Klaserie Chronicle No:21 07-2012 - Eco Children

July 2012 no. 21
Kroniek/Chronicle
The Bach Bridge
Things that
go bump
and growl
in the night
A rhino with
a very bad
temper
African Spoonbills
- a first for Klaserie
inside|
Eco-school conference ...4 | Bugs with attitude ...6 |
Schools work during holidays ...8 | Greenest Event...11
Vulture Culture ...16 | Notice Board ...24
photo: Karen Randall
2 | Klaserie Chronicle/Kroniek no. 21
Pieter Steenkamp
– New KPNR
Administrator
Klaserie Chronicle /
Kroniek Team
Zani’s
Keyboard
Hi there
Another edition brimming with
information and sightings! It really
feels like spring with new people
coming and changes taking place.
They will find, like you have, that the
Klaserie is a great place to be and
the KC a wonderful mouthpiece.
Keep on sending your contributions.
Soos julle kan sien groei en
ontwikkel CET daagliks a.g.v. al julle
bydraes en ondersteuning. Kom
loer gereeld in en word deel van ons
suksesvolle program. Die redaksie
van die KC het met elke uitgawe
hulleself oortref, baie hard gewerk
en die KC laat blom.
I am joining the Make a Difference
Foundation team, a partner and
sponsor of CET. I will miss the Eco
Kidz and the wonderful staff and
volunteers who helped to teach and
enrich their lives.
I am happy to hand over to Corné,
who is enthusiastic to embrace
this new challenge. The CET Board
of directors, KPNR Exco, and the
KPNR management and staff were
a formidable team who made sure
we stayed on track and who were
always supportive in one way or
another, thank you and I wish you all
the best.
Ek groet julle, maar kom gou-gou
weer kuier!
Auf wiedersehn
Zani
Editor: Zani Kunz
Advertising and articles:
Laura Craig
Proofing: Littcor
Layout and design:
Lynette Strauss
Contributors: Colin Rowles,
Pieter Steenkamp, Zani Kunz,
Janus Roets, Winky Mokgope,
Rhulani Mathonsi, Laura Craig,
Kate Meares, Amy Clark, Judy
Meeser, Dr Allan Connell,
Angela Lund, Michael Johnson
and Karen Briggs, Jochen van
de Perre, Lynette Strauss,
Wayne Donaldson; Luci
Crookes, Johan Smallman, S.J.
Esterhuizen, Amy Clark, Alexis
Mes, Karen Randall, Corné
Havenga, Zandi Mathebula, Zena
Baxter, Mathews family, Nada
Vermaak, Cristiena Kruger
The
Klaserie
Chronicle
is
published quarterly and distributed
to KPNR owners, as well as CET
donors, partners and Chronicle
advertisers. If you would like to send
a contribution, please forward to
admin@ecochildren.co.za or fax:
086 628 8733
B
orn and bred in Cape Town, I now
find myself writing from my porch
in the Lowveld. I have taken over
the position of Administration Manager at
KPNR and would like to thank Exco, Colin
and Anton for the respective parts they
played in my appointment.
Growing up in the city, I was very fortunate
in that my parents introduced me to the
wonders of the natural world at an early age.
The first hike that I can remember was a
strenuous path starting at Constantia Neck
over Table Mountain to the cable car.
Being young, and able to get away with
anything, I rode piggy-back for the largest
part of the hike, enjoying the scenery along
the way.
When we reached the bottom cable car
station, I had enough energy to want to
climb back up again. Needless to say my
energy levels were not shared by my parents
or their friends.
Having hiked that route a few more times
in recent years, I can say that their efforts
were not in vain, as a seed was planted on
that day that would only grow stronger as
the years went by.
Through my studies towards a B Comm
and nine years working in the IT industry
I have tried to keep my passion for nature
alive and would go fishing, hiking and
camping as often as possible.
I am very fortunate to be granted this
opportunity, and would also like to thank
my family and friends for their support and
understanding.
I am looking forward to life in the bush,
the challenges of the job, the building of
meaningful relationships and making a
small contribution towards the conservation
of nature.
If I have not had the pleasure of meeting
you, I hope to do so soon and would like
to share some stories and some laughter
along the way.
Thank You
Pieter
Klaserie Chronicle/Kroniek no. 21 | 3
The “Bach” Bridge
Colin Rowles
T
he raging flood waters of January
effectively divided the reserve
in half, even after the water had
subsided. The peaceful and tranquil
Klaserie
River
was
transformed
overnight into a raging monster that
destroyed and removed everything
in its path, including all the low level
causeways, some of which had provided
decades of safe passage across the river.
In an instant, large slabs of reinforced
concrete and rock were displaced and
removed leaving absolutely no evidence
of their previous existence.
The implications of this were farreaching for management and members
alike. Owing to the loss of the HQ
causeway, access to the western half of
the reserve for management purposes,
required exiting at Incheni Gate and
travelling round on the Hoedspruit
tarred road and re-entering
at the Xikankaneni Gate in
the south west.
A round trip from the HQ
on the eastern bank of the
river to Dover on the western
bank and back, entailed a
trip of approximately 170
km which took about three
hours.
Management efficiency
was both ineffective and
extremely costly. With the
risk of rhino poaching a
reality, a means of crossing the river was
imperative.
Being aware of the legislative
requirements that need to be met before
the reconstruction of the HQ causeway
could begin, it was proposed that a
temporary bridge be placed across the
river near the existing site.
A draft design was prepared and this
was forwarded to Mr Tommy Bach, one
of our members and owner of Nova
Engineering. The expertise available at
Nova Engineering checked the structural
integrity of the bridge and ensured
that its load-bearing capabilities were
sufficient to provide in our needs. When
the necessary budget was approved,
Nova Engineering fabricated the six
steel pylons and the seven spans of six
metres each, and arranged for them to
be transported from Johannesburg to
the reserve.
As can be seen from the photos, with
a bit of ingenuity, the segments were
manoeuvered into place within the
riverbed and the bridge progressively
took shape. The final step in the
assembly required the fitment of the
wooden platform, across which vehicles
would travel.
The bridge has been designed to carry
light four wheel drive vehicles only. The
four-wheel drive necessity stems from
the requirement to negotiate the large
sand bank that has been deposited on
the western bank opposite the bridge.
Later this year and when the legal
requirements have been met, the old
causeway will be reinstated and the
temporary bridge will be dismantled and
removed. The new concrete structure
will, as before, provide for the full
spectrum of vehicle traffic.
A sincere word of gratitude to Mr
Bach and his team at Nova, for their
assistance with this project.
bush snippets
4 | Klaserie Chronicle/Kroniek no. 21
Environmental Education
Conference 2012
Janus Roets
O
n Saturday 19 May while still
dark and cold, the staff from
CET, Matikinya and Seganyane
Primary Schools set off for Mbombela
for the annual Environmental Education
Conference. On arrival at Lowveld High
School, they were greeted by students
and parents from the school with
welcome refreshments.
There were fascinating exhibits by key
role players in environmental education,
such as Sappi and Nelspruit Botanical
Gardens. They had some eye-opening
presentations about wetlands, climate
change and the role the Mpumalanga
Department of Education plays
regarding environmental education.
In fact it is the only province that
encourages environmental education.
After the first session they were
divided into groups to attend workshops
on topics such as biodiversity, recycling
and rainwater harvesting.
All of these topics form part of the
CET curriculum at the schools they are
involved in. The educators who attended
the conference with them could not wait
to get back to the schools to share the
newly acquired knowledge with fellow
colleagues and students. Watch this
space for future reports on the projects
resulting from the Environmental
Education Conference 2012.
Eco Schools Conference
and Awards Ceremony 2012
Rhulani Mathonsi
O
n 14 April 2012 at Upland
School,
White
River,
CET Staff, teachers of
Seganyane
Primary
School
and Matikinya Primary School
attended the Eco Schools Award
Ceremony.
Various guest speakers like
Manqoba Dlamini from the
Department of Education, Louise
Wiliamson from Energy and
Sustainability Project, Zuzette de
Beer from Eco-Schools and Keith
Dyer from Stress Relief were part
of the programme.
The good news of the day was
that Matikinya Primary School
received a certificate to show
that they maintained Green Flag
status, and for the first time
Seganyane Primary School also
received a Green Flag.
Congratulations to both schools on
this great achievement.
For account and delivery queries, please call us on
(015) 793 0482 or e-mail us on fhoedspruit@pnp.co.za
Klaserie Chronicle/Kroniek no. 21 | 5
Things that go bump
and growl in the night
Colin Rowles
T
New CEO for CET
Welcome
Corné!
M
y name is Corné Havenga and
I am an outgoing and vibrant
young lady from Benoni. I am
extremely passionate about education
and developing the youth of tomorrow.
I cannot think of a better place to
embrace my passion to its fullest
extent, than in the pristine wilderness
of the Lowveld.
The pure peace and tranquillity of
the bush is inspiring to one’s soul and
I can only look forward to the magic
of the night sky and the unpolluted
air. I am very excited to form a part of
the CET team and to continue with the
amazing work they have been doing in
the local community.
I was humbled by extraordinary
change that CET has already made
in so many individuals’ lives and I
am thrilled to join such a distinct
organisation.
Photo: Karen Randall
he winter night sounds are amplified
by the dense cold air that hangs in
the valleys, the eerie whoop of the
patrolling hyena’s echo up and down the
river, and now and again the distant wail
of a black-backed jackal can be heard.
On occasion we are fortunate enough
to witness these wonderful nocturnal
creatures, with which we share our space
on earth.
The sensor light outside the kitchen
switched on in response to something
lurking outside. The illumination raised
me to a level of consciousness following
a deep sleep. I lay still, listening. The light
remained on; at first I heard a strange
hollow bumping sound and a deep but soft
growl. The bumping sound grew louder as
the minutes ticked by, so too did the growl.
I realized with some relief that the intruder
was at least an animal, although exactly
what kind was a mystery. I climbed out of
my warm bed, and cautiously made my
way through the dark house to the study.
I approached the window and carefully
parted the heavy curtains, being careful
not to frighten the mysterious creature.
There, in the light were two honey
badgers desperately trying to get into the
animalproof dustbin. The male, who was
considerably larger than the
female, stood on his hind
legs and tugged at the edge
of the rubber lid with his
teeth, removing large pieces
with each ferocious headshaking pull. Frustrated
with his efforts and driven
insane by the delicious
smell of the roast chicken
that we had discarded
earlier, he dropped to the
ground and consulted with
the female, who had been
waiting patiently for her
man to make a plan.
He returned to the bin with renewed
enthusiasm. He stood up on his hind legs
as before, leaning against the bin. He
forced his shiny wet nose under the lid and
raised it up sufficiently to push his head
underneath the lid, using his powerful
front legs he pulled himself up onto the
rim, raising the lid even further.
From this position, sitting on the rim
and with the lid on his back, he dropped
his forequarters down between his back
legs and into the bin, all the time holding
onto the rim with his hind legs. Eventually
he abandoned the idea of holding onto the
rim and fell completely into the bin with
the lid closing on top of him. The thumping
within the bin carried on for some time
as he rummaged and scavenged for any
morsels of food that he could find. All the
time the female remained outside, pacing
up and down patiently waiting for his
return.
Eventually and after some time the tiny
wet nose appeared again, this time from
the inside, between the bin and the lid. The
lid slowly lifted as he forced his way up
and onto the rim. For a moment he stood
straddled across the bin, wearing the lid
like a hat. He then dropped to the ground
and the two of them trundled off into the
dark night.
Photo: Colin Rowles
6 | Klaserie Chronicle/Kroniek no. 21
Dr Allan Connell writes about
the green milkweed locust
T
“We were recently at the KPNR Exco
meeting. I took a photo of an exotic
looking hopper. I thought you might
be interested for your magazine.”
Luci Crookes asked their “gogga”
specialist friend to give the scientific
name and more information.
photo: Luci Crookes
he photograph is of the
Phymateus viridipes, the green
milkweed locust. They feed on
milkweed and other poisonous plants,
and seem to thrive on, and maybe even
accumulate the poisons, making them
inedible to most predators.
People accustomed to eating locusts,
have been known to die after eating
this species. Their other party trick is
to ooze bubbles of evil-smelling (and
presumably tasty) liquid through pores
in the thorax when handled.
They will also display, by lifting the
fore-wing and opening the bright hindwing, and even rubbing them together,
to make a rustling noise. Bugs with
attitude!
They are known to swarm, though
not nearly as prolifically as the brown
locust, and the red locust in Africa.
The young are very gregarious;
sometimes when walking on grassy
areas you will come across a cluster
of them. They are a striking yellow and
black. If you Google the scientific name,
and open the Wikipedia page, you will
see pictures of them.
Zandi Mathebula (14)
will never forget the
touch of a rhino
Klaserie Chronicle/Kroniek no. 21 | 7
A rhino with a very bad temper
Photos: Angela Lund
Angela Lund
A
aron Mathonsi is a well-known
character in the eastern
Klaserie with an endless
repertoire of bush tales, yet all pale
next to his harrowing encounter with a
rhino in April this year.
He was strolling back from the Ross
cutline one day.
A small flock of oxpeckers alerted
him to the presence of two rhino some
distance away, but he took little notice
of them, knowing from long experience
that rhino pose little threat, and he
continued on his way. When glancing
in their direction again, though, he was
alarmed to see one of them coming
straight at him, and closing in fast. He
tried shouting and gesticulating, but it
kept coming.
By then there was no time to reach
the safety of the leadwood nearby,
so he took shelter behind a stubby
three-stemmed rooibos, hoping that
the rhino would call off the charge
when he disappeared from sight but it did not.
It continued its charge and things
started looking very ominous. “Ek
het gesien ek moet iets doen. Ek het
in die rooibos probeer klim, maar die
tak het in my hand afgebreek en ek
het uit die boom uit op my rug geval.
Altwee my gumboots het tussen twee
takke gehaak. Ek kon nie my voete uit
kry nie. Toe was die renoster by my. Ek
was plat op die grond, op my rug, met
my voete in die lug. Die renoster het my
probeer doodmaak, maar hy kon nie sy
horing onder my in kry nie.
Ek het vir hom geskree,“Hey! Hey!”
As jy sien jy gaan doodgaan, maak jy ‘n
lawaai. Ek het hom met die tak in my
hand op sy kop geslaan.”
We visited the scene two weeks later
and it bore witness to every detail of
Aaron’s account. The ground around
the rooibos was all churned up, and
the rooibos bore the scars of a very
angry rhino. “En toe, Aaron?”
“Die renoster het my gelos, en daardie
kant gegaan. Of dit ’n witrenoster of ‘n
swartrenoster was, kan ek nie sê nie, ek
het nie ’n kans gehad om te kyk nie. Ek
Aaron Mathonsi on the farm Mafula.
was net gelukkig ek was plat op die grond. Die
renoster kon my nie skep nie. As ek gestaan
het, was ek dood.”
Aaron will re-enact the scene for anyone
genuinely interested, and that person will be
left in no doubt that he had the narrowest of
escapes. I mentioned to Aaron that he had
told me only the previous Thursday that he
was not scared of rhino. As Colin remarked –
someone was listening.
beautiful sighting
“Louis Kruger was lucky enough to
see these beautiful cheetah while
driving through the Klaserie.” 8 | Klaserie Chronicle/Kroniek no. 20
Schools hard at work during holidays
Winky Mokgope
D
uring the April holidays one day
was set aside at each school to
do renovations, gardening and
general upkeep. Under the watchful eye
of CET volunteers, parents, learners,
teachers and headmasters all joined in
to do the necessary work.
Seganyane Primary
School on Tuesday
Rhulani Mathonsi supervised all the
projects of the day. The children worked
in groups, namely the rhino, butterfly,
elephant, giraffe, lion and crocodile
groups which worked very well.
There were also two sessions, the
morning and afternoon sessions so
that the groups could rotate.
In one day they managed to do
all of the following, an amazing
accomplishment:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Weeding the gardens
Watering and taking compost to
the right places
Building foundation of keyhole
garden
Collecting bricks in front of
staffroom from Lowveldbou
Digging holes for fencing and
putting poles in with concrete
Painting fence white
Dividing the garden of grade 6
and 7 with fencing
Cleaning the storeroom and
packing garden tools.
Planting four trees in the garden
Watering the gardens
Teedi crèche on Wednesday
Educators, the school governing
body and learners from Seganyane
Primary School, grade 6 and 7, all
pitched in to help. They arrived early
and with the help of the learners they
did the following;
• Clearing the garden
• Building a keyhole garden
• Planting 20 trees at the crèche
Matikinya Primary
School on Thursday
Educators, the
headmaster, 30
learners from grade 6 and 7 and
volunteer, Trico Chiloane who is
studying tourism at Phalaborwa. He
was a project assistant at CET for two
years, and still comes back to help the
schools during holidays.
They accomplished the following:
• Putting a fence up round the
garden
• Dividing the garden for grade 6
and 7
• Strengthening the poles with
concrete
• Cutting poles for fencing
• Weeding the garden.
MAD Eco-Villages
A
s reported in the April edition
of the Klaserie Chronicle,
CET initiated the eco-village
concept at Matikinya and Seganyane
Primary Schools, and already it is
showing good results.
The two schools really worked hard
during the first half of this year in their
respective eco-villages. They planted
tomatoes, spinach, onions, cabbage,
butternuts and green beans in the
new gardens.
Many of the learners attending
these
schools
come
from
underprivileged households, and
are orphans who are raised by
family or friends. The school is
able to fulfil a need by preparing
nutritious meals for them.
These meals are sometimes the
only food the kids have for the day.
They were very excited to tell us
that they started harvesting their
first spinach.
The vegetables they harvest from
these gardens will be used as follows:
• 70% will be used by the school to
supplement the feeding scheme
• 20% will be sold to generate an
income and to develop their
entrepreneurial skills
• 10% will be given to orphanages
and charity organizations in
the area to encourage social
responsibility.
CET has already started to plant fruit
trees and a herb garden is also in the
pipeline. The Greening Committee
(consisting of teachers of each school)
is attending workshops on the various
and beneficial uses of herbs. They are
learning about the medicinal values and
how to apply the herbs as pesticides in
their gardens. All the vegetables are
organically grown in the eco-villages.
Klaserie Chronicle/Kroniek no. 21 | 9
African Spoonbills
— a first for Klaserie
Colin Rowles
O
n June 16, a visit to one of the
larger dams on the western
side of the Klaserie provided a
very interesting observation. In a dead
tree in the centre of the dam, a pair of
African Spoonbills had constructed a
nest of sticks on top of an abandoned
buffalo weaver’s nest.
This is the first time this species has
been recorded breeding on the reserve.
At the time of the visit, the female sat
tentatively at the nest watching over
two fluffy white chicks while the male
probed the shallow water edges for food
items. The male would occasionally
fly back to the nest site and hand the
female a dry stick which she’d carefully
weave into the nest.
Literature tells us that nest
construction continues throughout the
nesting period.
In Warwick Tarboton’s book, Nests
and Eggs of Southern African Birds, it
reads, “Breeds widely in the region of
freshwater wetlands, and erratically
in arid areas after exceptional rains.
It always nests colonially and usually
in association with other colonialbreeding species, especially Sacred
Ibis.”
The Klaserie pair is breeding in
isolation of similar or other colonial
species.
Kenneth Newman’s Field guide, Birds
of the Kruger National Park reads,
“A rare, non breeding visitor that has
been recorded at scattered localities
throughout the park, at all times of the
year”.
Perhaps the heavy rains of January
have stimulated this pair into doing
things differently?
SWARTROOIBOK IN KLASERIE
Cristiena Kruger
F
amilie het kom kuier en ons ry die plaas vol, maar
al wat ons kry is rooibokke! Mens hoop altyd vir
,
n leeu of luiperd want dit veroorsaak vreeslike
opgewondenheid by die kuiermense. Soos die oggend
vorder, begin ons huiswaarts ry vliegveld om, en
jou waarlikwaar daar kry ons weer rooibokke! Ons
bewonder maar die bokke en die volgende oomblik
,
weergalm daar n gil, “Kyk julle daai een lyk anders.
Sy is donkerder en dit lyk of sy in olie gerol het!” Foto’s
word geneem en almal is vol verwondering en ongeloof
oor die swartrooibok in die Klaserie.
10 | Klaserie Chronicle/Kroniek no. 21
Where to Charlize?
In this article we bring you an update on the movements of Charlize, Our most recently collared
female within the APNR, Collared in Balule Private Nature Reserve on 23 April 2012
Amy Clark
F
irstly, to help you
understand the images
in the first photo;
Charlize’s movements are
represented by the pink
tracks. Her starting point
is marked with a diamond
and her last point with the
elephant symbol.
Charlize was collared just
east of the railway line that
runs through Balule Private
Nature Reserve towards
the Phalaborwa mines. Her
first seven days’ movements
after being collared, stayed
consistent as she travelled
north crossing the Balule
– Klaserie border back and
forth along the way.
The following month
and a half she consistently
stayed north of where she
was collared, moving back
and forth between the
railway line in Balule PNR
and the Klaserie River.
On 22 May we found
Charlize and her herd in the
Klaserie River whilst out in
the field, and were able to
record the demographics of
her herd.
Charlize is estimated to
be in the 20-35 year age
bracket and has a male
calf approximately three
years old. She was seen
with another 38 individuals,
comprised of 13 mature
females,
seven
young
females, 12 immature males
and five calves.
We look forward to
following her movements
and recording the changes
within the herd over the
course of the next few years.
We would like to take this
opportunity to say a big
thank you to Chris Pearson
and his group (WildCon
Safaris and Events) for
funding the collar and
operation. Without them
this would not have been
possible. We would also
like to say thank you to
all involved on the day of
the collaring, insuring its
success. Craig Ferguson
(Balule Head Warden),
Craig Spencer (Olifants
West Warden and director
of Transfrontier Africa), the
Transfrontier Africa Team,
Mario Cesare (Olifants River
Warden), Dr Peter Rodgers
(ProVet),
Ben
Osmers
(Big Game Heli Services),
African Wildlife Tracking
(Collar manufacturers), the
WildCon team and last but
not least, Tanda Tula Safari
Camp for accommodating
the African Wildlife Tracking
team – Carel and Dina
Haupt, Manuel Ferreira and
Marielise Laubscher.
Klaserie Chronicle/Kroniek no. 21 |11
World
Play Day
CET’s Janus
Roets, Zani
Kunz, Winky
Mokgope and
Laura Craig with
Dr John Ledger.
Laura Craig
O
n 5 June CET staff members
attended The Greenest Event,
an
inspiring
environmental
conference at the Sandton Convention
Centre in Johannesburg.
Although only in its second year, The
Greenest Event is earmarked to become
the most important date on the SA
environmental calendar. The invitation
was to attend “A One Day MBA in Planet
Management” and that, it certainly turned
out to be. The conference was backed
by the eight leading non-governmental
conservation organisations in South
Africa, among them The Endangered
Wildlife Trust headed by Dr John Ledger, a
name that needs no introduction.
Dr Ledger welcomed guests and
opened the conference with an interesting
introduction to the Planetary Boundaries
Concept.
To
avoid
catastrophic
environmental change, humanity must
stay within defined ‘planetary boundaries’.
Following on, delegates were treated
to informative presentations by local and
overseas speakers. Lawrence Padachi
explained Eskom’s plans for a greener
future, and reiterated the importance of
biodiversity if both man and earth planned
to survive.
Standard Bank showed they were
prepared to go a long way to investing in
a greener future.
Possibly the light at the end of the
tunnel came from SA’s leading water
Janus Roets
O
guru Dr Anthony Turton who asked the
question, “Can South Africa’s abandoned
mine shafts be turned into massive water
storage facilities to safeguard water for the
future?” The answer is YES, it has already
been done in coal mines.
Interesting facts were put on the table
by Keith Anderson, Executive Director
of Electronic Waste Association of SA
(EWASA). Modern society is in danger
of choking on its own waste. What do
we plan to do with our tons of electronic
waste?
Yolan Friedman stressed the importance
of Biodiversity if man and planet intend to
survive. There has to be room for every
living thing. We have to co-exist.
The most mind-blowing talk came
from an interesting character in the form
of Piers Corbyn, an astrophysicist from
England. He turned the conference upside
down with his unique perspective on
weather forecasting and how the climate is
driven by energy from the sun. He turned
Al Gore’s Inconvenient Truth on its head,
saying there is no global warming, the
earth will be cooling down over the next 20
years and heading for a mini-ice age in the
year 2035. For those interested, visit Piers
Corbyn’s website http://weatheraction.
com/ he appears to be the new clairvoyant
for future weather conditions.
With the MBA done and facts swirling
about our minds, the team headed back to
Hoedspruit motivated and determined to
do our bit in the Go Green race that South
Africa must run.
n Monday, 28 May 2012, was
World Play Day. This was
celebrated at the Gorutha
Centre and Toy Library at Bavaria.
Gorutha Centre invited all the
crèches in the area to attend this
event. CET decided to take the little
ones from Teedi Crèche to join in the
fun. World Play Day’s vision is to
emphasize the importance of play in a
child’s life. At first the kids were a bit
reluctant to get on all the “strange”
equipment, but it was not long before
everyone decided that the merry-goround was the favourite spot. They
were spinning round and round with
faces alight with laughter, but some
were quite aghast.
With the help of volunteers from
the area, and the Hoedspruit Air
Force staff, they were encouraged to
explore and experience the different
play areas and equipment. They
jumped on the trampoline, played
“make believe” in the dress-up corner,
to mention but a few of the activities.
They were later treated to
doughnuts, hotdogs and juice, before
they had to head back home - to reality.
With a packet of sweets in hand, they
boarded the two Quantums, and
within five minutes they were fast
asleep after the excitement of the day.
Instead of laughter the only sound
was the soft snores coming from very
tired little bodies.
12 | Klaserie Chronicle/Kroniek no. 21
If God had a name for Paradise,
it would be Klaserie!
Jochen van de Perre
W
e are Mira and Jochen, from
Belgium - land of chocolate
and beer, but also of lousy
weather and overpopulation. The latter
can get to you after a while. I believe
you use the term “gatvol”.
So we try to get away and are regular
visitors to Africa on Foot. We have
learned that there is something better
- eco travel! Spending time in a natural
environment is food for the soul.
We have been coming to Klaserie
regularly for the past three years,
because when it comes to escapism, it
is the ultimate. Let me describe a day at
nThambo for you.
On 12 May we woke up just before
dawn, grabbed hot cocoa, some rusks
and hopped into the Cruiser. Our
guide, Rein, took us north to check
for tracks, and drove in the general
direction of where we heard lions. The
radio crackled to life. Another lodge
had elephants at their dam, but we had
three rhinos crossing the road.
I snapped a few pics, but then put my
cam down, just sitting back, watching
them graze. Such beautiful creatures.
Then we decided to go and check the
elephants. On our way there, Isaac, our
tracker, found the spoor of a leopard
going into a big and dense block on the
Ross farm. We drove around but found
no further spoor. However, we saw a
steenbok and a big male kudu that both
posed for a picture.
Then we came across the spoor of
the lions we had heard, but the area
they went in was impenetrable. A little
later we passed the guys from the other
lodge. Greetings and a few jokes were
exchanged, as well as information on
what everyone had seen.
We met the elephants on the road.
Rein stopped the car far away from
them, leaving the choice to come closer
to the elephants. Some were feeding.
One had a nap on the road. When it
was clear that we posed no threat they
decided to come closer. Eventually they
passed us by at fewer than five metres.
One young bull was rather inquisitive
and wanted an even closer look (or
rather a sniff). A loud, “No!” from both
Rein and Isaac in unison was enough to
make the elephant understand that that
was too close for everyone’s comfort,
man and beast alike.
When it moved on, Isaac said,
“Thank you.” Strangely enough, that
sounded right. It made sense. I just
knew the elephant understood. With a
huge smile on our faces, and our souls
replenished, we headed back for a
breakfast fit for a king.
I have five metres of African-related
reading material at home (I gave up
Klaserie Chronicle/Kroniek no. 21 |13
photos: Jochen van de Perre
counting books long ago, so I count
in metres), but still Rein managed to
teach me new stuff. Time and again I
am amazed at how much knowledge
the guides at Africa on Foot and
nThambo possess.
Back at our tent, I decided to read a
few chapters of my book (Oepse Daisy
by Johan Bakkes) in an attempt to
improve my Afrikaans. The complete
front canvas of our tent was rolled up,
and a gentle breeze flowed through
the tent.
Two hours later I woke up with my
book on my face. My wife laughed,
“Even on holiday you FaceBook!”
After lunch it was time to hit the
road again. We drove straight towards
that block where the leopard was
in. Isaac soon found what we were
looking for using his senses − tracks,
smells, sounds, all of it combined.
Tracker magic!
There they were, Rhulani and her
brother, Tsotsi, on an impala kill that
was almost finished. We even caught
a glimpse of the tail of their mom.
When we had seen them the
previous year they were just small
cubs; then Isaac found them while on
foot. How much they had grown!
And amazing how relaxed they were
with the game drive vehicles next
to them, especially Rhulani. She lay
down on a termite mound and started
grooming herself; typical of girls, always
wanting to look their best on camera.
It was a busy afternoon. The lions
popped out somewhere else, in another
area.
So after Rhulani, we paid them a visit.
It seemed as if the whole Ross pride was
together again. Well, except for the males,
but we had already seen them a few days
before. It was during the night drive, and
we had them roaring on either end of the
car. It was so loud the door panels rattled.
The Ross pride had four females and
two sub-adult cubs, but there were two
new additions. Grass moved behind the
sleeping female and one head popped up,
then the other. Mom had finally introduced
them into the pride. They stared at us
like only curious kittens do. It is always a
special feeling when a cub looks straight
into your lens. It feels like someone is
using a feather duster on the inside of your
ribcage. I went shutter crazy.
Then it was time for sundowners. Spicy
biltong (my gift to the group) made us even
thirstier. The Amarulas, G&Ts, and beers
went down faster than a homesick mole
(quoting Rein here)!
On the night game drive we saw a
chameleon, a bush baby, and a genet.
For once, it was not running away. It was
actually asleep in a tree, and at intervals
it popped up its head! It was a perfect end
to a perfect game drive after what had
been a perfect day. However, the cook
had one final ace up her sleeve - Boboti,
our favourite dish! What was that mole
expression again?
So you see, people from the Klaserie,
how can we not choose Klaserie? The
guides and trackers have an amazing level
of expertise; we sip from their knowledge
like from the most expensive wine. They
have the correct attitude: proud of the
environment they are working in, sticking
to the rules, placing animal welfare first.
Plus, after the photo session, this
reserve still allows us the time to observe
the animal and to let the encounter sink in.
That animal is walking around in a natural
environment, not a manicured lawn like
in Sabi Sands. We do not mind a little
landscaping. Open areas and waterholes
lure game from the plains; we understand
that. But if we wanted to photograph a
rhino on a football field, we would go to the
Antwerp Zoo.
Klaserie, Africa on Foot and nThambo
Tree Camp are perfect camps, operated
by and staffed with the perfect people, in
the perfect reserve! When we are back in
Belgium, people at work ask us how our
holiday was. Invariably, our reply is always,
“What holiday?”
“You didn’t go on holiday?”
“No, we just went home.”
Truth be told; we might even make
Klaserie our home one day. A bush camp
with Belgian beers on tap; wouldn’t that be
something?
CET is supported
by the National
Lottery Distribution
Trust Fund
Bye Zani!
14 | Klaserie Chronicle/Kroniek no. 21
photo: Jaymee Roodt
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Mike Ander
Dear Zani
It is with regret that I accept your resignation.
On behalf of the Board I want to sincerely thank you
for a tremendous contribution made to CET. You can be
very proud of your efforts.
In many ways the work at CET is a thankless task and
sometimes difficult to perform because of distances
and the many aspects to cover. Your ability to work with children, parents, the
school community, KPNR members, staff, etc. stood
out and you were always a proud ambassador for CET. In the wider Hoedspruit area you were a well-known
personality who promoted the CET brand with energy. People appreciated your efforts. In the recent flood
situation you again went the extra mile to assist
people and to give comfort.
During your tenure at CET you made a huge
difference to the lives of many people. I want to
wish you success in your new career with the MAD
Foundation in Johannesburg. It is a new and perhaps
bigger challenge in
your next career step.
Thanks again and
know you will always
be welcome in the
CET family.
Kind Regards, Deon
Huysamer,
chairman CET
Dear Zani,
On behalf of KPNR I would like to thank you
for your commitment and dedication to the CET
programme. Thanks to your input, CET is respected
and has grown beyond our expectations. We wish
you all the very best in your new venture which
will surely be successful. We are also pleased to
hear that you have not abandoned us totally and
look forward to meeting with you in the future.
All the very best.
Mike Myers
IT’S NOT GOODBYE IT’S,
SEE YOU NEXT TIME!
Who would have thought, you leaving,
it never occurred not even once in our
heads but I bet in life sometimes you
must grab every opportunity that comes
your way (you taught me that).
On behalf of the trainers, I must say we
loved you and still we adore you, because
you were like family to us. And I don’t
believe in goodbyes because as a person
you aren’t supposed to let go of family,
so we say “see you soon or until we meet
again”. But it’s still sad though.
And on my part, let’s just say since I
have known you for most of my boring
life and you made it interesting, because
you taught me a lot about life, its values,
morality and ethical living. It’s fascinating
because you may have not known that
you were sometimes directly or indirectly
pushing me to the man I am today, and
last but not least I can’t imagine where
I am today with my education, without
your help. I know that overall it was CETs
help but you are the one who discovered
me, I take my hat off for that.
And you also motivated me in times
of need, even with a pep-talk; you would
say stuffs that really lifted my spirit. It’s
like I said, somehow it’s like when I lose
my reason of going forward you just write
it on the wall for me, you show me the
bigger picture. You are like my super
charger.
Thank you for everything that you have
done for us, may you excell in whatever
work you are going to do next, good luck!
Lots of love, Kind Regards
KEITH NDHLOVU.
(Keith did not a miss a workshop
since 2004 and returned as a volunteer
after leaving school. CET is currently
providing financial assistance towards
Keith’s studies at the Tswane University
of Technology.
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Mike von de r Hey
Hi Zani
Louis and I and the entire Sharalumi team would like to wish you everything of
the best for your future as General Manager of the Make-a-Difference Foundation.
Congratulations on the appointment! They have got a gem in you! You have been an
inspiration to all of us in Hoedspruit and it was an absolute pleasure to get to know
you and also to have had the opportunity to work with you on certain projects. We will
miss you and look forward to your visits to Hoedspruit in the future! All the best Zani! Love and blessings, Louis and Lee-Ann Rautenbach Klaserie Chronicle/Kroniek no. 21 |15
PLANETARIUM WORKSHOP
Alexis Mes and CJ McDonald
A
s a joint bush-lore and community service
project, the grade 11 class created the
programme for the Klaserie Children’s Eco
Training during the first and second term. Many fun
hours were spent in Mrs McDonald’s classroom and
after school, working out the sporting activities, craft
projects and the workbook. The programme had to
run from 9:00 to 16:00 and during that time they had
to teach the children as much as they could on the
chosen nature-based topic: the solar system.
This was a difficult and foreign concept to teach
the children, as lessons happen during day time. The
travelling planetarium they hired (to help the children
visualise the concepts they were trying to convey),
needed an area of 11m x 11m x 3m high, and the only
area to fit those specifications was the hangar of Mr
Taljaard at the Incheni gate.
Despite a few problems on 6 June, the first day
of the training, everything was sorted, and a couple
of Grade 11 volunteers drove to the Klaserie to help
out and oversee the running of their programme.
The children enjoyed themselves and the basis of
the structured syllabus was taught and understood.
The children seemed to have benefited immensely
from the course. The feedback from the owners who
quizzed the children on the topic, was very positive,
and they were greatly impressed when the youngsters
could name the planets and explain the concepts.
Visitors and volunteers during the workshop
were Mrs Janovsky and her family (children and
grandchildren), 24 American students for compulsory
community service, children from the orphanage
in Thulamahashe, and Kirsten Braun from Uplands
who contributed hugely to the success of the Holiday
Workshop.
Again there was a record attendance for July, 250
children, considering that it was the period for the
children to attend initiation schools and learners in
grade 11 and 12 to attend extra lessons at school. CJ
McDonald and the grade 11 learners executed a very
successful workshop and we are looking forward to
the next one in October!
photos: Karen Randall
16 | Klaserie Chronicle/Kroniek no. 21
Vulture culture
Judy Meeser
I
f you drive to Klaserie Private Nature
Reserve via the Able Erasmus Pass
you will no doubt blow the horn as
you drive through the tunnel, marvel
at the difference in temperature as
you enter the Lowveld and breathe in
deeply, savouring in the aroma of the
bush.
Next time you should take time to also
look right; up onto the soaring cliffs of
Manutsa Mountain where the red ochre
rock face is streaked with the white
excrement of the 450 active nesting
sites of this Cape Vulture colony.
The Cape Vulture is the only cliff
nesting vulture in our area. The birds
in this colony are fortunate to live close
to the Greater Kruger where food in the
form of a carcass is plentiful. However,
the proximity to a food source will
mean very little to the Cape Vulture
that has specialized in travelling great
distances and living a semi-nomadic
existence for part of the year. In the
breeding season and when the chicks
are in the nest, both the male and
female are almost homebound and
hugely attentive parents.
Somehow this representation of
a vulture does not quite relate to
the accepted image of these large
scavenging birds with a grotesque
posture squabbling over the pickings
at a smelly carcass in the bush. If
this image is incongruous then try
this; much like a swan is a picture of
elegance on the water, vultures are
masters of the sky, fascinating in flight,
but sadly are often so high they are
difficult to see. The creamy plumage of
the Cape Vulture shapes a broad and
long wing with slotted wing tips. The
broad wing provides a larger surface
area for the warm air rising within a
thermal to lift the heavy bird into the
sky while the slotted wing tips are there
to facilitate the tight turning into the
circles of a thermal and also allow the
bird to fly slowly without stalling.
With a wing structure adapted
to soaring effortlessly, taking off is
entirely another matter, and requires a
long runway and a swift breeze to get
these bulky birds airborne.
The cliff-nesting Cape Vulture has a
smaller and more common cousin in
the White-backed Vulture. Their untidy
nests, consisting of a platform of
sticks on the top of a tree canopy, are a
familiar sight in the Lowveld. These two
vultures appear very similar although
the Cape is much bigger than the
White-backed. Both are classed as Old
World vultures, and have strong curved
photos: Wayne Donaldson
beaks and a deeply grooved tongue
with backwards pointing barbs adept
at scooping the viscera from inside the
carcass, and at stripping meat from the
bone.
Both species fly at high altitudes and
scan the ground for carcasses while
watching eagles and other vultures
flying at lower altitudes. The Whitebacked Vulture can cruise at 60 km per
hour at 2 000 m above sea level and
cover large distances in an environment
where food is scattered and scarce.
They are exclusively carrion feeders,
and are not physically capable of killing
as eagles are.
Lappet-faced Vulture
The impressive Lappet-faced Vulture
plays an important role in the drama
that unfolds at a carcass and especially
one where the animal has died of
natural causes and not predation. This
is because of the massive bill these
vultures possess that easily breaks
into the tough hide of a carcass. They
fly at low altitudes and are often one of
the first species to arrive at a carcass.
White-headed Vultures are similar
sized and adapted to getting inside
carcasses making it more accessible
for other scavengers. These beautiful
continue on page 17
Klaserie Chronicle/Kroniek no. 21 |17
birds favour Baobab trees for their
nesting sites.
Less typical are the Hooded Vultures
that have adapted well to rural Africa,
and like Marabou storks frequent
rubbish dumps and even the inner
villages, hopping around and foraging
like chickens.
This, the smallest and least vigorous
of vultures has a featherless head with
a slender hooked beak that is able to
probe into fine bone crevices for morsels
of meat and marrow. It is forced by the
more dominant birds to hang around
the periphery of a carcass and rush in
for scraps. Owing to their lowly status,
the Hooded Vulture is often the first at a
kill pecking away at the soft parts of the
carcass. They are also adapted to eating
termites and catching lizards where
they can.
There are nine species of vulture in
Southern Africa and many of these
are endangered. Apart from the more
obvious reasons such as habitat
destruction and human impact, much
of the basis for their decline is almost
unique to vultures as a species.
Vultures cover enormous distances
and are for the most part out of
protected areas. Here they fall prey
to poisoning, both deliberately and
inadvertently. Their body parts are
sought after as traditional medicine
or muti for the allegedly clairvoyant
properties of vulture parts. Farmers,
until recently, remained convinced that
vultures were responsible for killing
their livestock. However, recent efforts
to educate farmers have resulted in
vulture restaurants and responsible
farming practices.
Furthermore, while taking off and
landing these heavy birds battle to gain
altitude and sometimes collide with
power lines.
They also perch on pylons and become
electrocuted. In conjunction with EWT
and other concerned bodies, Eskom has
gone to great lengths to develop vulturefriendly electric pylons (the latter has
not been scientifically proven).
Vultures live to about 25 years; they
pair for life and only raise one chick
a year. They play a vital role in the
ecosystem by preventing the spread
of disease. While some species are
widespread, the Cape Vulture is near
endemic to Southern Africa and like the
other endangered species needs our
active intervention in this downward
spiral of vulture numbers.
The White-backed Vulture.
Photo: Mark Anderson
DONATE
R250 to clothe one child in a complete school uniform for 2012
contact Zani @ 082 713 8778 or zani@ecochildren.co.za
White-backed
vulture under
threat
T
he white-backed vulture,
Gyps africanus, the most
widespread and common
vulture in Africa, has been
uplisted from Near-Threatened to
Endangered on the IUCN Red List
for birds.
The white-backed vulture is one
of three South African birds that
have been uplisted on the list.
It occurs from Senegal, Gambia
and Mali in the west, throughout
the Sahel region to Ethiopia and
Somalia in the east, through East
Africa into Mozambique, Zimbabwe,
Botswana, Namibia and South
Africa in the south. The species
is currently undergoing a rapid
decline in population numbers
and faces similar threats to all
the other African vultures. In East
Africa, white-backed vultures are
primarily threatened by poisoning
­— particularly from the highly toxic
pesticide carbofuran; whereas in
southern Africa they are utilised
for the muti trade — as they are
perceived to have medicinal and
psychological benefits.
The
decline
and
possible
extirpation in West Africa has been
attributed to the trade in vulture
parts for traditional ‘juju’ practices.
Other threats include the loss or
reduced availability of carrion,
electrocution by powerlines and
poisoning.
Another vulture species, Rüppell’s
vulture, Gyps rueppellii, a vagrant
to South Africa, has similarly been
uplisted from Near-Threatened to
Endangered.
This species, which is native to
western, central and eastern Africa,
faces a suite of similar threats to
the white-backed Vulture.
T hank yo
u
for you r
ge ne r osit
y
a nd
fantastic
suppor t
in 2011!
18 | Klaserie Chronicle/Kroniek no. 21
Winky and Rhulani sponsored to
volunteer at Moholoholo
Michael Johnson and Karen Briggs enjoyed their volunteer experience at Moholoholo Rehabilitation Centre so
much they felt they wanted to share the experience with previously disadvantaged South Africans. They created
scholarships for black South Africans at Moholoholo. The selection process was left to Moholoholo, who invited
CET’s Winky Mokgope and Rhulani Mathonsi to take up the scholarships.
Hello Zani
T
hank you for your email and
the letters from Winky and
Rhulani and the photos of
them at Moholoholo. Moholoholo
did forward them to us but it is nice
receiving them from you also.
We were volunteers at Moholoholo
last year and found that Brian
and his staff do wonderful and
important work. When we were
there, all of the volunteers were
white and none were from South
Africa. We felt that for South Africa
to protect its bush, it is going to take
South Africans, not foreigners, and
that it is essential that black South
Africans take leadership roles in
this. We were both teachers and
know that education is the key
to solving the problems humans
create. We saw the scholarships as
a way of making a contribution to
this effor t.
We are very pleased that
Moholoholo chose Children’s Eco
Training to find volunteers for the
scholarships. We did not know of
you before this, but went to your
website when we learned that the
scholarships went to your staff. We
are very impressed by your work.
We believe that the protection
of South Africa’s environment is
of critical importance and that
teaching young people of this is the
most effective way to achieve this.
Not only did Rhulani and Winky
have valuable experience for their
own sake, but they will pass on their
leaning to the next generation.
Please pass on our best wishes to
Winky and Rhulani in their personal
lives and in their careers of teaching
your nation’s youth. We are pleased
to have been able to provide them
with the experience they enjoyed at
Moholoholo.
Our best wishes to you and
everyone connected to Children’s
Eco Training.
Kind Regards
Michael Johnson and Karen
Briggs
Klaserie Chronicle/Kroniek no. 21 |19
Dear Michael Johnson and
Karen Briggs
Greetings to you. I live at Acornhoek and
I am 39 years old, working at Children’s
Eco Training as a project assistant. My
job is to educate the grade 6 learners at
Seganyane and Matikinya Primary School
about environmental education and to
help them with vegetable gardens for their
feeding scheme at school, and for the kids
of child-headed household and orphans.
I want to thank you for sponsoring
my studies, 3 meals per day ( food),
and pocket money of R780.00. It was a
pleasure to have this kind of opportunity.
Now I have a certificate.
I went to Moholoholo Rehabilitation
centre as a student on 16 April till 29
April 2012.
My reason for going to Moholoholo was
to learn more and implement my skills to
the people in rural communities. I believe
that our black South African people are
not protecting nature because they think
it is not useful for them. By educating
these young ones it will become useful to
them in future.
I experienced that Moholoholo is a place
where you can enjoy nature. Daily visitors
are more than thousand a day to show
Dear Michael Johnson and
Karen Briggs
F
irst of all I would like to say thank
you for giving me the opportunity
to volunteer at Moholoholo
Rehabilitation Centre.
I am a girl who is 21 years old. I live
at Cottondale Circuit, and I work at
Children’s Eco Training as a project
assistant. I started to work at Children’s
Eco Training on 02 February 2011. Even
now I’m still working at Children’s Eco
Training.
I am very happy because at
Moholoholo Rehabilitation Centre I
learnt a lot of things. I am a grade 7
teacher at school and I am teaching
Environmental Education. I wanted
to share everything that I learned at
their respect and to honour that place.
I enjoyed cleaning the cages, taking out
the poo and scrubbing poo and the water
bowl, and feeding animals with chicks.
But when I was supposed to cut the
mice and chicks in pieces to feed the blind
owl I was so scared, I asked help from
others.
The special place in my heart is the
aviary where I was feeding birds four
times daily. I was spending most of my
time in the aviary to listen to the birds.
I enjoyed the game drive learning about
animal tracks in the bush.
I was angry for working while it was
raining but at last I realized that my
babies (animals) needed to eat like me.
Even the clinic was not my favourite
place because I was sick with sinus when
I got there. I was sneezing and failing to
breathe properly at night.
Thank you very much for your help. I
promise to teach the lessons to the kids
for the better future of our nation, our
environment, our nature
Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
Thank you. Thank you. Thank you
God bless you.
Yours sincerely
Winky Mokgope
Moholoholo with my children. I was
working with cleaning cages, feeding
birds, cleaning the clinic and top up
water for the the lions, honey badger
and hyenas
I was enjoying when I fed blind Owl
(Woody). I was feeding Woody with
two chicks every day. I was cutting the
chicks into pieces and I was feeding
Woody one mouse once in a week. I
must cut mice into pieces. I learned
about birds, animals and its part of
environment. I will share with my
grade 7 class at school that they must
protect, save, and conserve nature.
Thank you for pocket money that I
received, R780, 00. I appreciate it.
New white
lion cub
- Ross Pride
Johan Smallman
T
hese are the photos of the new
white lion cub belonging to the
Ross pride. The cub is about a
month old and there is one tawny one
as well. Photos were taken by H.J.
Esterhuizen who is a ranger at Gomo
Gomo Game Lodge.
The female is Scarlett and she is
one of the older females in the pride.
Hopefully this one will survive
longer than last year’s one because
the female responsible for the death
of the other one has died of natural
causes.
The cubs are still very young so
if the mother is not there then it is a
negative lock and only one vehicle in
the sighting at all times and no use of
the spotlight on them.
At
the
moment we have
made it a
n e g a ti v e
lock just
because
of
the
age of
the cub.
Yours sincerely
Rhulani Mathonsi
photos: H J Esterhuizen at
Gomo Gomo Game Lodge
CET says thank you for ongoing support to ...
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Agri-Park Hoedspruit - Tyres for crèche
Projector - Anonymous donor
2 x 10000 litre Jo Jo tanks – Anonymous donor
Vanstone Precast - Compost makers
Appelblaar Padstal - Discount prices on
seedlings
Michael Johnson & Karen Briggs - Moholoholo Volunteer Program for the educators
Lizelle Louw – Paint donation for our schools
•
•
•
•
•
•
PnP Hoedspruit
Jackson Phale – Trees from Department Fishing
and Forestry
Jackie Preston – Storybooks and Toys (please add
to donations sheet R1000)
Pokkelpensies Speelgroep – Outdoor playdrum for
crèche.
Hi-Q for incredible discount.
SSM – Steve Maycock – Roof structure
•
•
•
•
•
•
PPC – 500 bags of cement
Klasserie – Funding
CET – Coordination
Sharalumi – Louis and Lee-Anne Rautenbach –
construction (and some building materials)
Matikinya Primary School SGB – R10 000 donation
toward cement
JS Bouplanne - Jacolien Steyn – Plans
Klaserie memories @ Baobab Ridge
20 | Klaserie Chronicle/Kroniek no. 21
photo: Matthews Family
photo left
and below:
Zena
Baxter
photo
right:
Nadia
Vermaak
The CET budget
meeting took
place on May 25 in
Hoedspruit. Directors,
Deon Huysamer and
John Braithwaite
with CEO Zani
Kunz and Financial
Administrator,
Laura Craig.
jy
hoe help...
kan
Enige bydra, groot of klein, help
ons om ,n verskil te maak
Children’s Eco Training, Rek nr: 013 253 611,
STANDARD BANK, Hatfield Tak,
Tak nr: 01-15-45, Swift kode: SBZAZAJJ,Tjekrekening,
verwysing: jou van en stuur asseblief bewys
van inbetaling aan admin@ecochildren.
Klaserie Chronicle/Kroniek no. 21 |21
How old is that Ground Hornbill?
Kate Meares
A
house mouse can live up to four
years, and dungbeetles up to
two years. The all too familiar
dassie can live up to 14 years, and a
spotted hyena up to 40. But what few
people know is that Ground Hornbills
can live up to 70 years of age. For
something that weighs only 5 kgs that
seems quite old. Interestingly, one pair
in Kruger waited up to 20 years to breed
according to Alan Kemp. No wonder
they are such slow breeders, they are
not in a hurry at all!
Ground Hornbills reach sexual
maturity at around eight years of age.
By this time their facial skin around
the eyes and under the bill has turned
completely red (with a blue patch if
female), but it can be many more years
before the individual breeds.
Males bide their time filling the
role of ‘helpers’ in the group, all the
while gaining experience in territorial
defence, foraging, predator avoidance,
looking after other sub-adults, and a
host of other activities until such time
as it attains a territory and female of its
own.
Little is known of female movements,
but we do know that in almost all cases
the helpers are males with a female
drifting independently until such time
as she finds a group without a female
and assumes her role as alpha.
A group of Ground Hornbills can
consist of individuals of diverse ages.
But how can you tell the age of a
Ground Hornbill? Using photos I will
indicate tips and pointers you can use
the next time you come across a group:
3 months to 1 year
(Left)
Young birds have completely
pale facial skin. Black areas are
ectoparasites and fairly common.
They also have blue eyes and a
shorter bill with no gap between
upper and lower bill.
2 to 4 years
(Above)
Here in the KPNR group sizes
average five birds. We have 18 known
groups, with a few more sharing
boundaries with other reserves,
so in total, close to 100 individuals
within our reserve. Larger groups
like Karan Khaya (Umbabat east)
have nine individuals and Addger
(Timbavati east) have seven
individuals which are excellent
examples of the complex age
composition of groups.
With the winter months upon us
means groups are foraging far and
wide within their home ranges in
search of worthwhile feeding areas.
With this as your rough guide I
hope each group sighting will be
more meaningful.
8+ years
(Right)
(Male right, female left)
Sexually mature individuals have
complete facial skin, blue patch
visible in females, bill is dark almost
completely black. Pale eyes.
At this age the bill is at full
length but with quite a bit of
white on both upper and lower
bills. Facial skin is dark with
blotches of pale skin on the
edges.
4 to 6 years
(Left)
At this age their facial skins are
almost complete with only a bit
of the cream colour around the
edges. There is still some white
on the bill.
22 | Klaserie Chronicle/Kroniek no. 21
Seganyane becoming model school
Winky Mokgope
O
n Tuesday, 15 May 2012
CET collected the greening
committee and group leaders at
Matikinya to take them to Seganyane
Primary school for a visit.
Julius Letsoalo, Winky Mokgope
and Janus Roets proudly showed the
visitors around.
The beautifully designed garden
was where the group leaders from
Matikinya joined the grade 7 learners
who were working there. It was good
to see the herbs planted everywhere
in the garden to control pests. Even
the kitchen assistants were helping to
keep the wood ash and vegetable peels
in different drums to help the learners
make compost.
The garden was also used as an
outdoor classroom, for after break
the grade 6 class was being taught
there about the ecosystem. They were
working in groups with their boards
and markers.
While walking around the school
yard they found mugs at the taps. To
save water no child was allowed to
drink water without a mug.
The visitors were very impressed with
the “tappy tap” (mug) the children were
using. They saw them even washing
their hands from their tappy tap.
The school grounds were neat
and the children well-behaved. It
was so amazing to find learners in
the classroom without teachers, but
reading books by themselves. Break
times and school times were set and
strictly adhered to.
For Seganyane, school discipline is
their key to success.
The visitors were motivated to go
back and to clean and improve their
school surroundings at Matikinya,
and to report what they had seen that
day. After a meeting of the greening
committees, Janus announced a
trip to Kruger National Park for the
winning school.
Groens Sponsor Kitchen
D
uring the spring of 2011
the Groen family visited
Seganyane
Primary
School and Teedi Crèche. As
reported in the December 2011
issue of the Klaserie Chronicle,
the family worked hard under
the scorching Lowveld sun to
help with the Keyhole Gardens
and to play with the little ones
at the crèche.
They were very impressed
to see that the schools were
preparing meals for the children
each day.
Yet they were surprised to see
that they did not have proper
kitchen facilities for cleaning all
the pots and plates used.
The kitchen ladies were
using two huge basins under a
running tap to wash the dishes.
It did not only pose a problem
regarding hygiene, but also
regarding the wasting of water.
The Groens immediately
asked CET to investigate the
possibility of erecting a proper
washing area for the kitchen.
CET would like to thank the
Groen family for the donation to
the building of the wash basins
at Seganyane.
They are not only more
hygienic, but also save a lot of
water. Once again the Groens
went green.
Klaserie Chronicle/Kroniek no. 21 |23
Van Stone Precast Donates Compost Makers
Janus Roets
V
an Stone Precast
are
manufacturers
of
concrete
compost makers, and when
CET asked for a quotation for these
compost makers, they did better than
that, they donated eight of these
compost makers to CET’s Eco-Villages.
We installed the compost makers at
the schools and they are working very
well. Fortunately the compost heaps
are not an eyesore anymore. We can
now just fill up from the top and scoop
out from the bottom.
Because of the air-vents, there is no
need to turn the compost anymore,
which saves labour.
For these children to be healthy,
they need to eat vegetables planted in
healthy soil.
To ensure that, compost is needed
consisting of fruit and vegetable waste,
pot scrapings, paper, lawn cuttings,
dry leaves, manure, water and sunlight.
In fact, anything that will rot is perfect
for the job.
We would like to thank Vanstone
Precast for this wonderful donation.
We now have a constant supply of rich
and nutritious compost, which helps
us to grow nutritious vegetables.
Jojo Tanks donated
O
n 22 May, CET received a call from a
benefactor who was doing renovations
to their property and installed new
JoJo tanks. They immediately thought of CET.
Within an hour they were at Seganyane
Primary School with two huge JoJo tanks in
excellent condition.
Water is a problem at the schools. Although
CET sank a borehole at Seganyane Primary
School in 2011 and installed two water tanks,
they are a bit small for the amount of water
used on a daily basis.
Teedi Crèche (adopted at the end of 2011)
does not have any water at all. They carry drums
of water to school every day, which makes it
difficult to maintain hygienic conditions, and
impossible to start a vegetable garden.
The one tank will be used at Seganyane
Primary School, and they will be able to save
on electricity by filling them only twice a
week. The other tank will be installed at Teedi
Crèche. However, to be able to pump water
from Seganyane Primary School, water pipes
and taps are still needed.
alastword
24 | Klaserie Chronicle/Kroniek no. 21
Make a date
p Klaserie Private
Matikinya
School
Hall
Matikinya School Hall in progress
Nature Reserve AGM
14 July 2012
p Hlokomela Clinic dates
16 + 30 Aug; 13 + 27 Sept; 11 + 25 Oct;
15 + 29 Nov; 13 + 27 December.
p CET Holiday Workshop dates
Children: 2-5 July
Teacher Training: 24 & 25 September
Children: 1-4 October
Teacher Training: 3 & 4 December
Children: 10 – 13 December
9p Santa Shoebox Project
National drop off week
24 – 31 October
Netball kits donated to
Southern Cross Schools
T
wo of the MAD/CET Bursary
pupils were selected for the first
Netball team of Southern Cross
Schools.
Children’s Eco Training was cosponsors for the netball kits and
jackets. The team performed superbly
during the netball season. We are very
proud of them!
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