Blog
Boats, Birds and Bellyaches
At 5 we woke, down on the beach for 6, ready for action. The boat we were to spend our day on, researching wildlife abundance and ocean conditions, was ready waiting for us on the sand. Framed...
Fish netting like a novice
There I was, up to my elbows in a bucket of live fish, desperately trying to catch one and measure it in the name of conservation. This was one of many life-time firsts for me as I helped the NVT...
A Cape Cod Goodbye
Sitting at home on the cold and wintery peninsula of Cape Cod Massachusetts, I wish I could be back on the warm sunny beach of Nature’s Valley, taking a swim in the lagoon. My time with...
Work hard, Play hard. The NVT way!
I came to NVT for an internship for my undergrad studies. Finally, I was going to do real fieldwork, something that I had always thought to be what I wanted to do with my life. Doing the actual...
Brackenburn Private Nature Reserve: A Newly Discovered Gem
A 2km drive on Askop Road, off the N2, along a winding road, brought me to the gates of the Brackenburn Private Nature Reserve. Upon my arrival I was greeted by five dogs: Baloo who looks like a...
Lawnwood’s Slithering Serpents
With the warm summer months finally here, we will be enjoying the outdoors much more frequently. This includes beautifully scenic hikes in and around Nature’s Valley, fabulous beach time under...
The end of the beginning
This is it, when one reaches adulthood they have to leave their family to make a start for themselves. They take with them their values and teachings to share with the world. The family name will...
Swim with seals with offshore Adventures
The opportunities to snorkel around the world are endless, but the opportunity to snorkel with seals? Now that’s hard to come by. Last week Craig, Twan and I were lucky enough to have this...
Be glowing and beach-ready this summer!!
This is for all the ladies out there... Whether you need some pampering after a long, hard 2015 or you just want to spoil yourself with an end of the year treat, stop by Elysian Spa at the...
Introducing the Tsitsikamma-Plettenberg Bay Important Bird and Biodiversity Area
Big news in recently was the national launch of the new IBA Directory for South Africa, along with the first status report for the countries IBA’s. Hang on you say – what is an IBA? And why is...
Reflections from an Ornithologist
It’s been a couple of weeks now that I left the beautiful Valley, and it took me really this long to digest all the great experiences and impressions I gathered during my two weeks of voluntary...
Our first Aussie!
An Aussie Princess Arrives in the Valley
It’s been a couple of weeks since I arrived in the Valley and wow, I have been exposed to a lot of new things! Let me tell you a bit about my self first...
Radical Raptors – a definite must!
I woke up at 4:30 am that morning, September 25th. It was dark and cold and I was sleepy and grumpy, as I pulled out of Nature’s Valley to join Mark for my first Raptor ringing experience. It...
"Don’t cry because it’s over. Smile because it happened.”
- Did you know that a limpet’s teeth, is one of the strongest natural substance on earth?
- Did you know that an urchins' anus is always facing the sun?
- Did you know that Fynbos can be hand...
The Life of a Pollinator
During my Masters I received a lot of interesting feedback on what people pictured when they heard about my work. One particularly hilarious conjuring includes me standing in the field, my hair a...