The Richtersveld - an illustrated talk

The Friends of the Meadowridge Common invite all to a talk on the Richtersveld by Michael Borgstrom, a local resident who has a keen interest in the flora of that region and has visited there many times. He will present his experiences there, illustrated with slides. The evening will be held at the Meadowridge Library on 20^th October at 7.30 and there will be secure parking. 
Fay Howa, the Common's Conservation Officer, will also present a short, illustrated account of her programme for schools to learn about Leopard toads in the environment.
The talk is free, but non-members will be asked for a donation towards the Friends of Meadowridge Common. Contact Fiona Watson at 021 712 0696 for information.

Spring Flower Walk on the Common

Marigold (Ursinia anthemoides).

Our annual Spring Flower Walk was held on Meadowridge Common on Saturday 20 September 2014.

Leading the group of over 30 visitors, was Stuart Hall, a Botany graduate from UCT,

and Olwen Gibson, a retired teacher and Kirstenbosch tour guide.

On the adjacent soccer fields, the Meadowridge Football Club teams were battling it out,

while the walkers were shown some of the floral -

and faunal - treasures to be found on the Common.

The 'flagship species' of the Common is the Rare and Endangered Cape Flats Silkypuff (Diastella proteoides).

Unusual plant on the Common

The Friends of Meadowridge Common noticed an unusual succulent plant growing on the Common recently - and Roger Graham, Chairman of the Friends, put it on iSpot to see what it could possibly be. Almost immediately botanist Nick Helme had the answer - Conicosia pugioniformis subsp. pugioniformis. It has a variety of common names including Clock Plant, Hat Fig, Snotwortel, Varkslaai and Varkwortel. According to succulent expert, Prix Burgoyne, the three subspecies of  C. pugioniformis can be distinguished by their distribution. Subsp. alborosea is from Namaqualand, subsp. muiri is from the southern Cape to about Hummansdorp and subsp.pugioniformis is from the Cape Peninsula northwards to about Vredendal. We are looking forward to seeing if it flowers this spring. This plant had been previously recorded by Fiona Watson in her comprehensive list of plants on Meadowridge Common.

Cleaning up the Common

On Saturday morning, 15 March, several Friends of Meadowridge Common and some guests, met to weed, trim, prune and generally clean up Meadowridge Common. It was also great to meet the new Biodiversity Consultant, Fay Howa, from City Parks, who will be helping to manage our precious remnant of Cape Flats Sand Fynbos.

The ladies work party - pulling up swathes of dead what we think is Hairy Birds-foot Trefoil (Lotus subbiflorus subsp. subbiflorus).

Fiona Watson and Esme Morris. Photo: Fay Howa.

Photo: Fay Howa.

Close up of the birds-foot pods of the weedy Hairy Birds-foot Trefoil. 

And growing between all the dead weeds - Pelargonium myrrhifolium.

All the while we were being watched by a pair of Spotted Eagle Owls. Photo: Fay Howa.

Close up of one of the owls. Photo: Fay Howa.

The Team. Photo: Fay Howa.

 

Congratulations Fiona

Congratulations to Fiona Watson, Botanical Officer, Friends of Meadowridge Common Committee, for her WESSA green champions award. Fiona has "for more than four decades added to the understanding and conservation of local botanical heritage, firstly via her work on the Rondebosch and then on the Meadowridge commons."
Photo from The Constantiaberg Bulletin 31 October 2013.

COMMON CLEAN-UP

Join the Friends for a Mandela moment of volunteering and help clean up the Common for an hour on Saturday morning. Weeding, picking up litter and pruning are the main tasks. Meet at the Faraday Way entrance to the common at 8 am on Saturday 15 March.

For information, phone Fiona Watson at 021 712 0696.

Letter to the Constantiaberg Bulletin