South African environmental organisation Greenpop is gearing up for its twelfth annual tree planting and restoration event, Reforest Fest, which will run from 29 March to 1 April 2024 at Bodhi Khaya Nature Retreat adjacent to the Platbos Forest near Gansbaai. Come together to plant thousands of trees, explore interactive art installations and wellness activities, immerse yourself in a selection of informative workshops, savour locally sourced food, and enjoy live music performances by local and international artists.

Over the years, Reforest Fest has become a symbol of hope and positive change. At its core, this wholesome festival is all about trees, which are planted with the goal of restoring indigenous forests and reviving ecosystems. Over the four days, planting sites gradually transform from alien-dominated landscapes into thriving habitats filled with newly planted seedlings. 

The Reforest Fest has been a major tree planting event since 2011 and has contributed to the restoration of Platbos Forest Reserve and Bodhi Khaya Nature Retreat. To date, the project has planted over 125 000 trees (planting between 5 000 and 10 000 trees each year), aiding the preservation of the forest and its unique species such as the Cape leopard, Cape bushbuck, Large-spotted genet, and baboons.

This year, the team is aiming to plant 5 000 trees with planting efforts expanding to three surrounding conservation properties. 

The festival is also about people. Participants spend their days planting trees with friends and then return to a camp filled with music and delicious food (including plant-based options). The Greenpop Village is a hub for learning and fun, with workshops, talks and entertainment for all ages. Children can enjoy guided foraging walks, woodcrafts, Easter egg hunts and more in the dedicated kid’s area. 

From morning yoga to evening drum circles, Reforest Fest offers a sensory feast that brings the community together to put hope into action.

One musical highlight to look forward to is Greenpop's co-founder, Jeremy Loops, who will be joining the festival as the headline artist. Get ready to loop into a musical adventure and join Jeremy for tree planting, campfire jamming, and an unforgettable live performance under the stars. 

In addition to Reforest Fest’s ample plant-based food vendors, there will also be two exciting pop-up experiences. Veld & Sea will create a tapas-style, wild sustainably-foraged flavour feast of plant-based dishes with seasonal, local and wild ingredients; and Kolossal Hospitality will create an incredible picnic-style lunch for participants to enjoy with friends and family. An assortment of wines to taste and pair will be available at the WWF Conservation Wine Tent where wines from across the Western Cape will be available.

In a world where urbanisation encroaches on green spaces, Greenpop’s Reforest Fest serves as a vital reminder of the importance of nature. It is crucial to create spaces that reconnect people with the environment.

Join Greenpop on their mission to restore degraded land and cultivate hope and regeneration at Reforest Fest 2024. For more information and tickets visit www.reforestfest.com. 

Fire and Fynbos  

By Jenny Parsons

Overstrand experienced some serious fires in the last few weeks. Pringle Bay was one. The town was surrounded by a ring of flames and the wind changing direction made for difficult and trying conditions. The firefighters, choppers and planes were true heroes in saving the village. Fire lines reached into many backyards along the fire break. The combined fire management of all involved in managing this fire was truly magnificent. Without a doubt Pringle Bay residents are eternally grateful and thankful for the hours of hard work in tough conditions where these heroes put their own lives at risk to fight a ‘dragon’ of a wildfire.

Fynbos is a unique and diverse vegetation type found in the Western Cape region of South Africa, particularly in the Cape Floristic Region. It is characterised by a variety of evergreen shrubs, heaths, and small trees which occur on nutrient-poor soils. Many species have adapted to the region's Mediterranean climate of hot, dry summers and cool, wet winters. Fynbos is known for its high biodiversity, with numerous plant species, many of which are endemic and not found anywhere else in the world. The question is why does it burn? 

Fynbos has adapted to the hot dry conditions which started roughly four million years ago when the climate evolved to what we currently experience today - a short wet winter and a long hot, dry and windy summer. The latter provides the perfect reason for natural fires to start from lightning or rock falls creating sparks. As a result, over the last two million years, fynbos has evolved, and fire plays a crucial role in the ecology of fynbos ecosystems and is an integral part of their life cycle. The relationship between fynbos and fire is known as pyrophytic, meaning that fire is essential for the germination of certain plant species and the maintenance of overall ecosystem health.

The pyrophytic nature relates to the fact that fynbos encourage fire in several ways. Dense vegetation with dry, dead plant litter underneath creates a perfect fuel load. This together with the natural oils found in the buchus, geraniums and salvias make for a highly flammable mix. So how do the different species survive the flames? Three strategies are used whereby they either re-sprout, re-seed or are geophytes (bulbs and corms) which then come up after the fire. Leucadendron species (cone bushes) use fire to open their cones to release the stored seed. 

Protea nitidia (Waboom) and Mimetes species use a chemical reaction created by the fire to induce budding. The heat of the fire also triggers bulbs such as Cyrtanthus ventricosus (fire lily) into growth and the smoke of the fires encourages germination amongst various Erica and Protea species. Nutrients are also returned to the soil and fire encourages a new seed bank to form due to the lack of predators post fire.

There are several key aspects to consider when discussing the interaction between fynbos and fire. One must consider the frequency of fires and the interval between them, the season in which they occur, how hot they are and the size of the fire. The complexity of fire management therefore has many layers. As a rule of thumb, a fire regime should have 15 years between burns otherwise the slow growing species such as the larger Proteas don’t mature and develop a seed bank. Ecologically a fire in 20-year-old fynbos is good and in 7-year-old fynbos bad. 

Unfortunately, the number of fires being experienced in the Western Cape fynbos is concerning, these are not all natural but rather ‘man-made’ which ultimately means a loss of biodiversity. Think of the fast-growing alien grasses and tree species that are prominent in the fynbos landscape! These are more flammable, so the knock-on effect is hotter fires which burn for longer, resulting in less and less fynbos surviving.

Overall, the relationship between fynbos and fire is complex and has evolved over millennia. Understanding and managing this relationship is essential for the conservation of fynbos biodiversity and the sustainability of these unique ecosystems. Climate change all points towards hotter, drier conditions in the Western Cape which means more fires, less wildlife, less biomass with an increase in alien vegetation. This does not bode well for our endangered and threatened species and overall biodiversity.

Another accolade for Creation Wines 

On 11 February, Creation Wines received another prestigious international award, this time at Vinexposium’s inaugural V d’or Business Awards during La Nuit des V d’Or ahead of the Wine Paris & Vinexpo Paris, where Creation Wines also exhibited.

The awards recognise the top business initiatives in the wine and spirits industry worldwide and focus on projects and achievements globally “that build performance, responsibility and community spirit within today and tomorrow’s wine and spirits sector”. 

The awards were divided into five categories: New Business Solutions, Brand Experience, Heritage Initiative, Joint Initiative, and Eco-Friendly Market Launch. Creation Wines was the only vineyard from Africa to make the cut, winning World's Best Brand Experience.

In May 2023, members of the wine and spirits industry across the globe were invited to promote their initiatives and fill in an application form for the category of their choice. The V d’Or panel, which is made up of international industry members, then conducted a preliminary selection of the finalists who were short-listed by category. 

“Our aim through the V d’Or Awards is to champion the vitality of the wine and spirits industry and award the best initiatives for a sustainable business,” said Rodolphe Lameyse, CEO of Vinexposium. “In a world in motion, where corporate social responsibility plays a pivotal role, it is crucial that the wine and spirits industry should provide the means to encourage the most impactful projects, both in terms of performance and sustainability.”

Carolyn Martin, co-owner and marketing director at Creation Wines, says, “Of critical importance to us is Creation’s impact on the surrounding community. Not only are Creation teams recruited locally, they are given vital technical and soft skills training. The team’s support of the Pebbles Hemel-en-Aarde project, which provides schooling and nutritional meals to children from the local community, is well recorded”.

Carolyn received the award in Paris on behalf of her team, who were waiting eagerly to hear the results. “I would like to thank the president of the V d’Or committee, Michael Chapotier, and the prestigious panel of judges for not only this magnificent award tonight but what it means to all of us at Creation,” she said in her thank you speech, “I would like to thank you for the acknowledgement that everything we do at Creation is not just for our wine estate, and our people, but for our South African wine industry. 

“Innovation is a way of life at Creation and to that I can add sustainability. It touches everything we do from our respect for agriculture, our mindfulness of our precious environment, the acknowledgement of our people, and the consistent excellence of our fine wine. What a pleasure it is to tell my husband and partner JC Martin and the 85 people in our team that what we all strive to achieve every single day and what fuels our passion for excellence has been acknowledged by the most prestigious international panel of judges. 

“You cannot imagine what this means to us all.”

Congratulations to Carolyn and JC, and their fantastic team at Creation Wines.

Read more about this amazing achievement here.

Picker, junker, vintage hunter 

Tucked away in Sandbaai Industria, at the end of Argon Street, is a little shop called Fetch & Ditch. Owned by Elmine Marx, the shop offers an exciting variety of carefully-curated vintage or used items, each bringing with it a touch of nostalgia. 

Elmine, who is originally from the Northern Cape, has an eye for special pieces. Her skill at staging items opens up people’s imaginations, giving pieces which would not usually get a second glance another chance.

Having visited Hermanus for many years, the town is familiar to Elmine. Her work history is in hospitality, most recently working for Babylonstoren as hotel manager up until 2016. In 2017 she left the industry and a few years later settled in Hermanus with her husband Dwayne. Elmine has always been an avid collector and says that her love for collecting memorable items comes from her grandmother. She recalls her childhood at her grandparents farm – oil lanterns and lovingly turned down bed sheets – and the pieces that she finds for her shop (or for herself) are often reminiscent of her childhood.

Elmine has always been a collector but never considered creating a business out of her passion, but in 2020, when she and husband Dwayne made the move to Hermanus, they needed to scale down. Elmine took to Facebook Marketplace to sell some of her collectables and soon realised that there was a considerable market for her items.

Dwayne needed a space from which to run his drone business ‘Forestry Drones’, and the premises that they found in Argon Street provided enough space for Elmine to start collecting again. She says that she chooses items that are unique but which are not necessarily of high value, and enjoys sourcing items that have a lot of character, referring to these as “kitsch”.

Another aspect of collecting that Elmine enjoys is the discovery that goes with it. She has on occasion bought items without knowing what they are, only learning later what they were used for. Amongst these is an ornate wig stand which she originally mistook for a jewellery stand.

A lot of the items are sourced from small towns such as Stanford, Napier, and the Karoo. Others come from thrift stores, or through one of the services she offers – the packing up of houses. Elmine says that she always keeps her eyes open for her next collectible. For a time, Dwayne would merely say, “who is going to buy that?”. It wasn’t long however before he realised that Elmine has a knack for seeing the possibilities in each piece, staging them together by theme or colour, creating one-of-a-kind table settings, and striking, complementary room decor.

Elmine also makes candles which she offers in a selection of fragrances, and her quirky and individual eye again shines through in her final products. Many of the candles are made in the jelly moulds which were popular in the 80s and 90s and she displays these in various unusual ways, providing clients with numerous decor ideas. Other candles are housed in tea cups or ceramics. Another candle that Elmine makes is the Kuier Kers which was inspired by the Opsit Kers of yesteryear. She says that the Kuier Kers is intended for when friends come together to “catch up”.

Elmine is currently experimenting with making tallow products. She uses only premium tallow, sourcing it from farmers who don’t administer hormones to their cattle. Tallow is rich in vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, and penetrates deeply into the skin making it ideal for use in skincare products. She is also working on creating a nourishing soap scrub and a balm.

In the pipeline are edible candles made from tallow – a source of vitamins A, D, E, K, and B1. The tallow is infused with garlic, and as with a candle, has a wick. When the edible candle is lit, the tallow gently melts and is a delicious alternative to olive oil for dipping bread. 

Please phone Elmine on 082 854 7491 before visiting the shop. Owing to other commitments, Fetch & Ditch is not always open throughout the day, however Elmine is happy to arrange a time that is suitable for you. You can find Fetch & Ditch on Facebook (@FetchandDitch) and on Instagram (fetch_and_ditch).

Learning the difference 

By Barbara Lindop

Intethe Gallery

Dr Michèle Van Niekerk has been living in Hermanus for the past 25 years where she has practised as a specialist paediatrician and more recently honed a particular interest in neurodiversity. Having graduated in Medicine from UCT, she travelled to the UK where she registered to study paediatrics at St Mary’s Hospital. Love intervened, luring her back to South Africa, where she applied to Tygerberg Hospital in Stellenbosch to focus on specialising in paediatrics. Somehow, she managed the demands of academia, starting her own family whilst juggling her medical practice. 

Today she is the proud wife and mother of three successful young adults each pursuing their own careers. She has most recently successfully self-published a book Snapshots and Tapas, a collection of short essays, motivated by the infinite surrounding beauty of the environment in which she lives and the resultant metaphysical inspiration she finds within it. The book ends with a collection of thoughtful poetry, and is available at the Book Cottage in High Street.

In her professional life Michèle now focuses and practises in the growing fields of neurodiversity and neurodivergence, guiding her patients and their families through the complexity of neurodiverse diagnoses. 

Currently in 2024, an estimated 90% of humans are deemed neurotypical. ADHD and Autism are now acknowledged conditions. An average of 5-8% of children meet the criteria for ADHD. An estimated 40% appear to outgrow the condition and 60% need to learn to manage and adapt to the demands of modern-day life. The incidence of Autism currently stands at 1/54 (recent estimates from the CDC state 1/36).

With the correct diagnosis, treatment and support, positive and successful outcomes may be enabled. Acceptance, self-management, development of specific skills, and finding the right niche can all enhance the potential of a neurodivergent individual. Neurodevelopmental conditions are not ‘curable’ which is why early diagnosis can make an essential difference. 

Neurodivergence is often present from birth and can be recognised early in the child’s development. Both physical and emotional symptoms can be evident in a myriad of different behavioural patterns, and it is here that the experience, knowledge and wisdom of Michèle and her colleagues come to the fore.

Variations of neurodiversity frequently result from genetic inheritance. Although generally more prevalent in boys than girls, the different presentations in each of these populations is being explored and acknowledged. Both ADHD and Autism are associated with differences in the anatomy, chemistry, and neural connections of the brain with areas of over or underdevelopment compared to the ‘neurotypical’ brain. 

Autism and ADHD often co-occur, with subtle symptoms suggestive of Autism potentially visible from as early as six months. ADHD is often only diagnosed from five/six years when children enter school, which Michèle suggests may have something to do with proscriptive school environments where the child’s behaviour appears to be at loggerheads with the expectations of that formal environment.

More flexible classroom environments where children are allowed to develop according to ability and their own individual pace, with more tailored support, would suit many of these children better.

Neurodivergent individuals need to be validated for who they are and supported accordingly. An interactive, child-led approach with the focus on individual developmental level and nurturing of relationships informs current recommendations. Sadly, a far-flung dream for most of our school going population and their families. Hopefully, with increasing awareness and information becoming available about neurodivergence, better outcomes should become possible in less privileged environments.

Michèle affirms that forced conformity or non-recognition of the struggles a neurodivergent person may face, can result in long-term psychological problems. Asked how one would describe neurotypical characteristics, Michèle replies that such an individual does not experience overwhelming challenges on the typical social, academic, sensory, and occupational fronts, thus adapting more easily even in an unpredictable environment.

‘Asperger’s Syndrome’ was coined as a term and named after a German medical doctor who studied a group of young boys in the early 40s, where he noted and described specific symptoms. In 2013, the American Psychiatric Association (who formulate the criteria with which mental illnesses are diagnosed) re-classified both Asperger’s as well as ‘Pervasive Developmental Disorder’ (PDD) as Autisms. Autism may present with extreme anxiety, which, amongst other reasons, may be due to a preference for sameness and dislike of unpredictability. 

With both ADHD and Autism, hyperfocus may be a result of how a particular brain functions. It is often related to a topic or special interest with a person becoming so focused that it is difficult to switch attention to anything more mundane. Hyperfocus can be a positive attribute as opposed to the disabling trait of distractibility, both recognised in particular types of ADHD. An example of hyperfocus would be a five-year-old being able to rattle off the scientific names of the dinosaurs or being fascinated by maps and routes, repeating the names of bus stops and distances between each of them. Michèle notes that many of the people employed in the big tech companies such as Meta, Apple and NASA are most likely ‘differently wired’ i.e. neurodivergent. 

She confirms that early detection of such conditions, appropriate environmental accommodation, and healthy relationships with parents and teachers are essential for an optimum outcome. Child-led occupational and speech therapy and, in some instances, medical assistance, where anxiety and chemical imbalances present, may form part of the interventions.

Without diagnosis, the risks of a compromised outcome are potentially serious. Self-doubt, loss of self-esteem, and with it, lack of confidence can enable the proliferation of unfortunate consequences for the individual, their families, and their extended relationships. Treatment prerequisites include constant support and encouragement. With informed and energetic guidance, ‘reaching for the sky’ and its successes becomes probable.

As fingerprints are unique, so are brains. How fortunate residents of the Overberg are, to know that such an empathetic knowledgeable expert lives, practises, and guides individuals and their families locally.

Every detail matters

In a world where almost everything is mass produced, there is an increasing appreciation for handmade items and the time, skill, and effort which goes into creating them. Handmade jewellery has gained popularity, with some pieces taking hours or days to complete. 

Each piece is made using handheld tools and raw metals (amongst other materials) without the aid of premade parts. Pieces are meticulously melted, shaped, cut, filed, hammered, and soldered using techniques learnt over generations and as the jewellery is handmade, no two pieces are identical – all beautifully imperfect with variations in each design.

Hermanus is home to a few skilled artisan jewellers including Sarah Naudé (24) who owns her own business called Cheia Jewellery. Sarah is passionate about jewellery-making and creates fine, minimalist rings, pendants, earrings and bracelets, often inspired by nature as she and her husband Neethling spend much of their time outdoors.

Sarah developed an interest in jewellery while still in school and took her first jewellery making class in 2016. After matriculating in 2018, she went on to study architecture, but quickly realised that it was not for her.

Following her passion, Sarah began training as a temp at a local jeweller in Hermanus and spent four years there before opening her own business, Cheia Jewellery, in February 2023. Using money that she had saved during her employment, Sarah was able to purchase her own tools, equipment, and materials. Neethling, who also has experience in the jewellery industry, crafted a workbench for Sarah, and her parents offered her a workspace at their home as the young couple do not currently have space at their own house.

After marketing mostly online, in November 2023, Sarah and Neethling began to sell the jewellery at the Gansbaai Market. In December, they approached Elaine Bayer of the Hermanus Country Market (HCM) to enquire about becoming a trader, and she enthusiastically invited them to join the stallholders. 

Their first markets at HCM were the Night Markets just before Christmas, and Sarah found herself struggling to keep up with the demand for her jewellery, working long hours to create new pieces ahead of the next market. While Sarah would usually create five to ten pieces a week, during that time she found herself making up to five a day!

“I am extremely lucky that people enjoy my style of jewellery,” says Sarah, “I get to make what I like, and people seem to like it too. Apart from creating new pieces every day for the Night Markets, I also had to resize some of the rings for visitors who were leaving Hermanus the next day. There were many late nights, but we had so much fun. The HCM stallholders and Elaine have been amazing.”

Sarah also offers custom pieces, showing her clients the step-by-step process of their order, as well as repairs on certain types of jewellery. Attention to detail is very important to her, and each piece is carefully created, polished, and checked to ensure near perfection. If any piece shows any indication of a flaw in the metal, Sarah starts the process over.

Sarah believes strongly in minimal waste, collecting and melting down the metal shavings and offcuts from completed pieces to create new pieces.

While she works solely in silver for now, Sarah is in the process of obtaining a license which will allow her to work with gold as well. “I would love to be able to start creating engagement and wedding rings,” she says.

To view more of Sarah’s jewellery or to contact her for more information visit her on Facebook and Instagram (@cheia_jewellery) or email cheiajewellery@gmail.com

The hottest summer month is upon us and special precautions are needed to ensure that your dog is safe and protected in the heat. 

Many well-intentioned pet owners are still not aware of the risks that heat poses to their pup but a few simple practices can go a long way to keeping your dog comfortable and safe. 

All dogs are at risk of overheating but certain breeds are more susceptible: short-nosed breeds such as pugs, bulldogs and boxers are prone to overheating owing to their short noses and smaller air passages. Young dogs, senior dogs and those with medical conditions like breathing or heart problems are also at an increased risk of overheating, as are dogs that are very active. 

All dogs must  remain well-hydrated and be provided with lots of shade or a cooler indoor area in which to cool down when needed. 

The best way to keep your dog safe from the heat is to follow some basic precautions. 

Never leave your dog in the car

Even when parked in the shade and with the windows rolled down, the inside of a car can reach 50 degrees when the temperature outside is in the 20s. Even short periods in these conditions can be extremely dangerous for your dog. 

Provide a cool place for your dog

If your dog is kept outside, ensure that there is a shady area in your garden for him to retreat to. While a kennel does provide shade, the temperature inside the kennel may also increase. 

Make sure your dog has fresh water

Oftentimes we forget that water bowls left outside may be exposed to sun during the day. Water heats up quickly, especially when kept in metal bowls. Place water bowls in shaded areas and replace with fresh, cold water when needed. Adding ice blocks to the water will keep it cooler for longer. If no-one is home during the day, put out two water bowls in case one gets knocked over. 

Provide a paddling pool for your dog

If your dog loves water, a small paddling pool will go a long way to keeping him comfortable. Put the pool in a shaded spot and check the temperature of the water throughout the day. 

Walk your dog when the weather is cooler

Avoid walking your dog at times when the outdoor temperature is high. Surfaces such as sand, roads and pavements can get very hot and burn your dogs paws. Check the surface with the back of your hand before walking. If you have to walk your dogs during this time, walk them on grass. Always take water with you on your walks to make sure that your dog stays sufficiently hydrated. If possible, walk your dog in the early morning or evening. 

Use cooling products

Pet stores and vets will be able to offer advice on cooling products. These include cooling mats and collars which stay cold for extended periods. Despite owners' best efforts, dogs can still suffer from heat stroke. Watch out for the following signs:

• Excessive panting or drooling

• A fast heartbeat

• Glazed eyes

• Excessive thirst 

• Difficulty breathing 

• Lethargy 

• Incoordination

• Fever

• Vomiting 

• Seizures 

• Unconsciousness 

If these symptoms occur, move your dog to a cool place immediately and spray cool water onto your dog's skin. Wet the area around them and fan them to help lower their body temperature. Get your dog to the vet urgently.