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Lovely walk in the Moreletakloof Nature Reserve on 18th January 2014

Moreletakloof Uitstappie – 18 Januarie 2014, 06:00

Spesiale uitnodiging aan almal van die Gemeenskap om die Moreletakloof, asook werklike Natuurliefhebbers wat graag meer betrokke wil raak in hierdie reservaat se uitstappies, onderhoud en beveiliging. Kom stap saam met ons en sien waarom dit so belangrik is om die groen  areas in u omgewing te bewaar, en geniet die mooiheid van hierdie kloof.
Ons sal 06:00 van af die parkering by die hek (uit Heliosstraat) , begin stap, maar onthou asseblief iets te drinke en ete asook u kamera.

Ons vra u om asseblief n donasie van R30 per persoon te doen vir die verf van ons palisade wat dit dringend benodig. Na n byna drie uur stappie sal ons net vir n rukkie gesels oor wat ons beoopg vir die kloof, vir 2014.
Vir meer besonderhede kontak: info@moreletakloof.co.za (Jeannie du Plessis)

Lovely walk in the Moreletakloof Nature Reserve on 18th January 2014:

We would like to invite people from our community, Friends of Moreletakloof as well as people who would like to get involved in this reserve and specially those that love nature. Please come and see why it is so important to care for green areas in our communities, to protect and safeguard them.
Please join us for this walk, that will start at the parking area, near the gate from 06:00 for about three hours, that will end with a discussion about the plans for this reserve for 2014. You are welcome to bring something to eat and drink, on the way, but do not forget your camera. You will be surprised to see how beautiful this 100 hectare reserve is, and why we need to look after it. Please make a donation of R 30/person, that will be used to repaint and repair our 6 km palisade.

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

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Brave little Zebra

We received messages on our Facebook group of a Zebra foal that was having problems walking. We asked nature conservation and vets in the area to help – and the response we got was amazing.

The zebra foal that was born on the 24th of  December. Once examined, the condition was identified as  ‘flexor tendon laxity’ – the tendons running down the back of both hindlimbs were ‘loose’ resulting in his rocking back on his heels and his fetlock nearly touching the ground.  The majority of these cases self correct as they gain strength, grow and become more mobile.

He is getting stronger every day.

Pictures below is from the wonderful veterinarian (Wilna van Schalkwyk Burke) and her family that is  helping the Zebra.  Updates are available on our pages, as well as her Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/Sozo.rescue.and.rehabilitation.centre). 

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Veldstappie op 14 Desember 2013 om 06:00

Kom vir n heerlike vroegoggend uitstappie saam met Heidi Machts, wat n baie goeie veldgids is, en sal sorg vir n baie interessante stappie, waar jy baie sal leer van ons mooie reservaat. Dit is baie vroeg maar die mooiste deel van die dag in die veld. Al sou dit die vorige nag gerëen het bly die paadjies heel toeganklik.

Daar sal n koste verbonde wees van R30 per persoon, wat gedeeltelik aangewend sal word vir die verf van ons palisade wat u as stapper beveilig.

Ons ontmoet by die parkering naby die hek en die uitstappie sal ongeveer drie ure duur. Bring iets te eet en drink, en moet nie u kamera en hoed vergeet nie.

Datum: 14 Desember 2013 om 06:00

Kontak ons gerus op info@moreletakloof.co.za vir meer inligting!

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Newsletter for Friends of Moreletakloof Nature Reserve / Nuusbrief vir Vriende van Moreletakloof Natuur Reservaat

This was a very special year for the Friends because we reached our dream to make our reserve much more friendly towards the elderly, parents with prams and persons in wheel chairs. It took more than three years to get all the plans approved as well as get funding. We contacted people that we thought would be willing to help us by donating their services free of charge, and ended up only paying for the contractor who did the construction. Nature Conservation helped us with all the information of what plans were needed, and approved this Discovery and Sensory Trail Project.

On the 24th October we handed over the Bird hide, the toilet and rest deck, as well as our special parking over to Nature Conservation, after we thanked the persons that made this possible and did the funding. People and instances, that needs to be mentioned for helping us, is the following:

  • Chris Patton from SANParks/ help with specifications and other help from 2010
  • Tommie van Deemter from Aurecon/ lots of help with information and the drawing of plans from 2010
  • Dr Pieter Aucamp from Ptersa/ Full Ecological study of the whole project
  • Cliff Barnes for final plans for bird hide and toilet
  • Ernst Wohlitz, Tinus Prinsloo,Pierre Mondrian, Christene Meyburgh, Adelene Marias and Johan Pietersen from Nature Conservation
  • Outdoordecks, Willie Loubser as contractor and Aroma Paving
  • Willem Silvis supplying generators during construction
  • Jan de Koster as Project Manager
  • Brian Geyer for donating lots of trees, from Willow Feather Farm.
  • All the help from Directors of Friends of Moreletakloof

Funding:

  • Jacarandafm, Angels/R 48 000.
  • Roelof van der Merwe Bikers/R 12 000.
  • Ernst Retief from Birdlife with Rand Merchant Bank as sponsors/R 195 000.
  • Dawie Chamberlain also helped us through Birdlife.
  • The many smaller donators made it possible to make up the full amount.

We also painted the palisade fence in April 2013 (R 10 000) and did small projects with Nature Conservation.
We replaced many signposts during 2013, and also received 6 concrete benches from Vista Clinic for the reserve (R 10 000). We had some birdwalks and a tree walk with Prof Braam van Wyk.  Groups from Pathways and other school groups walked with us as well as groups from Old age homes. The local Voortrekkers also came for long walks.
We would like to thank every Friend of Moreletakloof that contributed towards all our projects, during 2013. You will agree that the reserve is well looked after and we thank Nature Conservation for all the effort that they put in to keep this reserve so safe (Adelene Marais, Johan Pietersen and Dawid and Eddie), and our pathways cleanly cut.

Businesses from this area, that sponsored food and drinks for outings from Pathways (70 persons per outing on different walks): Boma Butchery, Kings Deli, Freshways, House of Coffee, Spar and Castle Walk Flowers.

We would love the Friends to become more involved in the Management and help us with so many small tasks that
will insure that the reserve stay as safe, serene and beautiful in 2014.

Please become a Friend of Moreletakloof, we need you membership but also your involvement in tasks like removing invader plants, keeping an eye on the sewerage spills and overflowing of the reservoir, rebuilding bridges and organising walks and talks, helping us to fund the repainting and repair of the palisade. Please work with us because Nature Conservation help as much as they can, but they have a lack off funds and the security of the reserve needs more attention than ever.
The membership fee is R 350 per family (you and your family receive two free entrances for a family of four (two kids under 18, in five reserves which include Rietvlei and Groenkloof.)

Please come forward with new ideas and become part of the working team of Moreletakloof, supporting and helping Nature Conservation.

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Annual General Meeting / Algemene Jaarvergadering

Algemene Jaarvergadering

Ons nooi u vriendelik uit na die Algemene Jaarvergadering van die Vriende van Moreletakloof waar sake rakende die Moreletakloof Natuurreservaat bespreek word.

Datum: Dinsdag, 12 November 2013

Tyd: 18:15 vir 18:30

Plek: Rademeyers Restaurant Kapel (hv Helios & Palmiet Strate, Moreletapark).

Die Agenda van die 2013 Algemene Jaarvergadering, asook die Notule van die 2012 Algemene Jaarvergadering sal gedurende November 2013 op die webblad beskikbaar wees.

RSVP: info@moreletakloof.co.za

Annual General Meeting

You are hereby invited to the Annual General Meeting of the Friends of Moreletakloof where we discuss matters regarding the Moreletakloof Nature Reserve.

Date: Tuesday, 12 November 2013

Time: 18:15 vir 18:30

Place: Rademeyers Restaurant Chapel (cnr Helios & Palmiet Streets, Moreletapark).

The Agenda of the 2013 Annual General Meeting as well as the Minutes of Meeting of the 2012 Annual General Meeting will be available on the webpage during November 2013.

RSVP: info@moreletakloof.co.za

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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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Casual Day 2013

Moreletakloof Nature Reserve, Helios Street, Moreletapark, Pretoria would like to invite the elderly, persons in wheelchairs as well as the blind, to come out to our very special reserve for Casual Day, on the 6th of September, from 09:00 till 13:00, to see what we can offer you. We will have a map available at the gate, so that you can see where the tarred road and the other off-road pathways are.
You will be able to go down into the reserve, on a tarred road, or if you are fit you can make use of our off-road pathways, that was evened out so that you can go there with a friend, and see what beautiful piece of nature is available for you to visit.

Blind people enjoy the pathways because they can come close to nature and feel and hear all the birds and the many animals, like Blesbuck, Zebra, Springbuck and Impala.

Casual  Day is a special day, please make use of this invitation, on the 6th September or you can even come to the reserve on Saturday, the 7th, we are open from 06:00 till 18:00.
Please do not go in on your own, bring a friend with you.

You can also visit our brand new bird Hide, next to the Rademeyer spruit, under the big old Wild Peach and White Stinkwood trees. Clear signage on the roads and pathways.

Contact Jeannie 082 9274673 or info@moreletakloof.co.za

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Bird walk with Bird Life SA on Saturday 17 August 2013

The Friends of Moreleta Kloof are inviting you to join us for a three hour Bird walk with Ernst Retief, from Bird Life SA on Saturday 17 August 2013.

Ernst is the Regional Conservation Manager: Gauteng and Limpopo of Bird Life SA.

We will meet in the parking area, at the gate, from 07:30 for 08:00. Please remember your camera and your binoculars, and something to drink. We would like a donation of R40 per person to finish the setup of our new bird hide!

All the birds are returning to our reserve after the Winter, and they will get a lovely surprise to see our new Bird hide. Ernst Retief can give many interesting facts about bird life in South Africa. He is very involved in studies done as well as the preservation of our bird species.

If you have been visiting our reserve and can send us photos of what you saw, it will be appreciated (info@moreletakloof.co.za)

You are welcome to take an early walk, from 06:15, because that is when the birds are most active, among the trees. Then join us at 07:30 with Ernst.

For more information contact Jeannie du Plessis on 082 9274673 or info@moreletakloof.co.za

Where: Moreleta Kloof Nature Reserve
When: Saturday, 17 August 2013
Time: 07:30 for 08:00