ofFreeMeKZNWildlifeRehabilitation
Centre,whodedicatethemselvesto thecare
oftheNearThreatenedAfricanCrowned
EaglepopulationofKwaZulu-Natal.Ringing
theseraptorsaschicksis keyto studyingtheir
ecology.PeterVos,oneofthe‘Eaglers’,takes
usalongononesuchthrillingoperationin the
NkumbaneRiverGorgealongtheKwaZulu-Natal
SouthCoast,inCrowningGloryonpage70.
InSeptember,wealsocelebrateHeritage
Day,andournation’sdiversity.I hopeyou’ll
findsomethingin thisissuethatspeaksto your
heart,beit thestoryabouttheEasternCape’s
MaqomaRoute,whichcapturesthedramaofthe
struggleforland(Landto DieForonpage30),
theinspiringnewsofthenew!KhwattuSan
HeritageCentreontheWestCoast(Sharethe
SanStory, page36),ObieOberholzer’sroadtrip
to uncoverthetraditionalhotelsofyesteryear
(TwoHotels,OneInnandtheGhostof Widow
Hartley, page40),oranyofthedozenother
greatreads.
Ourhistoriesmightvary,butonethingthat
unitesusallis a goodoldbraai,solet’slightthe
fireson 24 Septemberandcelebrateourgrand
heritage.NitaHazell
EditorLightthe fireforourgreen,green grassofhome...
T
heworldis topsy-turvy.News
headlinesshout,‘Parisrecords
hottestdayastemperaturessear
Europe’...‘Dutchinvokenational
heatwaveplanastemperaturessoar
and,yes,it works’...‘Britainmeltsastemperatures
reach 40 ̊C’...‘Londonstruckbyviolent
thunderstormsandlightning’(onthedayBoris
JohnsonbecamestheUK’snewprimeminister).
Soundsto meliketypicalHighveld
weather.Andif anyone(includingthe
manwiththegoldenmop)stillinsiststhat
globalwarmingis justanotherstuntby
thegreenies,they’dbetterthinkagain.
Herein theSouthernHemisphere,we
officiallywelcomespringin September,butspring
hasn’tquitesprungin myneckofthewoods.
Let’shopethatmemorablequotebyAmerican
naturalistandauthorHalBorlandstillholdstrue,
‘Nowinterlastsforever;nospringskipsitsturn’.
Protectingourenvironmentis a responsibility
thatweighsheavilyoneveryone,sothegazetting
earlierthisyearof 20 newMarineProtected
Areas(MPAs)is to becelebratedasanimportant
steptowardsprotectingourecosystems,along
withourownhealthandwell-being.South
Africanowhas 46 protectedareasrepresenting
diverseecosystemsalongits2 850-kilometre
coast–fromthe1 200km²NamaquaFossilForest
offtheWestCoast,whereunique,submerged,
fossilised,yellowwoodforestsareprotected,tothemosteasterlyand,at 1 700km²,thebiggest,
at iSimangaliso,whereintricateecosystems
providerefugeforcoelacanthsandCritically
Endangeredturtles,amongothermarinespecies.
Certainlyit’sa bigstepin therightdirection
but,if weconsiderthattheworld’sapproximately
5 000MarineProtectedAreasonlycover0,8per
centoftheocean,westillhavea longwayto go
to reachtheAichiBioversityTargetoftenper
centby2020.(ReadAndreaAbbott’sfascinating
storyA SeaChangeis Comingonpage58.)
Let’salsoapplaudthesmallgroupof‘Eaglers’002 http://www.countrylife.co.zaEDITORIAL & ADVERTISING HEAD OFFICE
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