KNOW GROW CONSERVE
Hello to all BotSoc members and friends,
Contents of this Newletter
 Report back on Cycad Walk
 Introduction to C.R.E.W.
 Advertising Hall’s Gateway Plant Fair – Clivias, Cycads & Orchids.
1.
REPORT BACK ON CYCAD WALK – 17 AUGUST
The BotSoc Lowveld Cycad walk took place in wonderful Lowveld late winter weather i.e. >25degC. We met all four of our Objectives of KNOW, GROW, CONSERVE, &
ENJOY our Indigenous Botanical Heritage. Thanks to Rob & Michelle Kunitz whose enthusiasm bubbled throughout the morning. We certainly learnt a great deal about
Cycads. Those who either already grow cycads or want to start, left with very useful information. Visiting and supporting the LNBG always helps their conservation efforts.
After 2 hours the 17 members and friends headed off to the RedLeaf Fig Tea garden to enjoy fellowship and refreshments and develop newly made friendships.
To view a few photos of the walk check out our FaceBook page – BotSoc Lowveld.
2.
CUSTODIANS OF RARE AND ENDANGERED WILDFLOWERS. CREW.
As a BotSoc member you may have recently received a letter from BotSoc SA
Chairman Mike Harper requesting a donation towards BotSoc’s support of SANBI’s,
CREW programme. BotSoc SA has over the past number of years raised approximately R2.0 million p.a. and donated this to CREW to help pay for salaries and operational costs.
BotSoc Lowveld has identified this programme as an opportunity to widen our range of activities. This is for all members but will also involve members across Mpumalanga
Province who cannot be expected to attend monthly meetings and activities in
Nelspruit. We have members as far afield as Piet Retief, Witbank, Komatipoort and
Hoedspruit.
Attached is a brief outline of what CREW is all about. You can also down load the
CREW 2012 report and the CREW Operations manual from their website http://www.sanbi.org/programmes/threats/crew
Where ever you may live, if CREW activities interest you please respond to our
Chairman, Frank Webb by email and your committee will start organizing training. This is a long term project so while we encourage your quick response, it is going to take some while to get all our ducks in a row on this project.

3.
HALL’S GATEWAY SPRING PLANT FAIR.
Attached is a scanned copy of the advertising flyer for the Plant Fair at Hall’s
Gateway from Friday 30 August to Sunday 1 September. It is a wonderful occasion to welcome Spring.
Regards
BotSoc Lowveld
Frank Webb
082-804-3486
013-744-0705

CREW, the Custodians of Rare and Endangered Wildflowers, is a programme that involves volunteers from the public in the monitoring and conservation of South Africa's threatened plants. The programme is a partnership between the SANBI, Botanical
Society of South Africa and the KZN Biodiversity Stewardship Programme.
What we do
CREW aims to capacitate a network of volunteers from a range of socio-economic backgrounds to monitor and conserve South
Africa's threatened plant species. The programme links volunteers with their local conservation agencies and particularly with local land stewardship initiatives to ensure the conservation of key sites for threatened plant species.
Reason for our programme
South Africa has a significant number of the world's plant species and is the only country that has its own plant kingdom and three of the worlds Biodiversity Hotspots. Of the more than 20 000 plant species in South Africa, 13% are threatened with extinction and a further 11% are considered of conservation concern because they are near threatened, data deficient or rare endemics. This means that 1 in 4 of South Africa's plants are of conservation concern.
CREW Volunteers
For most of these species there is no recent information about how the populations are doing in the wild. As a country we urgently need to keep track of our plants so that we know how to conserve the unique diversity that we have. CREW volunteers contribute significantly by each focusing on a small area of the country and monitoring the plant species of conservation concern of that area.
CREW data is also used during the EIA process to influence development decisions. This data also assists in fine scale conservation plans that help municipalities determine which areas should be allocated to conservation in their integrated and spatial development frameworks.
What we have achieved
Since the inception of the CREW programme in 2003 we have discovered 24 new species, rediscovered 14 species and collected data on 1030 species of conservation concern.
How you can become involved
 search for a threatened plant

Join a CREW group closest to you
 contribute data to the programme using the CREW site form , CREW target species form or CREW observation form
 input photographs to iSpot southern Africa


Follow
Resources
CREW Operations Manual
CREW News (April 2011)
CREW News (April 2012)
Last updated on 04 September 2012