CHAIRMANS REPORT FOR THE YEAR 2010/2011

It gives me pleasure to present and report on the activities, operations and achievements of the Kirstenbosch Branch. As has been the case in the past, the Annual Report covers the financial period 1st April to 31st March with more general comments up to the present.

BRANCH OPERATIONS AND ACTIVITIES

Trading Operations
The branch continues to operate bookshops at the Visitors’ and Garden Centre on the Kirstenbosch estate. Trading conditions were again remarkably difficult. However, this was a general trend in our and other industries. Sales dropped by 12% from R3 990 269 to R3 481 304. This decline is not as drastic as the industry norm in which the bookshops operate.

During the period under review SANBI by way of its longstanding partnership with BotSoc, received income from marketing and sales of its publications in the amount of R78 456.88. Rental from our bookshops amounted to R218 751.50. The net surplus from all trading is available to SANBI for projects at Kirstenbosch and other SANBI gardens and reserves in the Cape.

Garden Fair
This annual Cape Town tradition again achieved its main objective of interesting and educating the public in our indigenous flora. This, the 36th annual Fair and Plant Sale was as always a wonderful example of achievement resulting from co-ordination and close co-operation of Kirstenbosch staff, BotSoc staff and many volunteers.

The Demonstration garden, “Fynbos and Companion Plants”, constructed by Kirstenbosch horticulturists and students made a stunning centrepiece for the Fair. Many gardeners were attracted to the model layout and were able to seek expert advice from the horticulturists and volunteers on duty to assist with their queries and choice of plants.

Craft Market
Tessa van Rooyen and husband Nic continue to direct and manage this very successful event. Gross income dropped from R77 371 to R68 417 due to the May market being cancelled because of rain.

Outdoor Events
The walks programme continues to be very popular with four walks per month of varying intensity. They are led by competent leaders who are required to complete a recce of the chosen walk to establish what is flowering and confirm the route. Walk leaders are selected from a specialist group of volunteers called the “A Team”. The A Team consists of 42 BotSoc members who are passionate about indigenous plants and their conservation.

Garden Guides
It has been a busy and productive year for the Garden Guides since the last AGM of the Kirstenbosch Branch. We presently have 27 active Guides and three new ones in training. Free walks are offered every day except Sundays at 10h00 and 11h00. Several Guides are always available to assist the Information Officer, Andrew Jacobs with paid booked tours, usually in the afternoons or weekends.

During the “Winter Wonders Season” 21 walks designed to appeal to children of various ages and their accompanying parents or grandparents were offered. This was followed by a number of Theme Walks on Proteas, Aloes and “Survival – Secret life of Succulents” in the month of August. Publicity arranged by the Functions managers, Sarah Struys and Alison Pekeur was so excellent that some of the walks were swamped with up to 30 or even 40 children and adults. The success of these walks has led to the Guides being requested to arrange a roster of Heritage Walks during the month of October, as one of “The Big Six of Cape Town” which will cover the whole field of our heritage, from the people who created Kirstenbosch, the knowledge inherited from the early and indigenous people, to the heritage provided by nature in the form of the Cape Floristic Region.

In August 2011 the Garden Guides hosted a party of 10 Garden Guides from Kew for about 10 days, accompanying them on visits to Table Mountain, Cape of Good Hope, Winelands, a full day at Kirstenbosch, another at the Harold Porter, and then the Hantam Botanical Garden during a four day trip to the West Coast and Namaqualand. Their visit was considered so successful that this year we have another 11 from Kew arriving on 24 August, while a group of Garden Guides from Adelaide, Australia are busy preparing for a similar visit next August!

The work and enthusiasm of the Garden Guides would not be possible without the enormous assistance and guidance that we enjoy from the entire staff of Kirstenbosch and of course from the management of the Kirstenbosch Branch of the Botanical Society, to all of whom we offer our grateful thanks and appreciation.

During the past year R77 835 was received by SANBI in respect of guided walks and firefly walks.

Newsletter
The Branch is no longer able to circulate the quarterly newsletter as an insert in Veld & Flora. As the cost of mailing our newsletter to over 8000 members four times a year is prohibitive, we are currently only able to send our newsletter electronically to those of our members whose email addresses we have on record. Paper copies of the newsletter are sent to members by mail on request. One of the benefits of sending an electronic newsletter is that we are now able to include colour photos to provide what we hope is a bright and attractive newsletter.

Education
The Branch again sponsored the annual biodiversity expo from the 5th to 8th May 2011. 1441 pupils from 19 previously disadvantaged schools were bussed in to be part of the event. We also paid for 10 additional Education Officers from the Goldfields Environmental Education Centre to run the garden-based programme for learners during the Biodiversity Expo. This was a very rewarding addition to the Expo and thanks go to Sally Hey and her team for providing the 1441 grade 10-12 learners who participated over the two days with an extra dimension to the Expo.

The Branch donated a further 20 textbooks entitled Physiology and Behaviour of Plants by Scott to the Department of Biodiversity and Conservation Biology at the University of the Western Cape. Professor Lincoln Raitt was grateful to receive this donation for a second year and thrilled that it was the second year in a row that every student would have a textbook.

Membership
The Kirstenbosch Branch is by far the largest branch in the Society with 8465 memberships (computed in terms of levies received). This represents approximately 64% of the Society’s membership. All members of the Society – branch, national and international have access to the Branch services of the bookshops, either by visiting the bookshops or via the online shopping facility on the Branch website, and all receive the member’s 10% discount as promoted on membership application forms as a benefit of joining the Botanical Society. 10% to all members for 2010/2011 financial year amounted to R172 522 (staff and members).

Volunteers
The Kirstenbosch Branch continues to roll out the Volunteer programmes to satisfy every request from Kirstenbosch and to remain as the benchmark to other branches and NGOs. Volunteers are an incredibly important part in the daily life of Kirstenbosch, and we thank you all for your assistance and support in so many ways – without it Kirstenbosch would not have survived for 98 years. Volunteers are involved in the nurseries, gardens, Millennium Seed Bank Project, Herbarium, CREW Project, annual Garden Fair, bookshops, on committees and as garden, walk and tour guides. With the freezing of 14 posts on the estate the assistance of the volunteers is essential.

It has been quantified that the annual value to SANBI of these services is estimated at R1.365million.

Branch Projects
a) Biodiversity Expo 2011 R28 165
b) UWC Loan Book Scheme R12 063
c) Unigrow Plugs R10 983
d) 1 x Nature Conservation Student R24 000
e) 4 x Horticulture Students for 6 months R36 000
f) 1 x Horticulture Internship for 1 year R60 000

In Memoriam
The Kirstenbosch Branch said a sad farewell earlier this year to one of its ardent supporters, Mr Peter Ross. Peter was a man of character, honesty and great tenacity; he left the stamp of his personality on every field of activity to which he set his mind. Three great passions in his life were civil construction, mountaineering and botany.

After travelling to many parts of the world he and his family settled in Cape Town in 1978 and almost immediately joined the Botanical Society. Peter later became a member of Professor Jackson’s A Team, with the task of finding and identifying known and new plants in the Peninsula and mapping out the territory where they were found. Peter developed a long lasting enthusiasm for plant identification, later concentrating on proteas and ericas with Dr Tony Rebelo and Dr Ted Oliver.

Peter played a pivotal role in seeing that the baobab housed in the Botanical Society Conservatory at Kirstenbosch, travelled safely from the Limpopo River to its new home in the Western Cape. It stands today as a fitting monument to Peter.

Peter was the Chairman of the Branch from 1992 to 1994 and again from 1997 to 1999. He was also Treasurer of the Botanical Society from 1999 to 2000. Peter was involved with the Branch annual fundraising activity for the Garden Fair and Plant Sale, especially with the cycads, whilst his wife Virginia still manages the succulents.

In 2007 the Branch nominated Peter for the Society’s Flora Conservation Medal which is awarded for contributions towards the preservation and conservation of the flora of southern Africa.

Staff
A vital component of our trading and service to members is our loyal and capable staff (a real asset not reflected on our Balance Sheet). Thank you so much Carol, Catherine, Jane, Astrinita, Moira, Corrie, Mark and Leon for your enthusiasm and commitment.

Although we struggle to imagine life at the Stone Cottage without Carol’s control, friendly leadership and knowledge, it is a reality that serious attention will persist and focus on a succession plan.

In conclusion, a reiteration of grateful appreciation to all branch staff and sincere thanks to our volunteers and committee members – their input and contributions, both on and off the Kirstenbosch estate are truly appreciated.

Special thanks to the Kirstenbosch Curator, Philip le Roux and his friendly and obliging staff for their ongoing co-operation.

Finally thanks to my committee – Dirk, Janette, Rory, Rupert and Tim for their passion and real concern for the Botanical Society and what it represents.

PETER J. RYAN
CHAIRMAN
23rd August 2011