular wildlife neighbours.
Sheraine gave us a fascinating, down to earth and humorous insight into the life and characteristics of the Cape Dwarf chameleon, as well as some of the factors that impact them in the Overstrand, such as development.
As the fynbos on erven is stripped or destroyed for development, these animals are losing their habitat and corridors to move around in. In certain cases, when development is going to destroy the vegetation, a relocation project is undertaken by the Chameleon Rescue Team. The rescued chameleons are moved to one of the few suitable relocation sites.
Chameleons are yet another reason to preserve as much fynbos on your erf as you can.
How can you make your garden attractive to chameleons?
- Lawn is sterile – so don’t remove the fynbos – or replace your grass with fynbos again.
- Fynbos attracts insects which are food for the chameleons.
- Make a wetland on your erf as this also attracts insects and helps to increase the food source for chameleons.
- They like restios, bietou and blombos in areas surrounded by flowering fynbos that attracts pollinating insects.
We had a fun night walk into the nearby fynbos and Sheraine’s well-trained eyes spotted baby and adult chameleons that we would not have seen. On a walk it’s a “no-touch, don’t remove or interfere with the animals” policy – best to leave them to stay in their natural habitat.
You could rework your current garden plan to one that is more inviting for chameleons by providing suitable habitat and food sources as suggested above.
Perhaps a male on the move might stop by one day!
THE BIOSPHERE
Have you ever wondered what constitutes a “Biosphere”
….. and how all conservation-related activities interface and need to support each other for optimal outcomes? The BBC Team has been hard at work to create a framework to define, classify and align various measures.
Why is this important? Often activities in one area, such as conservation of specific biotopes or territories like Wetlands, need to be supported by other measures in order for the outcomes to be successful e.g. planning and management of drainage and stormwater.
- Why are we doing this? Given the limited resources and great variety of pressing issues, it is critical that “we all speak the same language” and that optimal collaboration is facilitated within the BBC as well as with various other stakeholders, including the Overstrand Municipality.
- What happens in 2025? We are very excited to share our strategic Biosphere Conservation Framework with our BBC members with a view to getting vital inputs and consolidating a One-view vision of Conserving Betty’s Bay and beyond. We also believe that if we are able to “see the same picture” of what conservation needs exist – and what can be done about them – many more people can and will get involved in making things happen. More will be revealed in 2025!
Living and holidaying in a Biosphere
We have developed the “first version” of a leaflet that contains some useful information and relevant contact numbers for living or holidaying in Betty’s Bay. Let us have your feedback and ideas for other topics and information that can be included. Email them to bettysbayconservancy@gmail.com.
Find this brochure https://bettysbayconservancy.co.za/biosphere-living-on-your-holiday-in-bettys-bay/ and other “biosphere living” information on our website.
Carol Clark