becausetheycouldnotgetto thesun,sowe
removedthem.”
Insmallsectionsofthereserve,suchason
theslopenextto theFoodForest,the‘sausages’
werestretchedacrossthesandyslopesto
stabilisethem.Swalesweredugbehindeach
lineof‘sausages’to traprainwater.Theywere
usedin combinationwithharvestedbitou
plantsgrownin thereserve’snursery,andsour
figsharvestedfromthefynbosandplantedas
unrootedcuttingsdirectlyintothesoil.The
plantshappilytookroot.
Thereservealsoreceivedsignificanthelp
fromorganisationsliketheSouthernCape
LandownersInitiative,andnumerousother
environmentalistsandrehabilitationspecialists
whogavetheiradvicefreely.
ThentheGreenpopFoundationstepped
in.Greenpopis a non-profitorganisation
withthemissionto planttreesandactivate
environmentalstewardsacrossSouthern
Africa,andhasplantedmorethan
100000 indigenousandfruittreesin the
region.Witha majorfinancialcontribution
fromtheFeatherbedCompany,Greenpop
provided1 600treesand 300 volunteersto
plantthem.A hugeundertaking.
Alltheeffortprovidedexcitingresults.
Fynbosbeganto reappear,andtherearenow
morethan 300 categorisedspeciesandat
least 60 morestillto beidentified.Watsonias,
paintbrushlilies,wildsage,candelabralilies,
thebright-greensedgegrass,andmany
more.Thepartiallyburntcandlewoodsand
milkwoodshavesprungto life,andbirds
speciessuchastheOsprey,PiedKingfisher,
Brown-hoodedKingfisher,AfricanFishEagle,
Red-billedWoodHoopoearebeingsighted.
Ourtrailbackto thejettywindsalongthe
coastlinenextto a calmturquoisesea,and
bythelooksofthingsit’sa perfectdayfor
enteringTheHeads.Dodgingtouristsposing
forselfies,wearriveat caveswheredripstone
stalactitesframetheseaandwavesbeyond.
Thenweheadoffto CoffinBay,wherethetide
is toohighto seetherockformationsor‘bones’
thatlookliketheribsofa shipwreck,and
whichgavethebayitsname.
It’smiddayandhotwhenwearriveat
therestaurant,andanice-coldlageris most
welcomebeforeweheadbackto Knysna
Waterfront.Fromthetopoftheferry,wehave
a 360-degreeviewoftheestuaryandlagoon
and,asmycamerasclickmadly,a Germantour
guiderefersto meas'mamarazzi'.
Overcoffee,NicoleTunmersays,“Despite
havingto closethereservefor 18 monthsas
a resultofthefire,nota singlestaffmember
wasretrenched.”Featherbednowoffersvisitors
a greatopportunityto enjoyitsreturnedglory,
andis a supremeexampleofrisingfromthe
ashes. ■
MapreferenceG4seeinsidebackcoverFeatherbedPrivateNatureReserve
044382 1693,[email protected]ABOVELEFT:'Sausages’ made of photodegradable
plasticnetandfilledwith poplar shavings are
stretchedacrossthesandy slopes to stabilise them.
EngineeringstudentAlejandro Plasencia has created
biodegradablefishingnets from similar material, to
helpstopaquaticmammals from getting trapped in
losttrawlingequipment. ABOVE: The restaurant at
Featherbedhasa delicious three-course buffet lunch
readyforusonourreturn. BELOW: The Eastern Head
(oppositeFeatherbedReserve) was home to Middle
StoneAgeman.http://www.countrylife.co.za 065KNYSNA FEATHERBED CONSERVATION