African Month: celebration
May is Africa month and we take some time to remember that we’re an integral part of a spectacular continent. Africa has a bounty of diversity from wildlife and landscapes to cultures and people. Our future as South Africans is intertwined with that of all African people and this is what Africa month seeks to highlight: our shared identity and interconnectedness.
Wildebure: bees
Just as all African’s share a common identity and are part of the greater team that makes Africa great, so too is the African honeybee a true team player. These amazing creatures have supernatural powers when it comes to manufacturing honey but they can only do this effectively if they work together. An individual bee produces just a 12th of a teaspoon of honey in the 6 weeks that it lives, so if we consider that beekeepers in SA collectively produce about 2000 tons of honey per year, it brings into perspective just how many bees are needed for the job and how important every hive is.
Giant Flag: a South African legacy
The South African flag was designed with a vision for building a country that not only works for its people but encourages us to work together for positive change. The Graaff-Reinet community is taking this seriously and are in the process of leaving a legacy for generations of South Africans to come as well as placing themselves on the eco-tourism map. The Giant Flag – made from different coloured succulents, solar panels and road networks – will be seen from space and is the world’s first green innovation project that celebrates clean energy and embodies the true spirit of South Africa and the ability to transform people’s lives in a meaningful way when we all work together.
Orphaned Elephant update: a giant in the making
A few weeks ago we joined Hermien at HESC in Hoedspruit where she met a small elephant orphan. At the time, its survival was touch and go as the rehab staff fought to find the right milk formulaes and ensure the elephant wasn’t lonely. We revisit the centre this week to see how the little pachyderm is faring.
VeldFokus:
Timing is everything when it comes to wildlife photography in this week’s episode of VF, as we get to see some really special moments captured perfectly in time. A leopard is caught ‘red handed’ with its dinner, a trio of snakes are off for a ‘walk’ in the park, and an elephant does a pretty good job of disappearing in a puff of smoke!
