Category: General

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Join us for a spring clean!

Kom help die Vriende van Moreletakloof Natuur Reservaat om die spruit skoon te maak op Saterdag 28 September vanaf 07:00 die oggend. Ons ontmoet in die reservaat se parkering. Ons gaan in en om die spruit vanaf die langhoutbrug op Suikerbosroete tot by die riete by die dam werk. Ons sal sakke voorsien en ook n paar handskoene. Die area is bietjie ongelyk vir klein kinders. Dit is die mooiste deel van die kloof, kom en geniet dit saam met ons en doen n goeie daad!

U kan ook die Vriende van Moreletakloof ondersteun deur n donasie te maak, sodat ons die kloof kan onderhou in samewerking met natuurbewaring. Kaartmasjien beskikbaar by die hekwag.

Kontak: Jeannie du Plessis info@moreletakloof.co.za

Please come and assist the Friends of the Moreleta Kloof Nature Reserve on the 28th of September from 07:00 to clean the spruit from the long bridge (wooden bridge) down to the reeds of the dam. We will supply rubbish bags and a few gloves. The area is a bit rough for small kids. This is one of the most beautiful parts of the reserve.

You can also help us by making a donation towards the Friends of Moreletakloof. This will enable us to work with nature conservation to keep this reserve safe and clean. We have a credit card machine available at the gate.

Contact: Jeannie du Plessis info@morletakloof.co.za

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A walk in nature

Vriende van Moreletakloof nooi u vriendelik uit om saam met Prof Braam van Wyk en Elsa te kom stap op die 6de Oktober. Hulle sal die  interessantste feite oor bome sowel as veldplante en die natuur oor die algemeen met ons deel. Prof Braam is een van die opstellers van ‘Veldgids tot Bome van Suider Afrika’.

Ons ontmoet in die parkering van Moreletakloof Natuur Reservaat – 07.30 vir 08:00. Die koste is R 40/persoon, wat  aangewend sal word vir onderhoud van ons reservaat. Die uitstappie sal eindig by die informasie hut waar ons nog kan gesels oor wat ons gesien het terwyl ons iets te koels drink. Die uitstappie sal tussen drie en vier ure duur. Onthou asseblief iets om  te drinke vir die stappie en u kamera.

Friends of Moreletakloof would like to invite you for a interesting walk in  the Moreletakloof Nature Reserve with Prof Braam van Wyk and Elsa on the 6th of October at 07:30 for 08:00. Prof Braam is  the co-writer of ‘Veld guide to Trees of Southern Africa’. He will supply us with the most interesting facts about trees, veld plants as well as facts about nature. I promise you that this will be the most enjoyable  walk.

The cost will be R40/person, which will be used for the upkeep of our reserve. We will end the walk at the formation hut where we will discuss what was seen while you have something cool to drink. Please remember  something to drink on the walk as well as your camera.

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Crawling – A blog post by Simon Tickle

Contribution by a friend that visited the Moreleta Kloof Nature Reserve, and spent some time with a local, Jeannie:

“The ground is my friend. For someone who spends so much of his time in the air, the feeling of a secure surface comforts me as a mother’s hug soothes a child.

Since becoming an adult I have maintained a respectable distance between me and the ground as befits a grown-up conforming to public dignity, but a recent acquaintance has caused me to reconsider my attitude and revert to the horizontal.
 
Jeannie loves to crawl. She crawls through the grass and the undergrowth, seeing things that are missed or trampled underfoot by the vertical adherents. It’s a whole other world down here where the small things are. In the words of Sebastian the Crab (The Little Mermaid, Walt Disney) and as echoed by Jeannie, “Darlin’ it’s better, Down where it’s wetter, Take it from me!”
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Join us and do a good green deed!

Moreletakloof Nature reserve can now boast to have a Bird hide and a rest deck that can facilitate everybody.

We did finish the construction but need to clear the areas around this sites as well as level out our existing pathways that leads to the hide, as well as a few other routes that we would like to use as off-road pathways that can be used by persons in wheelchairs, and blind persons, to reach other parts of the reserve.

What is needed please will be the following:

1. Three big loads of river sand (brown) as well as three big loads of fine crushed rocks (small ones but not gravel), to make the grass pathways even with the sand and stabilize the other pathways with fine rocks with the use of stampers(2, we can hire, but for free), after it was levelled.

Some parts needs about no attention but others are not level at all, and we might need a small grader to level the serious parts and a small loader that can travel, on our two meter wide pathways, to take the filling and remove extra ground or rocks and roots.

If landscaping contractors can help, we would be grateful. This is priority, and we need to do this as soon as possible.

2. People that are willing to help us on Saturday’s, for a few hours. We will need spades, picks and a few wheel-barrows. We just need to know how many people will help, on which days, so that we can let Nature Conservation, know beforehand.

We need to remove water grass from the spruit, in front of the hide, by hand. It is difficult but by using forks we can remove some roots, so that we have clear water to attract the birds. You will need water boots, because the water is about 20 – 40 cm deep. This is a very sensitive wetland area but do have the permission from Nature Conservation.

We need to plant a few dry trees in drums, so that the birds can land on them and also place some on a small island and along the side to, set boundaries and try and keep this water open.

We need to clear the other routes from cut down invader plants, and also making it less slippery in the rainy season, by placing wooden logs and fastening it with iron spikes. This is the sort of work sessions that could follow.

It would be so good if we could have a group of people that can work with us, to full fill our dreams, and to help Nature Conservation keep this reserve looking good and safe, in the future.

For more information contact Jeannie du Plessis at info@moreletakloof.co.za, for more information.

 

 

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Start of construction of the Bird Hide and the Rest Deck on 25 March!

On the 25th of March 2013, we will start with the construction of the Bird Hide and the Rest Deck with the toilet (fully accessible). The parking for people with disabilities will follow as soon as this phase of the construction has been completed.

We as the Friends of Moreleta Kloof, cannot wait for the start of this first phase of this long awaited dream to materialise.  It has taken time,  but soon we will be able to facilitate persons with disabilities – as well as add greatly to the experience of all the other very welcome visitors to the Moreleta Kloof Nature Reserve –  ranging from bird lovers to those who are seeking out the sanctitude of the trees close to the Rademeyer’s Spruit.

On Monday, the 25th March we will also start painting the outside palisade, which is in dire need of attention. We would like to thank all the people that made donations towards the Friends of Moreleta Kloof and for your kindness towards us. We would like to thank our big sponsors like Jacaranda FM, Bird Life SA (Rand Merchant Bank) our Biker friends and the various smaller donators. Tshwane Nature Conservation truly cares about this reserve and you see ample proof of this  in the way the pathways are kept. Our animals are happy and content  – and peaceful. Thank you Tshwane Nature Conservation for your sterling work over the years!

Please support us in our effort to keep this special reserve peaceful, serene and well kept.  This is a place where you can bring your youngest kids to learn of nature, where they can learn that there is no place like nature to relax in. And you might enjoy it too 🙂  It’s also an ideal setting  for projects for Primary- and High School students, you have a wide choice of topics, just walk and feel nature at its best…the rest will follow.

Please help us by contributing towards the Friends of Moreleta Kloof so that we can preserve the reserve. All the needed information is available on this site, to make a donation as well as on how to become a friend. We will be having Walks and talks in this reserve and feel free to give us ideas for walks or events that you have feel would be interesting!

Please contact us for any information or should you have any questions. We would like to share our ideas and propositions for the rest of our projects with you. If you can help us in any way, like to make our pathways more wheel chair friendly (in a natural way) or any other suggestions we would appreciate it.

You can reach us on info@moreletakloof.co.za or +27 82 927 4673.

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Moreleta Kloof on RSG

From Jeannie du Plessis:

“You are welcome to come for a peaceful walk in the Moreletakloof Nature Reserve, from 06:00 till 18:00, every day of the year with your family or friends.

This reserve is also accessible for persons in wheelchairs as well as blind people, if they are accompanied by a friend. Some parts fully accessible other slightly off-road. You visit the reserve on your own risk.

We do not allow more than ten persons, per group, unless you got permission from Nature Conservation. You are welcome to bring something to eat or drink in your rucksack, but we have no picnic facilities. This is a peaceful reserve where people come to find rest and peace and to relax in the shade of big trees. We do facilitate persons in wheelchairs and blind people accompanied by their friends.

You can visit this web-site to find information about the Friends of Moreleta Kloof, as well as information about Walks and Talks in the reserve.

Maps are available from the guard on request.”

Some photos taken over the course of 2012;

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Birdringing weekend on 15 and 16 October 2011 with Dirk, Karen and Stefan Stuyvenberg.

On the 15th of October from 09:30, the Animal Demography Unit (ADU – http://www.adu.org.za) will be presenting interesting talks at the National Botanical Gardens (Pretoria) about birdringing, the SA Bird Atlas, butterflies, Virtual Museums and Virtual Tree Terbariums among others. This will be followed by a picnic lunch and feedback session until 15:00. For the full program see below;

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The next day, on the 16th of October 2011 at 06:00, we will walk from the parking at the gate of the Moreleta Kloof Nature Reserve where we will meet up with Dirk, Karen and Stefan Stuyvenberg. They will be setting up nets, in order to ring approximately two hundred birds. They will demonstrate the correct bird ringing methods  and also answer questions on how to become involved. This walk is a must for bird lovers and nature enthusiasts alike!

For more information please contact us on  info@moreletakloof.co.za

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Friends Meeting 3 February 2011

The Friends of Moreleta Kloof will be holding their first meeting for 2011 on the 3rd of February 2011 at Rademeyers, starting at 18:00, in the Moreleta Kloof Nature Reserve.

All interested parties are welcome to attend. For more information please email us on info@moreletakloof.co.za or contact Jeannie on 082 927 4673.