Avontuur Sustainable Agriculture

Category Archives: Flora

It’s a hot, dry summer with high fire risk in the Bokkeveld

Fortunately for Avontuur and out neighbour, an injection of emergency funding from WWF has enabled us to clear the firebreak on the southern boundary of Avontuur, which runs along our boundary with Grasberg from the banks of the Grasberg River all the way to Kromvlei, close to the escarpment and on the Western Cape Provincial boundary. This will make any fire control that may be necessary in the future both easier and safer for the firefighters. 

The project has been carried out in association with Indigo development & change. Avontuur is a proudly paid-up member of the Namakwa Fire Protection Association.

Cleared firebreak on Grasberg-boundary
Natural firebreak on Avontuur
Rock sheets in firebreak

The Avontuur Nature Reserve is declared

On 27 January 2025 the Northern Cape Government gazetted the declaration of the Avontuur Nature Reserve. This was the outcome of many years’ worth of hard work and persistence on the part of WWF, Avontuur Sustainable Agriculture and the Northern Cape Department of Agriculture, Environmental Affairs, Rural Development and Land Reform, and we would like to thank all of our partners for this great achievement. Legal status as a nature reserve means that the biodiversity treasures of Avontuur can be preserved in perpetuity for future generations. For more, go to https://www.wwf.org.za/our_news/news/?52442/WWF-Bokkeveld-property-gets-long-awaited-protected-status

Slowing Down the Soil

This short movie celebrates the achievements of interventions on Avontuur to restore areas of soil erosion on Avontuur. Rapid erosion of soils probably started in the late 1700’s, when Swedish naturalist Anders Sparrman visited the area and observed that the colonists “turned their cattle out constantly into the same fields in a much greater quantity than used to graze there” when the Khoi pastoralists used this veld. He observed that “in consequence of the fields thus being continually grazed off and the great increase of the cattle feeding on them the grasses and herbs which these animals most covet are prevented continually and more and more from thriving and taking root”. Old erosion scars, with the bare subsoil often covered in lichens, probably date to this era. 

Following the Second World War, high grain prices stimulated a boom in wheat production and was probably the indirect cause of the second great era of erosion of Avontuur, caused by unwise ploughing of vulnerable soils. An estimated 30,000 tons of soil was washed away from one small catchment.

With support of WWF, in January this year a local team under the leadership of DustinLee Gous renovated the erosion control structures on Avontuur to prepare them for the next rains. Current and predicted changes in the climate indicate that we must prepare for more extreme weather events, including deluges of rain. Our thanks to WWF for making this possible! 

Adopt a sheep for Avontuur

All sheep are adopted!

Avontuur Nature Reserve needs some sheep to ensure we manage the biodiversity well, maintaining a sustainable and special place on the Bokkeveld Plateau in South Africa.

We also need local guardians to monitor biodiversity and maintain the fragile balance of the ecosystem in a changing climate. And of course we need social justice to make it work.

You can be part of this!

A week in Nieuwoudtville

 

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Common name: Bulbinella family of Asphodelacea

 

August 25, 2015

A week in Nieuwoudtville

By María Fernanda González

I am a botanist from Colombia, one of the most amazing countries in the world! I’m used to walking amongst giants trees in humid forests, looking for plants. I love to know the scientific names of each plant, and so I spend most of my time repeating Latin names as “mantras”. My dream is to conserve these forests. Currently I am on a learning journey to South Africa, because I want to learn from the conservation community here because this country (which, like Colombia, is also a highly biodiverse country) is working to conserve biodiversity.

I’ve been to different parts of South Africa and recently I was fortunate to spend a week in Nieuwoudtville, learning about Indigo and EMG and sharing stories with lovely people.

Nieuwoudtville was just wonderful. First, I had a workshop with school children. I made a presentation about why I decided to be botanist. I talked about how amazing plants are and why it is important to conserve it. Then we had a session to create some paintings about the ecosystems of Colombia. This workshop was very special to me. I enjoyed hearing the children’s questions and the opportunity to share a bit of my country with them. At the end of the workshop I was recharged with kisses and hugs!

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Then, I spent the weekend at Avontuur. I understood why Nieuwoudtville is considered the world capital of plants with bulbs. I understood also that means “millions” of flowers. Spring in Avontuur is the heaven for passionate botanist like me. During the day I walked a lot to see different plants that are in Fynbos and Renosterveld. At night and early in the morning, I “dived” into the books and I tried to identify all the plants. I had many books because Bettina made a very nice “portable library” for me ☺. In just one weekend I could see almost a hundred different species of plants! It’s amazing!!!

Finally, to close the week, I had a presentation about Colombia for Indigo and EMG. This presentation was a brief introduction to the social, economic and biological context of my country. I enjoyed watching everyone’s amazement face while I spoke. Colombia and South Africa are very different. It is wonderful to see how the “normal things” can be so different in each country.

In ten days I’ll be in my beloved country. I will come home with a lot of stories about South Africa. After this time in South Africa, my mind and my heart are full of beautiful memories, amazing experiences and useful lessons. Thanks Indigo and EMG for this “baie lekker” time with you.