In the Baviaanspoort Hills between Gansbaai and Stanford lies Africa’s southernmost indigenous forest – one of the Overstrand’s most enchanting natural landscapes.

Platbos Forest, one of the few surviving indigenous lowland Afrotemperate forests* in South Africa, is a rare and precious remnant.

Unlike most indigenous forests that grow along riverbanks and in sheltered valleys, Platbos thrives on ancient coastal dunes. This unexpected geography has helped to protect it for centuries, allowing it to remain hidden and largely undisturbed. Today, some of its trees are believed to be more than a thousand years old, making them among the oldest in the region.

The forest’s modern story began in 2005, when co-owners Melissa Saayman and François Krige became its custodians. At the time, Platbos was beautiful but vulnerable: encroached upon by invasive alien vegetation, threatened by fire, and in desperate need of thoughtful, long-term stewardship.

Melissa, with her horticultural expertise and intuitive affinity for the land, and François, an arborist with a deep understanding of trees and ecosystems, stepped into that role with quiet determination.

The early years demanded immense physical effort as they cleared invasive species, established fire-breaks, and began the slow, careful work of restoring degraded areas through continued alien removal and the planting of indigenous trees. Much of the cleared alien vegetation is chipped and transformed into mulch, which is then used to nourish and protect the soil around young indigenous saplings, closing the loop between clearing and restoration.

Following severe fires in 2006, Melissa and François launched what would become the Platbos Reforestation Project. This initiative blends ecological restoration with community involvement, and it became the heart of Platbos’s revival.

Working under the Platbos Conservation Trust, the project has planted more than 180 000 indigenous trees to date, with most of them grown from seed in the on-site nursery managed by François.

In 2011, Greenpop joined their efforts, launching the annual Reforest Fest – a community-driven tree-planting event that continues to support the restoration of Platbos. Each tree planted is a step toward rebuilding habitat, strengthening fire resilience, and linking Platbos to other indigenous fragments through future ecological corridors.

Platbos’s biodiversity is astonishing, with more than 150 bird species recorded in the forest’s milkwoods, wild olives, white stinkwoods, and other ancient giants. Buck, porcupines, and elusive red-data amphibians such as the Leopard toad, call the forest home. Even Cape leopards occasionally make an appearance on the forest’s camera traps, showing Platbos’s ecological importance as a refuge for wildlife.

Visitors to Platbos can experience the forest through a gentle, self-guided trail that loops through its heart. The path takes between one and two-and-a-half hours to complete, depending on how often you stop along the way. A newer segment of the trail winds through areas being restored through the reforestation project, allowing visitors to see the young saplings taking root where alien vegetation once stood.

For those wishing to deepen their experience, Platbos offers a selection of off-grid accommodation hidden among the trees. Each stay is designed to blend seamlessly with the forest, leaving as light an environmental footprint as possible. Solar power, composting toilets, river and dam water, and thoughtful greywater recycling ensure that every visit supports, rather than strains, the forest. A portion of all accommodation revenue goes directly to the forest’s conservation.

Beyond its beauty, Platbos carries deep environmental significance. It plays a role in climate resilience, storing carbon, sheltering wildlife, and stabilising soil. It is also a hub for community and education, drawing volunteers, tree sponsors, and nature lovers from around the world.

Most importantly, it stands as a model of mindful tourism: a place where visitors can witness, firsthand, how gentle human interaction and ecological restoration can coexist.

For more information visit www.platbos.co.za

*A lowland Afrotemperate forest remnant is a surviving, often isolated, patch of a specific type of indigenous South African forest that is found in low-lying, frost-free areas. These remnants are fragments of a larger, historically more continuous forest ecosystem that has been reduced in size, often due to human activities such as logging, agriculture, or urbanisation.

Klein River Cheese in Stanford celebrated its biggest success yet at the 2025 World Cheese Awards, winning 10 awards. The globally recognised event, held on 13 November at Festhalle, BernExpo, Switzerland, saw a record 5 244 entries. Klein River’s Babylonstoren Parmesan 24-months, crafted and aged on their farmstead, was a standout, earning the coveted Super Gold. Their other results were as follows:

Gold: Parmesan 12-months, Gruberg Mature 6-months

Silver: Spar Signature Selection Smoked Artisan Gouda, Gruberg Vintage 12-months

Bronze: Danbo, Havarti, Gruberg Young 3-months, Woolworths Oak Smoked Stanford, Cape Leopard (new)

The 37th edition of this world-renowned competition drew entrants from 46 countries, judged by 265 experts, including affineurs, graders, producers, retailers, writers and broadcasters. Judges assess appearance, aroma, texture, flavour, and mouthfeel in blind tastings to ensure fairness.

Klein River Cheese’s awards reflect their dedication to traditional, natural cheesemaking, using milk from pasture-raised Jersey cows and slow maturation on timber, guided by skilled affineurs.

BY JENNY PARSONS

The rocky shoreline along the coast of the Overstrand is one of southern Africa’s most dramatic and biologically rich coastal environments. This rugged coastline forms a dynamic frontier where ancient sandstone meets the relentless power of ocean and wind. Here, every tide reveals a living mosaic of colour and adaptation to survive. 

The shoreline is built from quartz-rich Table Mountain Sandstone – some of the oldest and hardest rocks in the region. These cliffs, ledges and wave-cut platforms create a stable stage for marine life. With South Atlantic swells constantly crashing against the coast, conditions are energetic and highly oxygenated, supporting an abundance of organisms.

The intertidal zone is the geographic area of the shore between the high tide and low tide lines, which is regularly exposed to air and then submerged in water. This transition area is characterized by fluctuating conditions and can be found on sandy beaches and rocky coastlines. Due to the cyclical nature of tides this landscape is typically divided into different zones, each with a unique marine life which is adapted to the varying levels of submersion and exposure to the elements. This vertical world is worth exploring when you next take a walk along the beach or coastal paths.

Between the high and low tide marks lies the intertidal zone which is exposed twice a day and submerged twice a day. Only species with extraordinary resilience can survive such extremes. They must adapt to physical stressors like waves, temperature changes and drying out. On most shores it is possible to recognise three distinct zones – the high, the mid and low-shore.

The High-Shore Zone is baked by sun and wind and is home to some hardy survivors such as periwinkles and limpets locked tightly to rock which are often covered in orange lichens that colour the stone. Life here clings to existence, literally. Mid-Shore Zone is the busiest and most visually striking with mussel beds, whelks and sea snails looking for prey, anemones adding bright colour and barnacles cemented in permanent residence. Competition for space in this zone is fierce and every centimetre matters. 

Low-Shore Zone is the richest of the zones as it is only exposed at low tide. Here the kelp holdfasts, anchoring the offshore kelp forests. Sea urchins graze in rock crevices and octopuses hide under shadowy ledges. Starfish, sponges are often covered by sea lettuce and other seaweeds. Tide pools in this zone act as miniature worlds and nurseries for klipfish, crabs, and sea cucumbers, to name a few.

Rocky-shore creatures reveal remarkable evolutionary ingenuity with adaptations that allow for their survival. Anchoring for instance allows species to securely attach themselves to the rocks to avoid being washed away by high tides and wave energy. Different species have developed unique methods for anchoring. One example is sea anemones who use their base-like suction cup to anchor themselves. Wave-proofing is another form of adaptation that allows strong, low, stream-lined shapes or flexible bodies to survive the energy experienced in the intertidal habitat.

Just beyond the breakers, the kelp forests shape intertidal ecology. These forest buffer wave energy and provide shelter and food to countless species. The kelp traps drifting algae that in turn feeds the grazers. Specialised kelp limpets have a narrow shell that fits the kelp stems and young fish often hide beneath the kelp fronds. The kelp holdfast anchors the kelp to the seafloor which is often where the kreef hunt for food. Storms regularly tear kelp free, washing it ashore where it becomes a rich source of nutrients.

We are fortunate to enjoy a coastline with remarkable biodiversity. There are however mounting environmental threats despite its resilience. Overfishing and harvesting (abalone, West Coast lobster and mussels) together with pollution, invasive species and climate change, which is altering sea temperature and storm patterns, are some of the concerning pressures. Marine Protected Areas offer a crucial refuge, helping to preserve biodiversity of our rocky shores.

On 12 November, 12 African penguin chicks and one adult were returned to their home colony on Dyer Island. The birds had been temporarily removed by CapeNature and the Dyer Island Conservation Trust / African Penguin and Seabird Sanctuary (APSS) teams while their parents moulted and couldn’t care for them (during moulting, adults cannot swim or feed, leaving chicks vulnerable if breeding and moulting phases overlap).

The tiniest chick, which arrived at APSS a month ago at just 970g, is now a healthy 3kg thanks to dedicated care, expert guidance from Senior Bird Rehabilitator Xolani Lawu, his team, and veterinarian Dr Annamarie Roberts. 

The birds were transported back to Dyer Island aboard one of Marine Dynamics' smallest vessels, Happy Feet, with only Marine Biologist Amy Webber and Skipper Dickie Chivell onboard to manage the special release.

To read more visit www.dict.org.za/blog/

Creation Wines in the Hemel-en-Aarde Ridge has been recognised as the 7th best vineyard in the world (2nd in Africa) at the 2025 World’s 50 Best Vineyards awards. Several other South African estates were also recognised in the Top 100, including Hamilton Russell Vineyards in the Hemel-en-Aarde Valley, which placed 99th.

“It’s an honour to be named among the best, and our ‘lucky number’ seven this year inspires us to keep innovating and striving for excellence,” says Carolyn Martin, Creation’s co-founder and Marketing Director. 

The winning vineyards are determined by a global academy of more than 500 wine, hospitality and travel experts. Each estate is evaluated across a range of criteria, and the results represent the collective insights of a broad panel. 

For JD and Wilna Eksteen, settling into Hermanus four years ago opened the door not only to a new home, but to a new purpose. Inspired by Wilna’s work as a dietitian with Type 1 diabetes patients at Hermanus Mediclinic over the last few years, and supported by business partner and experienced events organiser Retha de Bruyn in Pretoria, they decided to combine their skills, passions and professional networks to create something that could make a real difference. That vision became V4Cares – a charity initiative built on compassion and community.

V4Cares forms part of the broader V4Creative media house, alongside its educational platform V4Connect. While V4Creative has been running successfully for roughly a decade, V4Cares and V4Connect are relatively new branches, founded to channel the group’s energy beyond media into education and community support. 

V4Creative is owned by JD, Retha and Dawie Roux (based in Gordon's Bay). Wilna, now no longer at the Mediclinic, owns her own business called Just Yummy Things. 

It was through her work at the Mediclinic that Wilna encountered many patients living with Type 1 diabetes, and it was there that her passion for helping those affected truly took shape. She dreamed of creating educational camps and clinics to support families and individuals navigating this lifelong condition. Unfortunately, there is not much support from big pharmaceutical companies in the way of funding. 

For a long time, the idea of V4Cares took a back seat. But when Wilna stepped away from her work at the Mediclinic, she and JD felt the timing was finally right to turn that dream into action. Joined by Retha, they began with small fundraisers – JD and Wilna in Hermanus, and Retha in Pretoria. But their vision is bigger, and their plans for 2026 reflect this. 

JD loves running and noticed that Hermanus, despite its natural beauty and active community, hosts very few large running events. With breathtaking routes and enthusiastic locals, it has the potential to become a hub for destination running. 

Under V4Cares, they have begun planning a series of running events, each one designed to support three goals: to help fund the next event, to support a local charity in the host town, and to contribute to Wilna’s diabetes clinics.

Their introductory event will be a fun walk/run in Stanford on 2 January 2026, a chance for locals to connect with V4Cares and its mission. The route is still to be confirmed, but the spirit of community and participation is already at the heart of the event. 

Their first major event, Last Man Standing, will take place in March/April 2026 at Stanford Hills. Participants will run a 5km loop, and each loop must be completed in under an hour. Those who don’t make it in time are eliminated, and the last runner standing wins. JD envisions it as a fully organised race with sponsors, race packs and festive atmosphere. The local charity it supports will be the Butterfly Centre.

In October 2026, V4Cares will host its first 10km and 21km road race in collaboration with the Whalers Athletics Club, with the route still to be announced. JD dreams of eventually establishing a full marathon in Hermanus as well. 

Finally, in November 2026, V4Cares’ Stanford Stagger will bring trail running, live music and local celebration together in another event at Stanford Hills.

What began as a small idea is steadily growing into a movement with the potential to bring both awareness and practical support to those in need, particularly young people living with Type 1 diabetes, through creativity, community, and a love of running.

Keep an eye on V4Cares’ Facebook and Instagram pages for updates, opportunities to get involved, and information on their upcoming events.

Creativity and scientific curiosity were on full display as the winners of the fourth Laager Rooibos Design Competition and third Science Competition were announced in the Overstrand on 14 and 15 November, in partnership with TDL Advertising and The Creative Space. 

Supported by the Western Cape Education Department, 58 Grade 10 pupils from 12 schools showcased handcrafted and digital designs at De Wet Hall in Onrus, aiming to engage future Laager Rooibos drinkers while gaining real-world experience in branding, packaging and product design.

The Science Competition, held at the Curro Hermanus STEAM Hub, saw 18 pupils from three schools present research into Laager Rooibos products and their health benefits, including its effect on plant growth, pH levels, natural dye properties, brewing time, flavour and antioxidant levels.

While no Hermanus schools placed in the design category, they dominated the science awards, taking all top three positions:

• Joint first: Andrew Mitten & Irene Mugerwa Namuddu (Curro Hermanus)

• Joint second: Olivia Janse van Rensburg & Keara Kruger (Curro Hermanus)

• Joint third: Mzvita Chikweche (Curro Hermanus), and Zurayda Michaels, Ethan Smith, Janica Bruintjies & Rickyle Blankenberg (Hawston Secondary)

BY DR BHARTI ARORA

Postdoctoral Research Fellow

University of Pretoria MRI Whale Unit

Since the 1986 moratorium on commercial whaling, several whale populations have shown recovery to varying degrees, tracked mainly through aerial and boat photography and shipboard surveys – methods vital for estimating whale populations and trends. However, all that glitters is not gold. 

Despite their protection from commercial whaling, large whales still face anthropogenic threats: ship strikes, fishing gear entanglement, noise pollution, contaminants, and prey shifts from climate change. These pressures can impair physiology, elevating stress, suppressing immunity, reducing reproductive rates, altering mortality, and lowering body condition.

Traditional survey methods remain indispensable but are costly, risky, and often limited when whales are only partly visible. Hence, multi-analytical approaches are needed. Integrating long-term photo records with endocrinology offers deeper insights into whale health and reproduction.

Historically, life history data came from whaling operations or stranded animals. The application of faecal hormone analysis increased in the 1980s as a non-blood alternative but faced challenges: low sampling rates, difficulty in focal collection, and hormone degradation in seawater. This resulted in a growing interest in blubber as a matrix for whale health and overall well-being.

Blubber, a dynamic tissue mainly comprising approximately 50% of body weight, plays a central role in the thermoregulation of marine mammals. Thus, it was very popular during whaling operations for whale oil as a byproduct. However, now the blubber is a very promising matrix that provides both biological (stress, reproduction) and environmental (pollutants, microplastics) data and insights, further decoding the marine health. It has helped identify pregnancy and sexual maturity in various marine mammals, including minke whales and many delphinids, by quantifying testosterone and progesterone hormones, reproductive biomarkers. 

Additional health biomarkers, like stress (cortisol) and nutritional (thyroid) hormones, can also be measured. Though the blubber biopsy collection is not fully non-invasive, remote biopsy is regarded as minimally invasive and complements faecal sampling.

Marine biologists continue to grapple with logistical and methodological challenges in studying large whales. The blubber samples collected over the decades are no less than a goldmine to build the health timeline of marine mammals in the era of changing climates. 

As an endocrinologist, my research at the MRI Whale Unit focuses on optimising and unifying blubber hormone extraction protocols to reduce harmful solvents, streamline steps, and improve reproducibility and comparability across laboratories situated in different parts of the world. This enhances the safety, efficiency, and reliability of physiological assessments. 

This research at Whale Unit broadens participation and collaboration across global whale research efforts, catering to the health of these gentle giants more effectively and efficiently. 

BY SHERRY DALSEN

Onrus Veterinary Clinic

Summer in South Africa means longer walks and outdoor adventures, but rising temperatures and our unique environment bring serious risks for dogs. Four common dangers – bee stings, heat stroke, hot pavements, and snake bites – can quickly turn a fun outing into an 

BEE AND WASP STINGS 

Curious dogs often snap at flying insects and get stung on the face, mouth, or paws. A single sting causes sudden yelping, pawing at the face, drooling, or localised swelling. Most reactions are mild, but some dogs suffer severe allergic reactions (anaphylaxis) within minutes: hives, facial swelling, vomiting, weak pulse, or collapse.

First aid:

• If visible, remove the stinger by scraping with a credit card edge or tweezers (never squeeze it).

• Apply a paste of baking soda and water or a cold compress.

• If your vet has previously approved it, give Allergex (chlorpheniramine). Consult with your vet for the correct dose.

• Seek immediate veterinary care if swelling spreads, breathing becomes difficult, or your dog seems distressed.

HEAT STROKE

Dogs cool themselves mainly by panting. In high heat or humidity, this can fail and body temperature can climb above 40°C in minutes. Brachycephalic breeds (Bulldogs, French Bulldogs, Boston Terriers, Pugs, etc.), overweight dogs, and dark-coated dogs are especially vulnerable. Warning signs: excessive panting, bright red gums, thick saliva, vomiting, wobbly gait, collapse.

Immediate action: Move to shade or air-conditioning, wet the dog with cool (not ice-cold) water, focusing on ears, groin, and paw pads – then use a fan. Offer small sips of cool water. Get to a vet as soon as possible, even if your dog seems to recover, as internal organ damage can continue. Phone the clinic while en route so they can prepare – minutes can make the difference between life and death.

HOT PAVEMENTS

When the air temperature is 30°C, asphalt can reach 57°C within minutes – hot enough to cause second-degree burns on paw pads in under a minute. Look for red or blistered pads, and limping, licking or chewing at feet.

Prevention: Walk before 8am or after 8pm. Test the surface with the back of your hand – if you can't keep it there for 5 seconds, it's too hot for paws. Use dog booties, paw wax, or simply wait for cooler times. 

SNAKE BITES

Our beautiful fynbos trails are shared with puff adders, boomslangs, and Cape cobras, all of which become more active in warmer weather. Bites usually happen on the face or legs when dogs investigate something interesting. Signs include sudden pain, rapid swelling, puncture marks, lethargy, and bleeding.

What to do:

• Keep your dog (and yourself) as calm as possible.

• Carry your dog to the car if feasible (walking increases venom spread) but don't risk injuring yourself.

• Do NOT apply tourniquets, cut the wound, or try to suck out venom.

• Drive straight to the nearest veterinary emergency clinic and phone ahead so antivenom and treatment can be prepared immediately. The faster treatment begins, the better the outcome.

Summer fun doesn't have to end because of these risks. Stick to early morning or evening walks, provide constant shade and fresh water, and keep a watchful eye. When in doubt, call your vet or the nearest emergency clinic straight away. Stay safe, stay cool, and enjoy the season with your best friend.