H E R B S                                                                  NO 66 FEBRUARY 2003 FERNKLOOF GOES GLOBAL - AGAIN

'Mind-boggling', 'Sensational', 'incredibly informative' was how our very own website www.fernkloof.com was described at the 43rd Annual General Meeting held last month. And it is the gift to the society of one man, Herman Steyn, whose love of photography led him to take hundreds of photographs of our Fernkloof flowers, naming and listing them as well. Herman was accorded honorary life membership at the meeting for his mammoth work, which is already being 'visited' at least 500 times a month by overseas and local interested surfers. Global queries are now being answered by Priscilla Drewe, Keeper of the Herbarium, and a small team of 'flower ladies' are working with Herman on the website, checking, adding, deleting. We also have internet coverage on the Hermanus website on www.hermanus.co.za/fernkloof , as reported in August 2002 Herbs, so this is our second exciting sortie into the cyber world . Piet Joubert, our chairman, was right when he said 2002 was an exciting year but that 2003 promised to be even better. Our wildflower show turned into a festival, doubling its profit, and we are planning a repeat performance; the nursery is going from strength to strength under Jack Bold's management with increased stock and profit; a strategic management plan is being drawn up and our finances are looking good. The visitors' centre, hub of the reserve's walking trails, will shortly be refurbished with tiled floor, new windows, meranti display stands and info cabinets; the Cliff Path Management Group has a healthy credit balance of R87 000 and is ongoing in its fundraising and other activities; the education centre fund stands at R41 000. Hack groups continue their good work. Interest was shown in our social programme, particularly with regard to the need for a team of tour guides in the reserve to cope with the increasing number of visits such as the cruise ship Europa and overseas groups. The committee was re-elected with Margaret de Villiers replacing Sandy Jenkin, who was standing down for personal reasons. She was thanked for all her hard work and will continue with flower festival and visitors' centre administration. Concerns were expressed about the following: Rocks had been placed at intervals along the Voelklip contour path; Vandalism and teething problems of the new entrance gates; Need for security patrolling to guard the visitors' centre and other assets.

HOW HERMANUS (AND THE HERBARIUM) BECAME HOME by Priscilla Drewe, Keeper of the Hermanus Herbarium since l983

As I drove over Beit Bridge into South Africa in early June l978, I had no idea where life would lead me. The Rhodesian war was still raging and our home on the Mozambique border was no more. My two dogs, the cat and I were heading for the Eastern Cape in search of a new life. In December l980 I finally arrived in Hermanus, and as I looked up at the mountains behind my house I knew that I had come to stay. I joined the Bot Soc and met like-minded people, but it was a chance encounter with Ion and Sheila Williams that really launched me into the botanical world. Under their guidance I discovered the magic of the mountains and the beauty of the flora and they taught me how to collect. In l982 I was elected on to the Bot Soc committee and the talk at the time was of Flora 83 to be held at the Good Hope Centre the following year, and Hermanus Bot Soc had been invited to participate. I was horrified to find myself organising what turned out to be a mammoth operation, and so began my involvement with flower shows. Hermanus came second after Clanwilliam and our prize was the shelter next to the hall. In l983 work started on a fireproof building to house Professor Orchard's plant collections from Fernkloof and Sheila Williams' coastal collections.The new Hermanus Herbarium was opened on 17 December by Dr Bernhard de Winter, the Director of the BRI in Pretoria. In his opening address Dr De Winter said "to me the Hermanus Herbarium represents a prime example of a development which, I hope, will play a significant role in improving the layman's knowledge of, particularly, the local flora in the area in which he lives…" I believe it has done so and with the advent of the Fernkloof website and the outstanding photographs that go with it, this development has taken a further step forward. My job as Honorary Curator has led to a lot of work, plenty of exercise and a great deal of fun, particularly after the many fires. The discovery of Otholobium dreweae had to be my most exciting moment. As it only flowers during November following a fire it is rarely seen. On 16 March l987 the Hermanus Herbarium was assigned the acronym HER and was included in Edition 8 Index Herbariorum, a New York based publication. This was a great honour for such a small herbarium, and put Hermanus firmly on the botanical map of the world, resulting in overseas and local botanists choosing Fernkloof to further their studies. This can only benefit the Botanical Society and the region as a whole. Six years as Chairman was a challenge for me and an experience that I would not have missed. It made me realise what a meaningful and strong society we are. I have had the good fortune to be in the right place at the right time and to have friends who nursed me through the early days when I knew nothing and who continue to support me now that I know a little more. My wish is to share that knowledge with as many people as possible so that they too can experience the same pleasures and satisfactions that I have had the privilege to enjoy in my 22 years of Bot Soc membership.

 

DID YOU KNOW ?

Betty Jones, widow of Eric Jones who was the founder of our society, celebrated her 90th birthday at a luncheon for 60 guests at Fernkloof last month. Best wishes from all of us, Betty. Kirsti Ackerberg, an enthusiastic first-year horticultural student from Cape Technikon, is helping Jack Bold in the nursery until end of June. Her special interests are hiking and hockey. A family of five friendly francolins arrived at the door while the AGM was in progress - but left to pursue their own agenda. February is the month with most ericas in flower. You can see Erica longifolia (formerly onosmiflora) , tenella, tenella gracilior, plukenetii, longiaristata, obliqua, and a striking scarlet E coccinea resprouting on an after-fire area on the Northcliff contour walk (sea side) . Excerpt from a letter from Geoff Wong, our very first website visitor (he read about Fernkloof and contacted us) : "Fernkloof was absolutely fantastic. It not only met all my expectations but far exceeded them. I can honestly say that our day hike up into the reserve was unquestionably the highlight of my trip to South Africa." Mr Wong is from California. A beautiful red lily graced the chairman's table at the AGM, brought in by Dr Tom Dunstan. We think it was Cyrtanthus carneus but not knowing where it was picked and lacking a leaf made it difficult to identify. Has anyone another idea? Herbs by e-mail: Please let Lee Burman have your e-mail address so that she can arrange to send you the Herbs newsletter in this way. The e-mail address is:

PROGRAMME

HACKING MEETS :	08:00	September - March
	08:30	April - August

Saturdays (end of each month)	February 22
	March 29
	April 26
	May 31

For further information contact Sandy Jenkin

028-3140554

Tuesdays (third of each month) :	February 18
	March 18
	April 15
	May 20

For further information contact Bob Hill

028-3121463

OTHER SOCIAL EVENTS :

For further information re walks please contact Piet Joubert

tel 028-3140264

Published by Hermanus Botanical Society, PO Box 208, Hermanus 7200 Editor: GERALDINE GARDINER - Fax (028) 3130617