Summer on the Common

Spring is definitely turning into summer on Meadowridge Common – heralded by the ‘meitjie’ call of Klaas’s Cuckoo announcing his return from equatorial Africa. This cuckoo breeds during its summer sojourn in South Africa, then departs in March or early April. Thus Meadowridge Common plays a part in providing habitat and plenty of insects to feed visiting, and local, birds. The 12th October is World Migratory Bird Day, with a focus this year on the insects that migratory birds depend on for their intriguing journeys across the world. The Friends of Meadowridge Common will be hosting a talk on Pharaoh’s Migratory Birds by Egyptologist John Lombard (more details to follow) during November. In the meantime, join the webinar ‘Migration and Migratory Birds’ by Jessica Wilmot on 15 October, or listen to the recording on You Tube that will be up a day or two after the webinar. There is also a good article on Daily Maverick, click here, to read. 

So bring your kids or dogs (and poo bags) - and have a walk on the common. Don't forget to visit our fantastic new Cape Flats Sand Fynbos Circle. Take note of the birds, plants and goggas, and if you feel inspired, photograph some and upload them on iNaturalist to make a contribution to the study and monitoring of our amazing biodiversity. 

WESSA award for our Chairperson!

Congratulations to Roger Graham who was awarded a runner-up WESSA (Wildlife and Environmental Society of South Africa) award for individual excellence in environmental conservation and education. Roger's outstanding contribution to local citizen conservation through his leadership of the Friends of Meadowridge Common was recognized and a short video was shown highlighting his achievements. The Friends group under Roger's leadership has protected the Common's unique and critically threatened Cape Flats Sand Fynbos since its inception in 1997, and continues to champion its biodiversity to this day. Our group is also affiliated to WESSA through their friends programme. 

The award was made at a WESSA function hosted by Beaumont Primary School in Somerset West on Saturday 16 March. Despite the keynote speaker from the Western Cape Dept. of Education not putting in an appearance, it was a most enjoyable and well attended ceremony and the guests and recipients of the awards (mostly eco-school awards) were treated to a tour of Beaumont Primary which has the most fantastic eco-programme which permeates everything the pupils do.

Fire, fynbos, fauna and flora

Fire, fynbos, fauna and flora - its all in the latest newsletter compiled by the Chairperson of the Friends. Click on the link below to read all about what it happening on the Common. 

And save the date for our AGM on Tuesday 5 March in the the Meadowridge Library Hall at 18h00. There will be a talk on the recent wildfires in the Cape: the causes, how to fight them and how training is conducted, by Rob Erasmus. 

 Read our newsletter 

Join us for a Leap Year Weeding Session on the Common

On Thursday 29 Feb, the Friends will be hosting a weeding session on our new Cape Flats Sand Fynbos Circle on Meadowridge Common. This FynbosLIFE restoration circle was planted last year and has survived floods and burning heat since then. Bulbs came up and flowered (and hopefully set some seed), and many of the seedlings are hanging in there, waiting for the cooler, wetter days of Autumn in order to start growing. Some are already flowering, like the rough blue sage (Salvia chamelaeagnea) and twocolour brightfig (Lampranthus bicolor). We need to keep the area free of invasive kikuyu grass and other weeds, and urgently require help from local residents and Friends. Anyone is welcome to join us, just bring a trowel and a hat; and some water as it is hot work. We welcome moral support too! Tea and biscuits will be provided.   

For more information, please email Caroline or Roger at MeadowridgeFriends@gmail.com.