3 April 2019 Cape Research Centre, Tokai FOTP AGM Minutes 1. Welcome Tony Rebelo welcomed everyone at 7:05 pm. Present: 45 people Mike Hyde, Renate de Stadler, Janet de Stadler, Alanna Rebelo, Tony Rebelo, Nick Harris, Jess Henson, Anne McGregor Liz Johnston, Paul Johnston, Vard Aman, Laurel Serieys, Deborah Winterton, Erik M Kiderlen, Zoe Poulsen, Penelope Brown, John Moeur, Eric Nathan, Megan Smith, Mahieu van der Linde, Jay Cowen, Margie Cowen, Berta van Rooyen, Emile van Rooyen, Jessamy Jandrell, Stanton Jandrell, John Shaw, John Yeld, Hanneke Hawkes, Pat Holmes, Leila Mitrani, Clive Lucas, Bea Sagemuller, Sally Hey, Mark Katz, Reg Dawe, Veronics Jones, Mark Rodwell, Annalien Marsh, Carol Metcalf, Mick Farrow, Ineke Mosely, Corinne Merry, Margaret Kahle, Peter Harding. The chairperson mentioned that local Tokai artist Jessamy Jandrell had set up an exhibition called “Tokai Series” and donated one of her artworks to the Friends of Tokai Park. This piece is (worth R1500) and if sold, the proceeds would support our conservation work. Please consider purchasing her artwork, more details attached at the end of this document. 2. Apologies 4 people: Mike Golby, Andre Colling, Stuart Hall, Alexander Lansdowne 3. Acceptance of previous minutes The minutes of the previous meeting were accepted: Jay Cowen proposed, Alanna Rebelo seconded. • Berta van Rooyen asked that all people asked questions were recorded in future minutes. Noted. • Berta van Rooyen asked that the address of the speaker was shared, so that people who attended the AGM could send their questions to the speaker. 4. Chairpersons report: Dr Tony Rebelo Important notes: Upcoming events: • Mushroom walk: Autumn 2019 • Bioblitz at Tokai for the City Nature Challenge: April 2019 • City Nature Challenge: 26-29 April 2019 • Night walk: Spring 2019 If you are interested to help with any of these events, please contact the committee. 1 Chairpersons Report 2019: The year 2018/19 was a relatively quiet one as SANParks were without a manager for much of the time. That and the drought were given as the reasons for the absence of prescribed restoration burns in the cleared areas at lower Tokai. The plants that we had hoped to plant out into the post-burn sites have been absorbed into the Kirstenbosch gardens. Working for Water issues resulted in far less alien clearing than was anticipated in upper Tokai, and we hope that their issues will be resolved for 2019. We are working with Honorary Rangers to try and get the area made a far higher clearing priority. Our complaints about dumping for a road in the Soetvlei Wetlands has had no response to date. This year we anticipate a belated experiment in Silvertree restoration in upper Tokai, in conjunction with the Kirstenbosch Millennium Seed Bank, which will require all our working teams to clear some areas of aliens for the project. Fortunately, we are already active in two of these areas, and the third has just been cleared by Working for Water. If you want to be involved in the plantings, please contact us. The interpretative tower that we motivated for in 2011 has finally been put up on the mound. Attempts to get the signage on the tower have stalled due to lack of engagement with SANParks – hopefully we can get this done soon. Security issues on the Mountain are still high on the agenda, although it has been quiet at Tokai, with one robbery in a car park during the period. Thanks to Honorary Rangers and Tokai Neighbourhood Watch for patrolling the area. Our main activities have been: Chainsaw Crew - Jay Cowen: The ‘Heavy’ Hackers (we hope this doesn’t refer to our embarrassing waistlines?), have had quite a successful year. About mid-year we were finally granted access and permission to hack a patch of aliens just below level 3, best described as the area where the mountain bikers have built a series of loops and ramps The delay in gaining access is a great pity, as he aliens in that patch are now 4-years old and have grown to a size where they mostly require hand- sawing and chain-sawing - In 2017 they could have been easily hand-pulled or clipped with loppers which would have been far more productive. The predominant baddies in that area are Golden Wattle, Black Wattle, Blackwood, and Gums - with some of them now 100mm in diameter. Smaller numbers of PJ and Stinkbean are also present. However, it is very encouraging to be uncovering a good number of young Silvertrees, Sugarbush and Spiderheads surviving underneath all that mess , and with sunlight and less competition for water, they should now thrive. We have 2 or 3 sessions up there monthly on Tuesday afternoons, working for about 3 hours with up to 8 ‘senior gentlemen’. We feel quite chuffed to have opened up a good size clearing that can now be easily spotted from a distance. Tuesday Pullers - Magaret Kahle: Lower Tokai Tuesday afternoon hacks: This year we had 19 sessions of 2 hours each. The numbers of hackers at each meet ranged from 3 to 9 - mostly 6 at a meet. 2 Initially we mopped up PJ's, Longleaf, Pines, etc. - resprouters and new alien growth as well as chopping out the Pampas Grass East of Orpen Road; then a sweep through west of Orpen Road; and latterly, the restoration blocks (still not burned – had they been burned action would not have been needed) next to the Prinskasteel Wetland, which is now clear (with the help of the Scouts of South Africa, who tackled the really dense stuff – many thanks). The Wetlands still require some attention, but that is beyond our capacity, with some new alien trees – Quinine and Boxelder Maple rising to the occasion. A joint session with the Chainsaw Crew allowed us to tackle the larger Gum regeneration at lower Tokai – that turned out to be a far harder task than we anticipated and a follow up will be required. Saturday Upper Tokai Hacks - Magaret Kahle: Tokai Mountain slopes monthly Saturday mornings: we had 10 meets of 2 hours each. The numbers of hackers at each meet ranged from 6 to 18 - mostly 10 at a meet. We worked in four main blocks around the Arboretum. The areas that we worked in have lovely fynbos regrowth and are remarkably clear of aliens. They can be seen on Google Earth as clear blocks. The diversity is quite impressive and includes Silvertrees, Common Sugarbushes as well as Blackbeard Sugarbushes. A great pity that most of the slopes are still an alien mess, but our patches at least show what could have been. Arboretum hacking events - Berta & Emile van Rooyen: The activities with regard to the Tokai Arboretum focus on identification and clearing of invasive vegetation, tree mapping and updating of the tree-list, reporting of invasive species, single path maintenance, liaison with SANParks (Elmonique Petersen), and other people where necessary. About 5 persons (from 2-12) from a pool of 14 volunteers attend. A donated popper is used in every session. Clearing is based on the principle of roots and all and involves pulling by hand, popper work and hacking. Where sucker root species are involved, herbicide is applied within an advisory framework provided by Elmonique and Tony. Reporting is done on a regular and detailed basis to serve as a reference for future management. Several areas were successfully cleared and are due for follow-up sessions. The so called Mandela Patch, began on 18 July 2018 and resumed in October 2018, speaks of devotion and determination. Nearly 800 square meters of Longleaf Wattle was cleared by hand, with help from SANParks staff. Unfortunately, the staff have been deployed elsewhere, but future positive co-operation is anticipated. Problems encountered are regrowth of Cheesewood branches in compost piles, and difficult to treat species including Blackwood, Cigar Tree, Black Locust and Carob. The eradication of a dense stand of Carob trees in the Canary Pine stand was met with mixed results. It will need further discussions and accompanied action. Follow-up operations have to be are constantly done. Challenging tasks awaiting us include clearing of Cape and Japanese Honeysuckle and Poplars in the wetland and riverine areas of the Arboretum. We also need to document the escapees from the Arboretum encountered in the upper Tokai hacks to document their invasiveness. Accessibility into remote sections of the Arboretum is complicated by debris and uncontrolled growth of self-sown tree species. This problem has been brought to the attention of SANParks and the solutions require heavy equipment. The survival of the Arboretum is dependent on continuous management, tools and labour. Meetings between the Department of Agriculture and Forestry and SANParks were held, and the need of a permanent appointee was brought up. The potential of the 3 Arboretum is vast. At present, this prestigious heritage site is merely used as a walk-through to get to the hiking trail. We hope to change the situation in the near future. Other events • Westerford High School Community Service – Alanna Rebelo & Tony Rebelo 9am-2pm on 20 April 2018; 180 pupils, grade 11 BASES/ACTIVITIES: 1. Arboretum species of interest: Go and find plants as special in any way for inclusion as highlights on a cellphone app tour of the Arboretum? Would you include them: why? A free running activity using the iNaturalist app! Results visible on iNaturalist under the Tokai Arboretum Project. (Tony) 2. Arboretum trees: Mapping the plants – helping us to catalogue the plants in the Arboretum. We have a map and names, and numbers, but some have died or lost their numbers. (Berta and Emile) 3. Arboretum alien pulling: Help us remove aliens.