Notices for Users of the Albums

1. New Albums and some changes

 

The latest Albums on genera of South African plants added to the Operation Wildflower Site are the ones on Cyrtanthus, Dicoma and Strumaria. This means that photos and stories of plants belonging to these genera already on the Site, together with some new ones, have been moved from the more general Albums called Bulbs and Herbs respectively into their own new Albums under Genera. 

 

There is a genus Album in every case where enough material has been accumulated to warrant a stand-alone grouping of photos and stories. There are now more than 220 such genera Albums. The biggest ones (most photos) belong to the genera Crassula, Euphorbia, Pelargonium, Aloe and Erica. Keep watching, more will be added. If there is no genus Album yet on the plant you are looking for, check under Types, the grouping that the Site was started off with, accessible via the pictured items shown on the right. The Search Box may yield more, for plants and related material are also shown in Albums on Habitat, Regions and Parks and Gardens.

 

In order to access items on a plant of interest, enter its botanical name in the Search Box. Entering other words or names will access what is contained in the Albums database. The latest Regions Album is the one on Nature's Valley and the latest Parks and Gardens Album is on Tietiesbaai also known as the Cape Columbine Nature Reserve.

 

2. Want to talk about a plant or an Album item?

 

There is a new way of communicating with the Editor of this Site regarding any of the Album Items.
Comments, questions, corrections, information and suggestions can be put to the Editor by using the following email address: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

 

Please ensure that the Album Item concerned is clearly identified. Type its exact title as well as the Album Name in the Subject Line of your email. Please also state your name.

 

Similarly, communication regarding the functioning or technical aspects of the Site can be directed to the Webmaster at: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

 

3. Reduced Mobile Site for Cell Phone Users

 

Operation Wildflower now also offers a reduced Mobile Site for cell phone use that only presents the Albums contents. This is aimed at overcoming display difficulties on some of the mobile devices in use for quick reference. The reduction found in the Mobile Site doesn't affect the full set of photos and stories of Operation Wildflower, only in diminishing the Site's secondary details that may make it hard to access the items on a small screen.

 

It is best to use the normal or full Operation Wildflower Site on computers, iPads and devices with bigger screens, as well as those that present unimpaired display of full details and access to all material on offer.

 

Should viewing difficulties be experienced on your device, click here to access the Mobile Site.

 

4. Subject Index

 

A Subject Index of a selection of topics touched on in Album Item text has been started, other than plant species. Access it via Information.

 

The Album Item Title should be clicked upon to open the Item dealing with the Topic.

 

Check in the Search Box for yet more subjects not added to the Subject Index list yet.

 

Bombela safely removes wildlife on Gautrain's route

The "Search and Rescue" exercise forms part of the Gautrain project's Environmental Management Plan, which ensures all necessary precautions are taken to care for the communities and environments affected by construction work.

The Salvokop area is significant in that a high number of medicinal plants are found there.

These include the Bushman Poison Bulb, Orange River Lilly, Doll's Powder Puff, Elandsbean, African potato, Wild Grape and Wild Carrot. There are also succulent plants and shrubs.

The search and rescue exercise was carried out by members of Free Me, Operation Wild Flower, the Transvaal Herpetological Association (snakes and reptiles) and traditional healers from the Mai-Mai market in Jeppestown, Johannesburg.

The three traditional healers from the Mai-Mai Market Martha Mhlabane, Evelyn Muyimane and Marylin McDowell told BuaNews that the exercise helped them find a number of medicinal plants for their retail market.

"We have come here to dig for medicinal plants and although we found some, we did not find many because it is winter; and certain plants grow in different areas," said Ms Mhlabane.

Ms Muyimane explained that some of the plants would be sold as herbs in their market.

"Some of the plants will be placed in a nursery and following the completion of construction work, these plants will be replanted in some of the surrounding [bushy] area so that in the future we, and others after us, can come back to harvest these important plants.

"Conservation is very important in making sure that all these plants are available for generations to come," Ms McDowell explained to BuaNews.

Nicci Wright of the Free Me Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre told BuaNews that the exercise was "critically important" because it raised awareness and consciousness of the environment and the disturbance it always faced.

"Today we assessed what animals live here and we found about eight species including jackal, mongoose and small antelope.

"These animals are bigger and will be able to move uphill when construction commences because there is enough space.

"When construction starts we will come back here to remove smaller mammals and reptiles, such as shrews and dormice because they are too small to move out of the way quickly," said Ms McDowell.

She added that it was important to save even the smallest animals because all those animals and plants were an important part of the ecosystem and to the food chain in the area.

Also speaking to BuaNews, West van der Vyver, the Chairperson of the Section 21 organisation - Operation Wildflower, explained that his organisation's objective was to "rescue" plants during the construction of bridges, roads, dams and at mining operations.

"We are a non-profit organisation so we do not sell these plants. Instead we plant them in our gardens and municipalities who are our members also plant them in their public parks," he said.

Mr van der Vyver expressed pity that plants continued to be damaged and destroyed during many construction projects in the country but also applauded the search and rescue exercise.

"This is very important, that more people get involved and gain better knowledge about plans and it may change their perception [about the destruction of plants]," he said.

First published by BuaNews, 11 July 2007

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