Jacquie van der Westhuizen, Drakensberg field officer for the African Crane Conservation Programme, EWT and ICF partnership describes a conservation drama and looks for the silver lining. Left: This was the X-ray taken showing her broken leg just under the … Read more
The latest Regional Red Data Book indicates that while conditions have improved for Wattled Cranes, the Blue Crane’s status has slipped. By James van den Heever On the plus front, the latest Regional Red Data Book of endangered species lists … Read more
This excellent total was recorded by Christopher Willis on a recent trip to the reserve. Big-eye Small Ringlet (Paternympha loxophthalma) – photograph taken by Christopher Willis on a recent visit to Verloren Valei Christopher Willis, Chief Director: National Botanical Gardens … Read more
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
