A new look for Notes from a Cape Town Botanist
We’re giving away our next prize – membership to the Botanical Society of South Africa (and all the benefits that go with it). To spice things up a bit, we’ve got another fantastic prize! We’re giving away a WWF South Africa The Wine Kingdom book. Find the answer in this blog post and enter our easy competition just below the blog post.
Notes from a Cape Town Botanist was born on a bench on a cold spring day at London’s Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, inspired by the prominent botanist, conservationist and author Sara Oldfield, then Secretary General of Botanic Gardens Conservation International. The blog was started with the aim to communicate to a global audience the international importance of South Africa’s Cape Floristic Region (CFR). It also reports on the conservation challenges the CFR faces, the vital research work taking place to better understand its ecosystems and what is being done to conserve it for the future.
Notes from a Cape Town Botanist is now three years old. Since its inception it has grown and blossomed with support from its readers near and far. Its content has been read by more than 100,000 people from across the globe. In South Africa, it has been published in the Cape Argus newspaper and online by City Press. It has led to interviews with the Citizen Newspaper and a live online radio interview with Johannesburg’s Radio 702 about the 2015 Cape fires. I have been overwhelmed by the response from around the globe. Three years on it is time for Notes from a Cape Town Botanist to have a shiny new look that reflects its readership and takes it forward into the future.
Top: Moraea gigandra. Above: Zoe Poulsen
LoveGreen have taken on the task of revamping and rebuilding the site and I hope you’ll agree that they have done an amazing job! LoveGreen is a new communications business based in Cape Town and the Overberg, founded with the aim of “getting ‘green’ messages out there”. They specialise in communications from blogging, online marketing and web design integrated with social media for business and the non-profit sector including conservation, eco-tourism and sustainable agriculture.
Top: Heather D’Alton out on Flower Valley Farm. (Photo: Flower Valley Conservation Trust) Above: Disa purpurascens (Photo: Heather D’Alton)
The LoveGreen Team are Tina Vlok and Heather D’Alton, who bring to the table considerable experience and expertise. Tina (formerly of Berry Web Design) is the resident web guru, with considerable experience in web design for the conservation non-profit sector and beyond. Heather, a journalist by trade, has been the Communications Manager for Flower Valley Conservation Trust for a number of years and also works with the Agulhas Biodiversity Initiative. Both are immersed in the landscapes of the CFR. It has been a pleasure to work with them and they are acknowledged for their great ideas, skill and hard work.
Notes from a Cape Town Botanist also has a shiny new logo, designed by artist and conservationist Alouise Lynch. Alouise is based in the small Overberg village of Napier, where she works from her home studio. With a background in the conservation sector and training as a game ranger, she specialises in wildlife art and was therefore the perfect choice to design a new logo for the blog.
Top: Alouise and her beautiful son. Above: Zebra painting by Alouise
The new logo encompasses flora and birdlife from the fynbos of South Africa’s Cape Peninsula, one of the biodiversity and endemism cores of the CFR and home of the Notes from a Cape Town Botanist blog. It includes the King Protea (Protea cynaroides), South Africa’s national flower. Also present are Leucospermum conocarpodendron subsp. viridum, a common shrub on the lower slopes of Table Mountain; Aristea africana, a species common on flats and slopes throughout Table Mountain National Park and Witsenia maura, a striking member of the Iridaceae family found in wetlands from the Southern Peninsula to Caledon.
Last but not least is Erica verticillata, a species lost to cut flower harvesting and urbanisation from the Cape Flats, now reintroduced from cultivated stock at several nature reserves across the Peninsula and a flagship for conservation of Cape Flats Sand Fynbos. Also present are the Cape Sugarbird and Orange Breasted Sunbird. Both are endemic to the Fynbos Biome and are important pollinators for a plethora of plant species here. I’d also like to thank Alouise for her stunning artwork – It is a joy. She works to commission and for any commissions secured through Notes from a Cape Town Botanist (use the code: #fynbosart), 10% will go back to the site.
Win Botanical Society of South Africa (BotSoc) membership
Ever visited any of our National Botanical Gardens? If so, you’ll know how the beautiful sights, sounds and fragrances in these gardens can lift your spirits. With this membership you get free access to Kirstenbosch, Harold Porter, Walter Sisulu and the other wonderful SANBI National Botanical Gardens (located in seven of South Africa’s nine provinces), the society’s quarterly journal (Veld & Flora), the opportunity to participate in Society activities, fynbos seeds (available to family and individual members) and much more.
We’re also giving away a WWF South Africa The Wine Kingdom book
This is a beautiful coffee table book worth R456, celebrating conservation in the Cape winelands.
THE COMPETITION IS NOW CLOSED. OUR WINNERS:
WINNER BOTSOC MEMBERSHIP:
Bea Loots
WINNER WWF THE WINE KINGDOM COFFEE TABLE BOOK:
Shell Hatherly
Competition Terms & Conditions:
- Competition opens on 24 August and closes on 31 August 2016.
- Winner will be announced on 1 September 2016.
- Winner will be randomly selected.
- Individual BotSoc membership, valued at R425.
- Winner to be a non-member of BotSoc, aka a new member.
- Membership to be claimed by end September 2016.
- Reference ‘Notes from a CT Botanist’ when redeeming membership from BotSoc head office on 0217972090 or info@botanicalsociety.org.za.
- WWF Coffee Table Book: 192-page hard cover coffee table book titled: The Wine Kingdom: Celebrating conservation in the Cape Winelands is valued at R 456 and prize include delivery – we’ll arrange collection if you live in Cape Town. If the winner can’t collect, the book will be posted via SA Post Office.
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King protea and Orange Breasted Sunbird. Really like your new look!
I always share your FB posts, get a good response as well
Aristea Africana
Cape Sugarbird
Thanks for sharing our information on Facebook Sarah, I appreciate it!
#Erica verticillata and the Cape sugar bird.
King Protea and Cape Sugarbird
Protea cynaroides and Cape Sugarbird, an iconic pair
King Protea, Orange Breasted Sunbird.
Erica verticillata, Orange breasted sunbird.
Love your blog Zoe!
Witsenia Maura
Cape Sugarbird.
Witsenia maura
Orange Chested Sunbird
Erica verticillata and Orange Breasted Sunbird <3
Cape Sugarbird and King Protea. My lovely friend Alouise did remarkable work on the new logo!
My first two loves, birds and botany 🙂 Cape Sugarbird and King Protea.
King Protea (Protea cynaroides) and Orange breasted sunbird
Protea cynaroides and Orange Breasted Sunbird
Erica verticillata and Cape Sugarbird
Protea Cynaroides and the Orange Breasted Sunbird – good friends in my parents’ mountainside garden above Muizenberg.
Cape Sugar bird and King Protea
King protea and Cape Sugarbird
King Protea and Cape Sugarbird
Two of the best!
Love your new look and congratulations on a wonderful blog. May you go from strength to strength.
Thank you Suzie
The new logo is beautiful, my two favourites are: Leucospermum conocarpodendron subsp. viridum and the cheeky Orange-Breasted Sunbird
Fynbos: Erica verticillata. Bird: Orange breasted sunbird.
Love the new logo, and enjoy reading your blog.
Witsenia maura
Cape Sugarbird
I really love the logo!
– Erica verticillata
– Orange Breasted Sunbird
Wonderful blog.
King Protea
Orange breasted sunbird
King protea and cape sugarbird
Erica verticillata and Orange breasted sunbird
Erica verticillata and the Orange Breasted Sunbird. Congratulations with the re-launch! May you go from strength to strength…
King protea (Protea Cynaroides) and Orangebreasted sunbird.
King Protea and Cape Sugarbird
Protea cynaroides and the Cape Sugarbird.
The new logo is really beautiful, doing botanical art is an aspiration of mine.
Leucospermum conocarpodendron subsp. viridum (because I saw some recently) and the Cape sugarbird.
Leucospermum conocarpodendron subsp. viridum for the fynbos and Orange Breasted Sunbird for the birds 🙂
Erica verticillata and the Cape sugar bird.
I glad it brings the feeling. Rest
Fynbos: Erica verticillata Bird: Cape Sugarbird
24th August 2016
King Protea and orange breasted sunbird
King Protea and Cape Sugarbird
King Protea and Orange Breasted Sunbird. Your blog has inspired me to get to know my own backyard…
Orange breasted sunbird and King Protea. (Protea cynaroides)
King Protea and Cape Sugar Sunbird
Protea cynaroides and an Orange Breasted Sunbird
Gee wikesllri, that’s such a great post!
Leucospermum conocarpodendron subsp. iridium and the orange breasted sunbird. Just missing the Cape honeybee in your logo, otherwise beautiful!
Erica verticillata and Orange Breasted Sunbird.
Congratulations with the stunning new logo.
Thanks for the competition too.
Such a beautiful blog ! My answer is Erica Verticillata and the stunning Orange Breasted Sun bird.
Absolutely love the new logo look, it encompasses true beauty .
King Protea and Cape Sugarbird
King Protea and Cape Sugarbird
Aristea africana and Cape Sugarbird.
I love your new website and your FB page… keep up the great work…
Thank you Shell.
Erica verticillata and the Orange Breasted Sunbird. Beautiful logo!
~ King Protea (Protea cynaroides).
~ Orange Breasted Sunbird. 🙂
Leucospermum conocarpodendron subsp. viridum
Orange Breasted Sunbird
I adore spending an afternoon in the gardens – living 4km from Kirstenbosch helps Thank you for a beautiful view into the Botanical mysteries of the Cape Town surrounds, Zoe.
Answers: Witsenia maura & Cape Sugarbird
Thanks Bronwen!
King Protea, Cape Sugarbird
Erica verticillata
Cape sugarbird
Witsenia maura and Cape Sugarbird
Erica verticillata and Orange breasted sunbird. I’m trying to stay awake to catch a glimpse of a bulb munching porcupine on a stop over near Calitzdorp, and have just come across your blog!
Orange breasted sunbird; Erica venticulata
Protea cynaroides & Orange breasted Sugar bird
Protea cynaroides and Orange Breasted Sunbird
Leucospermum conocarpodendron subspecies. Viridum and Cape Sugarbird
Erica ventriculara and cape sugarbirds
King Protea & Cape Sugarbird
King Protea and a Cape sugar bird
Witsenia maura and the Cape Sugarbird.
Stunning natural Logo.
I love them all, but mostly the Witsenia Mauro plant and Orange Breasted Sunbird
Thanks Marietjie!
King Protea and Cape Sugar Bird 🙂
Erica verticillata and the Cape Sugarbird
The Cape Sugarbird and Witsenia mauro.
Love the ‘softer’ look.
The Cape Sugarbird and Witsenia mauro
Love, love the softer look!
Thank you Sheila
Geranium incanum(Catrpet geranium) and Promerops sp.(Sugarbird).
Cape Sugarbird and King Protea
Very nice blog to read with a cup of tea after a long day of work, and very nice logo as well. Cape sugarbird and Erica verticillata.
Thank you Kervin.
An ineinltgelt point of view, well expressed! Thanks!
King Protea and Cape Sugarbird
Leucospermum conocarpodendron subsp. viridum (I just love that scientific name!)
Orange-breasted sunbird (Anthobaphes violacea)
Witsenia mauro and the Cape Sugar bird it’s been a few years since I visited the fynbos (from UK) and realise how much I miss it. Enjoyed your notes.
The CFR’s Fynbos is indeed an amazing place. My first visit was in 2007 and I moved to Cape Town with the intention of a temporary stay….that was six years ago. I hope that you once again get the chance to make the journey southwards. Thanks so much for your interest and positive feedback!
Leucospermum conocarpodendron (subspecies viridum)
Cape Sugarbird
Aristea africana
Cape Sugarbird
Leucospermum conocarpodendron subspecies viridum
Cape Sugarbird
King Protea and Cape Sugarbird
Zoe, it’s been wonderful seeing this beautiful online space develop over the last few years. Thank you! I hope to see you out there in amongst the KING PROTEAS and CAPE SUGAR BIRDS soon. Saw an entry in Hoare Hut visitor book a few weeks back from when we went up for you con serration trip and planting leopard cameras – great memories!
Emma, Thanks so much for the lovely feedback and glad that you are enjoying the new site. That is wonderful that you’ve been able to spend some quality time at Zuurberg. I hope that you enjoyed it. Hope all is great your side.
Leucospermum conocarpodendron subsp. viridum and Cape Sugarbird
Cape Sugar Bird and King Protea
Cape Sugarbird
Aristea africana
Love the Western-cape, the Fynbos and in particular Ferncloof in Hermanus. Keep up your wonderful work, from an Irish fan 🙂
Erica verticillata and Cape Sugarbird