By Catherine Kühn – Biodiversity Disclosure Project Manager, Endangered Wildlife trust Marking the International Day for Biological Diversity in May was a reminder to all that business and biodiversity are deeply interconnected. The theme this year was “Harmony with Nature … Read more
BirdLife South Africa has released two handy guides to using BirdLasser and iNaturalist. … Read more
Editor’s note: This inspiring story speaks to the role that protected areas like Verloren Valei play in preserving less-obvious fauna and flora. As the locus of at least two endemic butterflies and surely some plants, we must never relax our … Read more
An attempt to understand more about this somewhat varied family of succulents. Crassula alba, one of the more spectacular Crassulas found on Verloren Valei (Photograph: Steve Vincent) Ten genera comprising 350 species of the Crassulaceae or Stonecrop family of herbs … Read more
Christopher Willis and David Edge outline the reproductive behaviour of Verloren Valei’s celebrated endemic butterfly. Mating pair of Dullstroom Blue (formerly Warren’s Blue) (Photograph: Christopher Willis) Discovered by RT Warren and his family in 1988-89, and named in their honour, … Read more
A glimpse of the rich birdlife of the recently proclaimed Santa Estate Nature Reserve, which abuts Verloren Valei’s southeastern boundary. Waterfall at Santa Estate (Photograph: Chrissie Curtis) After weeks of overcast and rainy weather, it was absolutely fantastic to be … Read more
A recent article paints a bleak future for this butterfly—and, by implication, for its fellow rarity, the Dullstroom Blue. Dullstroom Blue (formerly Warren’s Blue)–endemic to Verloren Valei (Photograph: Justin Bode) A recent article in Metamorphosis, the journal of the Lepidopterists’ … Read more
As its name suggests, the Northern Orange-banded Protea feeds on protea buds. Northern Orange-banded Protea (upperside) (Photograph: Justin Bode) Capys Alpheus extentsus, the Northern Orange-banded Protea orVerdwaalde Oranjeband Suikerbossie. is a butterfly in the family Lycaenidae. The Capys (Protea butterflies) … Read more
The Flowers and Orchids Field Trip on 25 January 2025 lived up to expectations. Members of the group pose in typical Verloren Valei setting (Photograph: Greg Jones) This field trip—my first one for Friends of Verloren Valei—was originally scheduled for … Read more
The Drakensberg Crag Lizard is one of the many fascinating creatures that inhabit the reserve, writes Steve Vincent. These small lizards—their scientific name is Pseudocordylus melanotus subsp. Transvaalensis—are well adapted to the rugged environment and harsh climate of Verloren Valei … Read more
