Pledge Nature Reserve - Knysna

Erica discolor (Two-colour Heath) is currently in flower, you can find this beauty on the Eastern section of Fynbos Trail - visit us and see it for yourself! 💚💚💚

On Thursday our postponed Full Moon Walk was a beautiful wind-still balmy evening, but the moon did not get a chance to show its face - the clouds did not even allow us a glimpse! 🌚Nevertheless, we had a great time in good company and experienced the sights, sounds, and smells of the evening. ☁️✨🌳🍃🍄🦉💚

Thank you Rotary Knysna Environmental Committee for this great initiative of collecting e-waste and saving electronic equipment from ending up in a landfill. To those who have donated to the reserve, THANK YOU!!💚🌳☘️🌿🍃🌱
Rotary District D9350

BOTANICAL ART/NATURE JOURNALING workshops at Pledge Nature Reserve. Join the incredibly versatile, talented, and experienced artist and teacher, Lyn Beaton, who will share her skills and techniques for capturing natural subjects on paper. The number of participants is limited to only eight. To book your spot at the first workshop on Tuesday the 21st of March from 9h00 to 11h30, and for information about the materials you will need, please WhatsApp 082 773 4118. R200 per person. Here are a few photos of Lyn's art as inspiration! 💚💚💚

𝗦𝗔𝗩𝗘 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗗𝗔𝗧𝗘: 𝟰 𝗠𝗔𝗥𝗖𝗛 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟯
It’s time to declutter your home/office! Get rid of unwanted/broken items powered by electricity or batteries.
The Rotary Club of Knysna is holding an E-Waste Recycling Day, working in partnership with LG-Waste Specialists.
𝘗𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘦 𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘙𝘰𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘺 𝘥𝘰𝘦𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘣𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘧𝘪𝘵 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘷𝘪𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘴𝘦𝘳𝘷𝘪𝘤𝘦.

Pledge Nature Reserve - Knysna
Rotary District D9350

The Garden of Eden

The Pledge Nature Reserve team recently visited the Garden of Eden with two members of the Dendrological Society.

This presented a great opportunity for the staff to experience firsthand and at close range, a mature high moist Afromontane forest. The Garden of Eden showcases some of the locally indigenous tree species.

Environmental Education

Knysna Primary's Eco Club joined us for a quick educational talk about our locally indigenous trees and enjoyed a treasure hunt afterwards.

Each student also received a Veld & Flora edition to take home. Thank you to Botanical Society of South Africa for these beautiful and informative magazines.

For the last five years Garyn Townsend, a PhD student from the University of Pretoria, has been using the reserve as one of his test sites for studying the spread of the Polyphagous Shot-hole Borer Beetle, an invasive ambrosia beetle species, Euwallacea fornicatus, into natural forested areas. This is the final year of his research, and to further inform his work, he has been capturing other small ambrosia beetles (Scolytinae) to identify and study this group of species, of which very little is known. We look forward to the results of this very important study, but the good news so far is that, although some of our pioneer species, like the Fountain Bush (Psoralea arborea), are reproductive host trees, our other species seem to be quite resilient against infection. Garyn can be contacted at [email protected]

Repost!

My Planet 🌱

Sign up & make a difference in your community!

🌈 Sms "join" to 31231

🌈 Select "Pledge Nature Reserve" as your charity of choice.

🌈 Swipe your card at any of their partners and a percentage of your spend will be donated to Pledge Nature Reserve - Knysna

The Pledge Nature Reserve team working hard at keeping the reserve in prime condition for our visitors.

Visit Pledge Nature Reserve

● We are only 200m from the Knysna CBD!

● 5km of beautiful walking trails through forest and fynbos

● Spectacular views of the iconic Knysna Heads from the upper sections of the reserve

● See and/or hear some of the 101 species of birds that have been observed.

● Picnic areas

We are open seven days a week from 7am - 6pm.

versity

Join BioWise living - Nature reconnect for a much anticipated walk & talk on The Secret Lives of Trees.

Photos from Rotary Knysna's post

It's snake season!
Join us for a snake awareness talk on Saturday, 10 December in the green heart of Knysna 💚

This is a great opportunity to learn more about our local snakes, an animal that is highly misunderstood and plays a crucial part in the functionality of our ecosystems.

Bookings are essential as seating is limited. Please contact 073 997 4720 to secure your spot.

Entry fee is R150 per person and proceeds will support local PBO's; Pledge Nature Reserve - Knysna & The EDEN Empathy Initiative

The iNaturalist Great Southern Bioblitz is done and dusted and the Garden Route excelled!🤩⭐️ We came fourth with 11,737 observations and 2,334 species. At the reserve, we had 346 observations and 191 species, not bad for the little green patch in the heart of Knysna! 💚For the overall results see this link: https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/great-southern-bioblitz-2022-umbrella
Here are a few of the observations made in the reserve.

With a variety of shades from yellow through orange to red, our beautiful and bountiful Burchellia bubalina (Wild pomegranate) is putting on a show this year. This species is not related to pomegranates at all but is in the same family as Gardenia.🤓

It is Bioblitz time again! If you are new (or not) to iNaturalist you are very welcome to join us for a very slow walk in the reserve looking for plants, mushrooms, insects, spiders etc. to photograph and post on iNaturalist. This Friday the 28th of October at 8h00. Bring a hat, water and camera. For more info WhatsApp 082 773 4118. 💚🐦🌱🦎🌷🐾🌿🦋🌾🌺🐛🪷🐌

U3A's Botanical Matters group led by Judy Dixon visited the reserve to 'meet' our threatened species, which we saw a few of, but also many other plants! The showstopper was at the viewpoint, the Golden Orchid, Disa cornuta in full flower🤩

Teamwork makes the dream work

Something exciting brewing at the Green Heart of Knysna.

Our stroll in the 💚of Knysna!

Spring is here, and so are our locally indigenous plants!!!

Back where he belongs!

On Sunday afternoon an African Wood Owl was released in The Pledge Nature Reserve after being rescued by The Raptor Rescue Team from Plettenberg Bay.

Early Friday morning, this poor fella was trapped in The Knysna Mall and was first reported by Hannelie Kemp of the Hearing and Health Centre in the Mall, but with the help of local business man, Neil Lurie, The Lakes Bird Club and The Raptor Rescue team, he was safely caught and rehabilitated.

Please report any concerned bird of prey sightings to Raptor Rescue Plett team.

Many thanks to everybody involved 💚

INDIGENOUS TREE WALK

Join Robert Smith and Ina Engelbrecht for a guided tree walk in the Green Heart of Knysna.

Date: Saturday, 9 July 2022
Time: 10:00 - 12:00
Price: R100 p.p

Please contact the Curator in advance and book your spot - [email protected] or 073 997 4720

REWILDING... Back to belonging

Join & .living for a memorable experience in the diverse .

Also be sure to stop by for your needs!

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YOUTH DAY

Today we celebrate our youth & the progress we have made in rebuilding a prosperous
South Africa 💚
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KNYSNA ECO SCHOOLS

Many congratulations to Interact club for their powerful contribution to the Knysna Eco Schools Challenge during the Global City Nature Challenge 🌱

All observations taken during the Knysna Eco Schools project was automatically uploaded to the Nature Challenge project as well as the Garden Route CNC.

The Garden Route CNC did amazingly well and achieved the following:

Observations: 16208
Species: 2773
Participants: 276
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Pledge Nature Reserve - Knysna updated their phone number.

Pledge Nature Reserve - Knysna updated their phone number.

Searching for subjects to photograph for the iNaturalist City Nature Challenge one realizes, yet again, how much there is to see when we take the time to look!!

KNYSNA ECO SCHOOLS

Photodump of the recent Global City Nature Challenge.
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Literally littered with hearts!! Dioscorea burchellii growing on and alongside the shady parts of Protea path....🐾 💚💚💚💚💚💚💚

The iNaturalist.org City Nature Challenge starts in two days!

Be sure to join the "Knysna Schools" Project on iNaturalist and post observations to "Friends of Pledge" & win Eco related prizes.

Individual with most observations will win first prize 💚

Free entry to the reserve for any CNC participants between (29 April - 2 May).

Links:

Knysna Eco schools (Friends of Pledge) Project:
https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/knysna-eco-schools-challenge-2022

City Nature Challenge 2022: Garden Route
https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/city-nature-challenge-2022-garden-route

Garden Route District (South Africa):
https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/garden-route-district-south-africa

The iNaturalist.org City Nature Challenge starts in two days!

Be sure to join the "Knysna Schools" Project on iNaturalist and post observations to "Friends of Pledge" & win Eco related prizes.

Individual with most observations will win first prize 💚

Free entry to the reserve for any CNC participants between (29 April - 2 May).

Links:

Knysna Eco schools (Friends of Pledge) Project:

https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/knysna-eco-schools-challenge-2022

City Nature Challenge 2022: Garden Route

https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/city-nature-challenge-2022-garden-route

Garden Route District (South Africa):

https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/garden-route-district-south-africa

Participate in the City Nature Challenge 2022 and win 💚

EARTH DAY 2022

Today we celebrate our vast oceans and diverse landscapes that make up planet earth. Protecting our environment is a group project and together we can create change for a sustainable future.

How can you do your part:

🌿 Get involved
Volunteer at organisations that protect the environment 👉 Email [email protected] for opportunities

🌳 Spread the word
Let your voice be heard and extend your passion for our natural world.

🍃 Spend time outdoors
Appreciating the smaller things in life.
Smell the flowers, touch the leaves or allow your feet to touch the ground.

🌟Don't miss out 🌟

As part of Earth Day Being of the Earth will be hosting an amazing experience to honour our planet and its wonders. The event is scheduled for tomorrow (23 April), reserve your spot now 🦊
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Earth Day 2022

Reconnect with nature this Earth day. Being of the Earth is offering a restorative event this Saturday (23 April) at the reserve to reconnect you with our natural world.

Don't miss out and reserve your spot.

We hope to see you there 💚

CAPE CHESTNUT 🌸
Calodendrum capense

The easter bunny came early this year 🌱 Cape chestnut seed pods found nestled under the majestic mother tree.