Phumzile Khoza has a real enthusiasm for conservation and is eager to build a close working relationship with the Friends of Verloren Valei. Phumzile took over the top job at Verloren Valei in October 2017. She comes to us from … Read More
While being one of the smaller species of butterfly found at Verloren Valei, Tite’s Copper is certainly one of the most striking. Tites’s Copper is another of South Africa’s high-altitude specialist butterflies that calls Verloren Valei home. The species has … Read More
Some headway has been made in protecting the three species of cranes present in the area, but the battle is far from won. Cranes are not ordinary birds. Around the world, their spectacular mating dances have made them important symbols: … Read More
Yellow is the dominant colour of the delayed, but long-anticipated, Verloren Valei spring—but the blue or purple of Disa baurii is well worth seeking out. The high grasslands shake off the winter cold late; spring in Verloren Valei tends to … Read More
The Table Mountain Beauty lives up to its name—and can frequently be seen at Verloren Valei. Some 90 butterfly species have been recorded at Verloren Valei, and one of the most striking must be the Table Mountain Beauty (Aeropetes tulbaghia). … Read More
By Mike Zingel On a cold, wet yet bracing autumn morning recently, a dozen bird dogs, accompanied by their handlers from the South African Field Trial Club (SAFTC), reserve guides and keen observers, set out across the slopes of the Verloren Valei … Read More
A recent paper suggests that the Pale-Crowned Cisticola is not quite as rare as previously supposed. The Pale-Crowned Cisticola is part of a large group of small brown birds that inhabit grasslands in both the high- and lowvelds—the classic LBJ … Read More
Several species of orchids found at Verloren Valei flower before the summer rains fall, thus acting as true harbingers of spring—effectively risking the “capital” they built up during the previous season on the expectation that the rains will come. Most … Read More
Mining poses severe threats to wetlands in particular. Unfortunately, Verloren Valei is situated in an area rich in minerals. We need to be alive to the dangers, particularly as illegal mining operations are becoming more common. Without water there would … Read More
Over 90 species of butterflies have been recorded at Verloren Valei—and it is the only place the rare Warren’s Blue occurs. More proof, if any were needed, of the pivotal role this small reserve plays in preserving South Africa’s biodiversity. … Read More
