PCU end of year function and farewell

End of Year Function

On Friday 9 December 2016, the Plant Conservation Unit (PCU) celebrated the achievements of the past year with an afternoon hike up the mountain and an African-style dinner at Timbuktu Café with PCU staff, students and collaborators.

The celebrations began at 2 PM with a ‘short’ 3-hour hike through a section of Table Mountain National Park. Despite the threat of rain, several PCU members and colleagues joined the hike, including Timm Hoffman (PCU Director), Lindsey Gillson (PCU Deputy Director), Sam Jack, Hana Petersen, Petra Holden, Rio Button, Wataru Tokura, Samantha Venter, Zander Venter (Bio Sciences) and Henri Laurie (Mathematics).

From left to right: Hana Petersen, Wataru Tokura, Samantha Venter, Zander Venter, Lindsey Gillson, Rio Button, Timm Hoffman, Henri Laurie and Petra Holden.

The hike began at the University of Cape Town (UCT) and followed an initially steep trail passed Rhodes Memorial up to the contour path near the old Block House. From there we walked south and continued along the contour path through fynbos, forest, old plantations and waterfalls towards Newlands Reservoir and back again to UCT. The smell of crushed pine under our feet together with a gentle summer breeze and the sound of babbling brooks and cascading waterfalls brought life and chatter to the troop of eager hikers. At one of the waterfalls, we stopped to drink some water, to take a picture or two, and to look out through an opening in the pine trees, which framed False Bay and the suburbs below. We all thoroughly enjoyed this time that we got to spend together. Below are a few pictures from the afternoon.

 

  

  

 

After the hike, we enjoyed a delicious dinner at Timbuktu Café, an Ethiopian restaurant situated on Lower Main Road in Observatory (http://www.dining-out.co.za/md/Timbuktu-Caf-Observatory/9419). We were treated to vegetarian and meat platters as a main meal and ended the night off with ice cream, rich pot coffee and chai tea.

Overall a fun day was had by all - thank you to Timm and Lindsey for treating us, and to Sam Jack for organising this great event.

Farewell

Yesterday, (12 December 2016), the PCU held its final Monday meeting for the year. This was also an opportunity for us to say farewell to various students who are leaving the PCU. Firstly, we say goodbye to Honours students Kakale Munamati, Rio Button and Ruan de Wet who will all move on to start their Masters Degrees next year at UCT. It has been wonderful getting to know each individual and we wish you the best for future endeavours.  

In addition, the PCU says goodbye to Wataru Tokura and Desale Okubamichael.

Wataru completed his Masters Degree this year where he used remote sensing to test the relationship between plant productivity and drivers of change (such as rainfall, herbivory and fire) in Tswalu Game Reserve – a large 100,000 ha conservation area in the Kalahari. He also subsequently assisted Tania Anderson in the development of a long-term monitoring programme for the reserve. Since the completion of his Masters, Wataru has stayed on to work with Hermenegildo Matimele on long-term changes in the Licuati Forest Reserve in southern Mozambique where his remote sensing skills have been invaluable. During this time he also co-supervised Kakale on her Honours project. Wataru will return to Japan at the end of this month and will be missed for his enthusiasm, hard work, great intellectual ability and of course his delightful and unique signature laugh.

Desale completed his postdoctoral studies on cycad conservation in 2016, with the support of the PCU and SANBI. Desale’s work on cycads has seen a publication in the prestigious journal Biodiversity and Conservation, with another publication to follow. He has also been a great support to PCU students in the field, and in helping them with statistical analyses. Desale is taking on a position at the  University of the Free State next year and will be greatly missed for his academic contribution as well as his passionate engagement on social issues. We wish both Wataru and Desale safe travels and all the best with their future endeavours.

Article written by Samantha Venter. Images supplied by Sam Jack, Zander Venter and Hana Petersen.