Sunbirds in the Western Cape rely on summer flowering plants for food during the hot dry summers. Summer flowering Erica verticillata became extinct in the 1930s and its reintroduction means an important summer food source is available for these lovely birds on the Cape Flats.
Annual General Meeting 2014
Thank you to everyone who attended the meeting. Every seat was filled and the presentations and discussions were lively. Chairman Phil McLean gave us a short summary of the year’s challenges and successes; Grant Irlam, our treasurer, explained to everyone how our funds have been managed; and the members were satisfied that the Friends of the Liesbeek had once again done a great job this year. Our speaker, Dalton Gibbs, had everyone “yaying” and “awing” during his talk on the rollercoaster ride of plant conservation, namely the restoration of extinct Erica verticillata. We also had a chance to hear what our Liesbeek Maintenance Project Manager, Nick Fordyce, had achieved in the 8 months that he has been on the river. Well done to Nick for having taken over so ably. Kevin Winter treated us to a slideshow of the 2014 Peninsula Paddle and Landscape architect Clare Burgess gave us a taste of the “Plan” that is being drafted for the Liesbeek and updates will be posted here and sent out to members as the project progresses. Finally we could tuck into the delicious snacks provided by The Fat Cactus (Dave), Players Restaurant (Sharon) and The Wild Fig (Trevor). A big thank you for the generous donations and support from these restaurants on the Liesbeek.
