South African picture postcards from the early 1900s offer an interesting glimpse into times past. Here are some postcard depictions of nature – be it scenic shots, in gardens, at the seaside or other outdoor activities and structures.
Continue reading “Some old postcards depicting nature and the outdoors”
Mountains, cliffs, forests, grasslands, flowers, clear streams and waterfalls, the Drakensberg has all that and more to delight and sometimes challenge a hiker.
Continue reading “Following footpaths in the central Drakensberg”
Packing gale-force winds of up to 95 km/h (60 mph) and dumping record-breaking heavy rains on the eastern regions of South Africa, Subtropical Depression Issa evolved from a low-pressure weather system off the south-east coast and reached its peak on Tuesday, 12 April.
Continue reading “Subtropical depression: Catastrophic flooding in KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape”
A secretarybird with wings outspread and crowned by a stylised rising sun, tops the South African national Coat of Arms. The light, energy and splendour of the sun signifying the rebirth of every day at sunrise, and the soaring flight and power of the secretarybird are intended to inspire confidence and evoke potency.
Continue reading “The secretarybird and the rising sun”
Nature infuses our imaginations, our dreams, our poets, artists, folklore, religions and even our national symbols with its potency. Even when it seems to be banished to the periphery, nature actually undergirds us all.
Continue reading “Like a rainbow”
This week in the aftermath of the widespread looting and destruction across much of KwaZulu-Natal and parts of Gauteng I have few words. Although a semblance of calm might seem to prevail and road delivery routes are opening up, suffering and bereavement, sadness and pain, loss and fear, anger and resentment remain.
Continue reading “Wordless in the aftermath: KwaZulu-Natal July 2021”
We have a crisis in our land. Reports of an orchestrated insurrection seem increasingly credible. The political campaign ignited an explosion of destruction, and according to many analysts, it exploited and was partly fuelled by the misery and hopelessness of dire poverty and high unemployment levels that afflict a high percentage of people in our country (with youth unemployment being over 50%).
Continue reading “What may emerge from the ashes of destruction?”
One of the most beautiful fresh water pans in the northern Zululand region (Maputoland) of KwaZulu-Natal is the Inyamiti Pan in Ndumo Game Reserve. The pan is fringed by fever trees with their pale yellow bark reflecting in the water, especially in summer when the water level is high.
Continue reading “Journeying from freshwater pans to garden pond”
The freshwater biome can be categorized into lakes, streams and wetlands, and all are interconnected. We depend utterly on freshwater systems that globally comprise only 0.8% of all the water on the planet and cover only 1/5 of the Earth’s surface.
Continue reading “Going with the flow: Some southern African rivers and wetlands”
letting nature back in 