IMAGES:
EMMA
GR
EGG;
ALA
MY
FLORA & FAMILY TREES, SOUTH AFRICA
“I come here most days to relax,” says Nashlin ‘Nash’
Groenwald. “And I often let images of what might have
happened here long ago fill my thoughts. It’s like stepping
inside one of those human evolution illustrations showing
early man to modern man, walking through time.”
Nash is an assistant head guide at Grootbos, a private
nature reserve in South Africa’s Western Cape. He’s brought
me along the cliffs west of the reserve to Klipgat, a limestone
cave complex above Walker Bay’s dazzling stretch of sand.
On the way, we’ve plucked mussels from the rocks, bagging
them to deliver to Grootbos’ kitchen, then added sprigs of
dune cabbage — salty and unexpectedly juicy — to the stash.
The larger cave is a natural auditorium, gazing onto the
beach. Ample fresh water and shelter must have made it
prime real estate for those who discovered it, around 8 5,000
years ago. The last residents to leave traces were fisher-
hunter-gatherers, between 1,5 00 and 2,0 00 years ago.
“They called themselves Khoikhoi, meaning people,”
says Nash.
“And you consider them to be your ancestors?” I ask.
“Definitely. My father’s a fisherman, and if your life
rotates around the ocean, you’re very aware of your
surroundings. In his case, that got him thinking about
his connection to the land, and his bloodline.”
Nash is from Arniston, a coastal community around 60
miles east of Klipgat Caves. His father, Nolan, like many
other South Africans born under apartheid, had an arbitrary
label forced upon him: coloured. Growing up, he had no
means to explore his family’s ethnic identity, Khoikhoi.
“So he decided to go to a Khoikhoi chieftain for history
lessons and a five-stage rebirthing ritual,” Nash says.
“He was baptised in water, covered in honey, dressed in
traditional antelope skins and took a new name, Oriqaga,
which means ‘Mountain that Rises from the Sea’. His life
has totally changed; he’s become an activist for Indigenous
rights. Since our people have protected this landscape for
generations, he feels we deserve a fairer say in its future.”
While Walker Bay was the cave-dwelling Khoikhoi’s fishery,
the fynbos-covered slopes immediately inland were their
larder and pharmacy. They must have known these rare
plants intimately. It was a matter of survival: some delivered
nectar and nutrition-rich seeds, others cured ailments or
soothed muscles. Today, it’s down to Grootbos to protect
this corner of the Cape Floral Kingdom — the region with
the highest concentration of botanical species in the
world. To date, 879 plant species have been recorded in
the 2 ,500-hectare Grootbos Reserve; seven species new to
science have been discovered in recent years.
Conservationist Michael Lutzeyer, Grootbos’s founder,
has come up with a novel way to celebrate the reserve’s
complexity. “We’ve been creating a Florilegium,” he tells me.
One by one, botanical illustrators have been painting the
plants that grow here, with the insects, birds and mice that
pollinate them. Just downhill from Grootbos’s strikingly
reimagined, carbon-negative Garden Lodge, a new gallery
dedicated to this unique art collection is rapidly taking
shape. Opening later this year, the Hannarie Wenhold
Botanical Gallery will be a space where occasional events
such as creative workshops, talks and fynbos-infused gin
tastings will pop up among the paintings.
“We’re hoping to help people understand the true
meaning of African biodiversity,” says Michael. “It’s not
just about rhinos and elephants. It’s about how every living
thing connects.”
He has a point. On safari, it’s easy to become so focused
on watching charismatic animals, you don’t see the wood
for the trees — if you see the trees at all. But Grootbos is
different. While camera traps prove it does indeed harbour
mammals, plants are the stars of the show.
Nash guides me around the sea of green, pointing out
his favourite species: exuberant scarlet candelabra flowers,
wild sage (a cure for coughs), sour fig (a natural antiseptic)
and centuries-old milkwood trees.
Reflecting on his father’s story, I ask whether he’s also
thinking of reclaiming his Khoikhoi identity. “For now,
caring for nature and my daughter are my top priorities.
I believe that if you’ve touched just one person’s life in a
positive way, you’ve played your part,” he says. “But my father
wants me to follow his example, and I’m tempted. Learning
about the past is a good way to start building a better future.”
How to do it: Suites in Forest Lodge and the brand-new
Garden Lodge at Grootbos Private Nature Reserve start at
$980 (£804) based on two sharing, including full board
and guided activities such as cave visits and botanical
tours. Flowering plants are best from June to December.
grootbos.com
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Clockwise from top
left: Coastal safari with
Nashlin Groenwald,
assistant head guide at
the Grootbos Private
Nature Reserve, South
Africa; driving through
Grootbos Private Nature
Reserve; foraging for
mussels and sea urchins;
fynbos vegetation
found on the cliffs
near the reserve
JUL/AUG 2022 81
SAFARI
