Provisional Calendar of events: 2011

 Jan 24^th  19h00:
Bring and braai social. New Year kick-off!
See Photos of this Event - Click Here

Feb 21^st 19h00:
“What FoB does, and how to get involved”

                 Dr C Cupido on the herbarium and A Wood on weeds.

                 Planting. Funding. On what does FoB spend money ?

Mar 14^th 19h00:
“The new Brackenfell Fire Station”

                Presented by the Divisional Commander, M Abrahams.

                We will visit the new station and discuss projects.

Apr 4^th  19h00:
AGM.  Plus: Hartenberg Wine Estate; the wine maker brings their wines to taste! Plans/dates to hike their wetlands trail.

Apr 24^th :
Easter Sunday: Interdenominational Sunrise Service.

                 Enter gate opposite Spar from 06h15. Bring your own chair, cushion or rug and breakfast to “Piempiempie” picnic site.

May 9^th   09h00:
Meet at the Reserve for an Outing to the Nature Reserve of UWC, Bellville South. In case of rain, we try again the next (or next!) Monday. Call to confirm, please.

ONGOING: Weeding: Contact Alan at 083 287 1676

Herbarium: Contact Christopher at 021 799 8723.

June 15-17^th  from 09h00:
Planting of propagated plants in the garden and reserve. Choose your own time, bring snack and tools.

July 25^th 19h00:
Soup and rolls evening.  Planning of Spring Event and Perdekop braai in park, with open gate to flowers. Please come with ideas and volunteer your help!!

Aug:
ONGOING: Walks will be organised in the reserve and Perdekop, gate open some dates (tba). Contact Tshepo at 021 981 2313

Sept 10^th from 08h30:
Annual SPRING EVENT! Let’s make this a BIG one; invite all your friends, come and walk, buy, have fun.

Oct 17^th 19h00:
Feedback meeting. What is EE? Intern tells us more.

Nov 14^th 19h00:
Research project presentation by student; Akho Mayataza.

Dec  7^th  19h00:
Sundowners on Perdekop; our customary social year end picnic;  bring your own seating, warm jacket and picnic.

For more info, please contact the Reserve at  021 982 1323

  Or Thea at  021 982 3654

Also watch out for “Diary” in the Tygerburger.

Good day to you all,

Best wishes for a wonderful 2011, out in there nature, and caring for our beautiful world!

Staff and Management Committee are all fired up to plan many projects and activities in order to improve our Reserve, for the enjoyment of all. Have you noticed that the old Fire Station skeleton has been brought down?! There could be a great new community facility going up there soon. It is still in the planning stage, though. And we have a beautiful new Fire Station as next door neighbour.

Monday 24th January. Our customary "Year Kick-off Braai" is to be held at the office complex, Bracken from about 18h30. 
Please bring the family, and your food and drinks. Fire will be provided, as well as SOME chairs and tables. If possible, bring your own.
We hope to get to know each other better then, when relaxing together. You will be provided with a calendar of events for the year. 
Photographs of your braai may even be posted on the website afterwards! www.brackenfell.org/bnr 

Contacting you: We have been trying to keep the contat list relevant, letting folk who have shown interest in the past, know of our events. Unfortunately the email system failed me badly last year, and all my multiple reminders and newsletters went AWOL into cyberspace. I do apologise if you have missed out. This time I am sending smaller bundles, hoping our service providers do not see it as spam. If you are not interested in receiving mail any more, kindly let me know to delete your name from the list. Our Membership Committee member, Carla de Klerk, will in future be looking after you. Let her know of any changes to your data.

Membership: Since we join for the relevant Calendar year, your membership fees are now payable. Since our inception in 2006 this amount has not increased, although our expenses have. We rely on each of you to please make this small contribution, in order to prevent an increase in future. Only R25 per person for the whole year, R50 per family and R15 for pensioners and students. R350 for corporate members. Only a small percentage of you receiving this, have contributed in the past......
What do you get in return? 
# A laminated membership card, which entitles you to enter the reserve after hours (for sunset, etc.) as the public is not allowed in after 16h00, when Staff is not available to put out fire, etc. We as FoB members, are trusted to be responsible in our behaviour.
# You will be contributing to the admin costs, as well as petty cash expenses such as tea, coffee and milk at meetings, gifts for our speakers, posters etc. 
# FoB employs casual workers from time to time to clean up the garden, 
and there are youth groups, who are sometimes encouraged when working, with light refreshments. 
# Spring Events always have some expenses.
# There is also an herbarium in the making, which requires materials.
# As affiliates of WESSA, we have an large annual subscription to pay. 
# We need to report to the NPO authorities, mentioning our paid-up membership numbers.
The City of Cape Town does grant us some money, but only for specified projects. 
So please do the right thing; we do not want to loose your support.

Recycling is up and running again. You may bring all your clean (we do not want to attract vermin) plastic, glass, paper, metal etc to the "hokkie" (ask security).
E-waste (light bulbs, batteries, computers, etc are to be taken to the EE Centre, or Pick'n'Pay.) This is removed and utilised to create jobs.

Looking forward to seeing you often this year!

Kind regards,

Thea
021 982 3654
083 564 1106

Lentedag Amazing Race Bracken - 11 September 2010
There are also some school teams competing in the reserve, doing nature related tasks, with great prizes to be won by them. ShopriteCheckers have donated R1 000 worth of vouchers! Come and try your hand at Djembe drumming, and do not forget our usual lucky draws; one for wine and another with great prizes up for grabs! Thanks to all donors, such as Schoongezicht Restaurant, Mike Cotton, Councillor Carin Brynard (Stodel's vouchers), Marlene and the wineries of Bottelary. The draw should take place around 11h30.

The Voortrekkers are really getting on board now, and hope to be camping in Bracken soon.

Ons het die dag ook baie geniet en ek dink 'n paar oë het oopgegaan oor die kosbare stukkie reservaat wat ons hier in ons gemeenskap het.  Hierby aangeheg is 'n paar fotos, ek sal nog stuur.  Kyk ook gerus op ons webblad vir nog fotos:   http://sites.google.com/site/kanonkopvoortrekkers/Kanonkop

Kan ons dalk op 'n stadium gesels oor 'n gesamentlike motivering aan die stadsraad om geriewe in die reservaat verder uit te bou?

The attached photo is of Alana Hendricks and Marcel Witberg (with a Cape Cobra). Last Monday they gave us a very good presentation on the snakes most likely to be seen in the Cape. More than thirty folk attended the meeting, and I believe we all now have more respect and appreciation for these awesome creatures and their ways.

 As part of community development and job creation, the Bracken Nature Reserve Management in partnership with the Friends of Bracken NR (FoB), are planning to start sewing and craft workshops. As a starting point, it was decided to focus on a small group from the so called Everite community, eventually rolling out to the broader communities of Brackenfell, Northpine and Kraaifontein. The training will be started twice a week from June by FoB member, Lindie Braack, with easy stitchcraft, progressing to other crafts and even cooking in future. Here she is pictured with some of the first enthusiastic participants (yes, males too!).

Mr Lucky Valeka, Mrs Lindie Braack, Mrs Blossom Sithela, Mr Dumisani Jobela and Mrs Eunice Sithela

The ladies of the Tygerburg circle of VLV have also indicated their interest in assisting with the teaching and supply of craft materials. We appeal to members of the public, as well as businesses, to also support this iniative by means of donations of any usable cloth, yarn or sewing materials and tools. Anything from a needle to a sewing machine will be most welcome! We aim to socially interact, instilling a sense of purpose and pride in people, assisting them to develop useful skills that may eventually enable them to become economically productive.

Donations may be brought to the Bracken Nature Reserve (07h50 to 16h00) in Reservoir Rd, Protea Heighs. While there, do take a walk to see the new growth in Nature. Spring flowers are soon to appear! It is free, safe and good for you!

Office: 021 982 1323 (Tshepo)
Lindie: 021 982 5233 lindieloub@gmail.com
Thea: 021 982 3654 thea@nexstop.co.za 

We are in the process of setting up a NING social networking space for FRIENDS GROUPS only! Lots of interesting contact with other groups. Please join (and if you get stuck, ask Lindie (lindieloub@gmail.com))! Click to join; http://wessawesterncape.ning.com/group/friendsofbrackennaturereserve

On the picture below, we are all posing at the historic signal gun that used to be mounted on the Bracken hill, and last fired to summon troops to defend the Cape in January 1806, during the Second British take-over of the Cape. The signaling system became obsolete after that, and the canon was abandoned. In 1888 Andries Brink bought the farm ” Kruispad”, later “Bracken Fell”. While riding on horseback with his friend, Piet Morkel, they came across the canon on the side of the hill. Not interested himself, he offered it to Morkel, who took it to Bellevue where it is still on display on the farm managed now by the fifth generation of Morkels.

OPWINDENDE NUWE AKTIWITEIT: STERREKYK!

Edward Foster en sy vrou, Lynette

Aangesien 2009 die Internasionale Astronomiese Jaar is, het die lede van die Stellenbosch Sterrekyk Klub die Vriende van Bracken genader vir 'n geleentheid om die naghemel beter te leer ken. Edward Foster en sy vrou, Lynette, het op Maandag, 20 Oktober hul telskoop en verkyker in die Reservaat kom staanmaak. Eers is 'n interessante aanbieding met illustrasies in die Omgewingsopvoeding Sentrum gedoen, en toe dit donker word, is ons buitentoe.
Daar was meer as 40 mense teenwoordig, insluitend heelparty kinders. Dian van Bergen het op hierdie wyse sy 11de verjaardag kom vier! Die volgende datums word ook beplan:

Saturday 21st November at 20h00:
Star and new moon gazing at Bracken Nature Reserve. All welcome. Parents, please accompany your children.

Monday 30th November at 19h30:
Moon Gazing evening, as it will be close to full moon, and the meeting has been moved. Two telescopes are available on the parking area in front of the old fire station in the Reserve. All interested people welcome.

Tuesday 15 December at 20h00:
Open to all to use the telescopes and learn more.

Saturday 22 December at 19h00:
Special educational for the Everite residents, conducted in Xhosa.

 
explaining what to look for and setting up telescope

children enjoyed the star gazing evening

Dian van Bergen het op hierdie wyse sy 11de verjaardag kom vier
 

NB: All stargazing events will not be cancelled in case of bad weather; alternate indoor activities will be arranged.

We would like to encourage families to use this wonderful free opportunity to inspire future amateur or professional astronomers! If there is enough interest, these events might become a regular monthly feature.