On the 4th and 5th March 2025, the Overberg Region welcomed an extraordinary visitor. A Macaroni Penguin! This endearing bird unexpectedly arrived on the shores of Hawston Beach. This extremely rare and unusual sighting sent birding enthusiasts across South Africa...
In November 2024, an advert for this proposed development of a “boutique” Retirement Village in Betty’s Bay took most people by surprise and it was the first time that the BBC was aware of it. After speaking to the estate agent and then consulting the Overstrand...
Twenty five volunteers attended. This was the third hack of the year at the Dawidskraal River. As there were fewer hackers than last month, the area closest to the bridge on the western side of the river was targeted (blue). There were seven chainsaw operators with...
At the recent meeting of the Committee of the Kogelberg Branch of the Botanical Society of South Africa, it was decided to rename the Friends of the Kogelberg Branch to Supporters of the Kogelberg Branch. The motivation for renaming our voluntary group is that with...
The Kogelberg Biosphere Wildlife Rescue and Training Centre: Michelle Watson I was lucky enough to receive an attractive WhatsApp from the Betty`s Bay Conservancy (BBC) with the advert to this meeting. Thanking the BBC, I can express my appreciation for this...
(Note the name change from Friends of … to Supporters of … to avoid confusion with the Friends of Harold Porter Gardens, which is a sub-group of the Supporters of the Kogelberg Branch!) As I write this newsletter and gaze out of the window, the last rays of the sun...
Thirty five volunteers attended this hack including three new hackers, Peter Weeks, Leon du Toit and Patrick Boltller. We trust that you enjoyed your first outing and sincerely hope that this will be the first of many. A welcome return to Mike Begley after a long...
STEED MAHER: VENOM, MYTHS AND CONSERVATION: PROTECTING SNAKES IN A CHANGING WORLD There was a great turn out for Steeds talk! Did you know that there are 176 species of snakes in Southern Africa? Snakes are often a feared and misunderstood part of our ecosystem. Often...
50 Trips! Congratulations and thanks to our dedicated group of Penguin-Pals drivers who have now completed 50 trips in the past 11 months since they were trained. That’s about 5000km of driving to help transport birds and eggs in need of care. Their quick response to...
CONSERVATION CARE AND PROJECTS Elsa Stofberg has been appointed to the portfolio of Conservation Care & Projects. Welcome, Elsa! She writes: During our internal committee meeting of 12 February 2025, it was decided that the following needs to be addressed:...