If rocks could talk, the Conservancy would be an entire encyclopaedia.  A Rockipedia!  The local rock formations have fascinated academics, gold diggers, stone masons and ordinary citizens for decades.

There has been much excitement about Egoli Granite Grassland (EGG) and the opportunity for formal conservation that has opened up in the RNC.  But what is EGG?  Where does it grow? What makes it special?

A little fellow came calling in Doornandje...

Hedgehogs curl up into a tight ball when disturbed.  They are mainly active at night, and sometimes come out in the day at the start of the rainy season.   They hibernate between May and July - seeing this creature in April was fortunate.

They eat insects, millipedes, mice, lizards, earthworms and some fruits.  Many areas have reported a decline in hedgehog numbers, including the Conservancy.  The creatures are often captured by humans.  They are also affected by long periods of drought.

Hedgehogs have a conservation status of "near threatened". That means, close to qualifying for or is likely to qualify for a threatened category in the near future.

A great outing with the creepy-crawlies was had under the expert eye of one of South Africa's leading experts, Jonathan Leeming.

A recent walk in the RNC by the Spider Club caused a stir.  Children were fascinated!

A number of residents in Doornrandjes and Hills & Dales have been seen in the veld, tackling our most virulent alien invader - the dreaded Pom-pom weed.

While the country stretches out, sighs deeply and enjoys a brief respite fom the normal pressures, December is flowering time for the Pom-pom.  It works hard to send out further rhizomes, and to form the millions of seeds it will disperse over the grasslands in the weeks to come. 

When you see the flowers, it is nearly too late. Far better to tackle this weed before the bright, showy pink flowers appear.  But if you have pom-pom, please get out there and work to bring it under control. 

When you speak to residents who have worked on pom-pom, the story is always the same.  Lots of time, money and effort goes into bringing it to a point where it can be controlled.  No-one claims to have eradicated the problem.  And no-one can while some residents to nothing, or leave it too late.  

The pom-pom does not respect a boundary fence.  If you leave it, the wind will sweep the seeds far and wide.  

Reminder:  this is a classified invader.  You are required by law to take action against the weed, and you can be fined if you do not.  Residents who do not treat the pom-pom on their land will be reported to the authorities. 

See article for full details on treatment and on other invaders. 

December is here, and so are the bright splashes of pink in the veld as the dreaded pom pom flowers.

Pom pom is one of the classified alien invaders that MUST be removed by law. You can - and will - be fined if you take no action against Category One Invaders.

This article explains more about herbicides, classified aliens and your responsibilities.

Extensive progress has been made on the rehabilitation of wetlands in Hills and Dales (Rietfontein). 

The progress comes in spite of delays caused by tangles in the procurement process for materials through Rand Water.

There are four teams of 12 people on the job at different times – each team takes ownership of a specific ‘intervention’ from start to finish.

The joy of observing wild creatures in the RNC is shared by many.  Here are images of young jackal pups resident in Hills and Dales. Dave Muller, the photographer,  shares his concern to maintain the balance between allowing these wild creatures space to hunt and protecting his young lambs.