The West Wind Issue 15

contents 14

PHOTO feature Sandy Coffey 44

Gardening for biodiversity

by Richard Cowling

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st francis college We’ve Got Spirit Community

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SFPO

Community

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St Francis Resort Amanzi Challenge St Francis Bay

EDITORS COMMENT St Francis Bay isn’t a bad place to spend winter, though.

The southwester blows, the seawater warms up, and fewer people are around, especially in the mornings.

There are also plenty of events, festivals, and tournaments, and the local restaurants offer enticing winter specials. But, of course, we all know what to do and what to expect.

Especially those of us who have lived through a series of winters.

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So stack up on logs for the fire, bring the heaters out, hone your card playing skills and keep your eyes trained on Netflix.

Winter comes quickly, but then it’s gone just as quickly.

Photo feature sandy coffey W W W.S A N D YC O F F E Y. C O M

I love the sound of crashing waves, a wild storm and the drops of rain pelting down on a tin roof.

I love the first cup of coffee in the morning, the very early morning when no one else is awake and I feel like the magnificence is all mine. I love the sight of a lone house along the wild shoreline, the beach and the mist. And walking until I disappear.

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“Matt”. Shot for his album cover

I L O VE TH E SO U N D OF CH I LDR E N LAUG H I N G , ES PE CI A LLY M Y OW N , A N D I L O V E EVE N M O R E WHE N TH E Y A R E L A U G HIN G W I TH ME .

I love being in the ocean, catching a wave that is far greater and more important than me.

I love the feeling of being so loved that it creates and invisible feeling of gold around me, knowing then, 15

that everything and anything is possible. I love yoga and the calmness it offers. I love being a mother and a good friend.

I L O VE FLY I N G IN A N A I RPLA N E T O A N E W PL A CE , LO O K IN G BE LO W M E A N D W ON DE RI N G Y E T K N O W I N G T HAT I WI LL DI S C O V E R MO RE A BO U T MYS E LF THR O U G H DI S CO VE RI N G M O R E

A B O U T THE W ORLD. As I grow older, I need less.

The need to accumulate and acquire more has diminished. I love breathing in light. I love listening, engaging and learning. And mostly I love the quietness of simplicity.

A single glance, a long embrace, a deep connection with life and a few people ‚and the possibility that there may be longevity in some of that.

Start of the half ironman @ East RonelLondon.

Coetzee Shot - Mike in his element. in forRuthnum, Paul Ingpen

Joy/Play/Friends Part of a documentary series on Walmer Township

I L O VE A N D T HR IV E ON TH E W O R K T HAT I D O.

differently, who are generous with their time and their thoughts. And in a way, that makes me that storyteller.

I am a photographer by trade, but when I was 15, my father told me that I was a storyteller. I didn’t believe him and it took me until I was 40 years old to embrace what was always in my path.

T HE R E I S M UCH TO B E L E ARNT FROM E V E R Y PERS ON THAT P A S SES THROUGH.

I have since spent a long time seeking out interesting people and engaging with them. People who think

If I had my life over, there would be nothing I would change.

These days I live in St Francis Bay and I get to 17

photograph an array of subjects - from people, to homes, events, landscapes, lifestyle and still life.

TH E R E I S S O M U C H W ON DE R H E R E A N D I AM E TE RNA L LY CU RI O US S O I N E V E R RUN O UT O F T HIN G S

T O P HOTOGRAPH. I am always up to a road trip or a flight - usually for corporate work which I love.

For more of my work (which is usually indepth and includes interviews) on www.sandycoffey.com

Tjelke: “This is me” - Part of an on going Life series Ari Kraak in his Chopper.

Forks - shot for an Interior company

“Jump In”. Shot for PE Tourism

“Let’s Jump” - PE Tourism shoot Shelly Rankin, Surfsense.

Shot for PE Tourism

Andrew Muir (Stutterer) Part of a series “What is, what is”

Matt McGillivray - Before the Championship Tour - Jbay

Jake White - Part of a series “A Few Good Men”

Joe Van Der Linden - “This is me”

“Endemetriosis” Part of on going Life Series

Lineup Aloes.

Amy Shelver - Private commission

Joel Dace.

Riekie Finestone - After the Tsunami (The Scar) Part of the series “What is, what is”

“Margaret” - “My regret is that I was never educated” Part of a Series - Women over 40

Jordan - Private Commission

LightHouse Memories Series - “I remember”

Lighthouse Memories Series - “I remember”

To see more of my Sandy’s work and interviews visit her website www.sandycoffey.com

Gardening for biodiversity B Y RI CH A R D C O WL IN G

As of writing this article, I am nurturing about 185 species of indigenous plants in my garden at Cape St Francis, a stone’s throw from the beach front.

I say “about” because, in the few hundred square meters of erf that is available for horticulture, species come and go.

Such a concentration of species in such a small area is unlikely to be found in the wild, even in our speciesrich fynbos vegetation.

It is difficult to sustain 44

populations of all of these species in such a small area.

T HE GARDENER M U ST DEAL C O N S TANTLY W I TH A F U NDAM ENTAL P R IN C I PLE O F E C OLOGY, N A M ELY PLANT

CO M PE TI TI O N F O R LIG H T, M O IST U R E A N D N UTRI E N T S .

What this boils down to is pruning, cutting, slicing and removing foliage to enable smaller plants to persist in the face of larger ones.

Maintaining biodiversity is hard work.

N I N E S PE CIE S IN MY G A RDE N A R E CL A S S I FI E D A S RE D DATA B O O K SP E CI E S , WHIC H MEA N S TH EY A R E

T HR E ATENED W I TH E X T INCTI ON. These include (clockwise from top left) Kouga Cliff Lily (Cyrtanthus flammosus) Albany Dune African Daisy (Arctotis elongata) St Francis Dune Heath (Erica chloroloma), and a vygie new to science (Delosperma sp.) that is only known from one locality north of Humansdorp.

All the threatened species in my garden were grown from seeds or cuttings.

LIK E A LL TH E OTH E R S PE C IE S I A M G R O W I N G , T HE FUTURE OF T HE S E RA R E PLA NT S IS UNCE R TA I N .

When my wife Shirley and I are forced to move to a vrekplek, our home will likely be bought by folk with little interest in weirdo gardening, and kikyu lawn will probably prevail again.

Living as we do in the

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Greater St Francis area, surrounded by nature reserves, many local indigenous plants establish spontaneously in our gardens. What a delight!

Shown here are two of the many welcome invaders, namely Christmas Berry (Chironia baccifera) (left) and Poison-Bulb (Boophone disticha).

Gardening for biodiversity is great fun, especially in our year-round rainfall climate where it is possible to cultivate species typical of the summer-rainfall, subtropical coast to the east

and the winter-rainfall, Cape coast to the west. It is even possible to create a patch of Namaqualand in spring by scattering in autumn a seed mix of Bokbaai Vygie (Cleretum bellidiforme) and Rain Daisy (Dimorphotheca pluvialis).

SO W H Y N O T CO N S I DE R RE PLA CI N G T HAT SO ULLE S S EX P A N S E OF LAW N AN D BRI N G S OM E

B IO D I V ERS I TY I NTO Y O U R GARDEN. Y OU WIL L BE AM AZ ED AT T HE DI V ERS I TY O F WI LDLI FE – B IR D S , RODENTS A N D INS ECTS – A N INDI GENOUS G A R DEN AT TRACTS .

And besides, gardening is a Zen activity: slow, contemplative and nurturing.

An ideal activity for these tempestuous times.

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st francis college We’ve Got the Spirit!

CO M MUN I T Y St Francis College is showing up with Spirit!

Community Spirit. As Covid 19 restrictions are levelling down, the St Francis College students are starting to venture back out into their local community.

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Our Grade 7 pupils visited Talhado School in Sea Vista.

They spent time in class with the 3 to 5 year olds and assisted teachers and staff in daily chores. Past pupils were welcomed back with loud exclamations on how they have grown and matured in the last 7 years!

T HE GRADE 7S R E A L LY ENJOY ED M E N T ORI NG THE L IT T LE CHI LDREN A N D WERE S HOW N A R O UND THE S C HO OL W I TH P R ID E .

OUR S CH O O L PAI RE D UP WIT H ST FR A N CI S A N IM A L RE S CUE FO R O U R TH O UG H TF U L TH UR S DAY OUTRE A CH PR OG RA M M E T HIS TE RM .

Each week dog and cat food was collected and donated to this wonderful cause.

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Sue Rae Fox and her team also visited the school with dogs, puppies and kittens to educate the pupils on how to look after pets and what their goals and aims in Sea Vista were.

Our Grade 6 and 7 pupils will have the opportunity to visit the outreach programme next month were they will volunteer and help out with the duties.

OUR G A R DE N IN G CL UB VI S I TE D A N N I E AT H E R I N S P I RATI O N A L VE G E TA BLE G A R D E N AT TH E R E C Y C L IN G CEN TRE .

She started from scratch with the help of generous donations from the local community. Annie sells her produce via the Green Box to locals and visitors alike.

The aim was help Annie to weed, clear and plant new beds with locally sourced, seasonal plants. At the

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end of the two afternoon’s hard work, numerous rocket, chilli, basil, brinjal, chive and thyme plants found a new home. The pupils learned much gardening wisdom from Annie and the Garden Club will definitely be back to help in this very worthwhile initiative.

If you would like to learn more about the school visit: www.stfranciscollege.co.za Or contact us on: info@stfranciscollege.co.za +27 42 294 1395

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ST FRANCIS PROPERTY OWNERS ASSOCIATION 2 0 2 2 /2 0 2 3 A N N U A L M E M B E RS HI PS Please consider supporting us by becoming a member of the St Francis Property Owners Association or renewing your membership.

The annual subscription for a property owner/ resident is R500, or R330 for a pensioner.

The SFPO membership runs concurrently with its financial year – from 1st October to 30th September annually.

Payment Options: Visit the website and submit your payment online – https://stfrancis propertyowners.co.za/ membership/

Or make an EFT payment direct to the bank account : Francis Bay Residents Association Standard Bank, Humansdorp Code: 050015 Account No: 082499276 Please use your Erf number and surname as reference.

If you wish to make a more significant donation to the fund, please do so, it will be very well received.

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water, & the lack thereof

There is definitely a case of ‘day zero fatigue’ kicking in, with relentless media mention of our upcoming Day Zero and the vast problems we face.

We have to rise above the fatigue to realise that we are in a very dire situation and could be in for a rough time should we not have a wet winter.

We all know about JoJo tanks, boreholes and well points, much to the fact that there is no need to talk much more about them. There are, however, a few other options.

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O P T ION 1 K O U GA KARES Mike Williams from Kouga Kares will come to your house and fit every tap and shower with a watersaving device that reduces your consumption by approximately 60%. Mike will come and do a test, give you a quote, and your entire house will only cost a few

hundred bucks. The whole process is quick, and your home should be fitted inside of an hour.

Call Mike on 082 804 2996 or email him at mike@kougakares.com

OPTI O N 2 WATE R WAT C H

domestic water usage is tracked via your phone with the WaterWatch app delivering data and supplies statements.

Their complete monitoring system can be viewed on www.waterwatch.co.za

There is also WaterWatch Monitoring Systems, a water monitoring and leak detection unit that can be installed on your current meter. In addition, your

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St Francis Resort Amanzi Challenge

A LL PH OTO S B Y R A ILT IM E P H OTOGRAPHY The inaugural St Francis Resort Amanzi Challenge lucked into what any outdoor sports event organiser wants - absolutely perfect weather!

It was a bluebird day and then another, as the sun poured down and the wind forgot to blow.

TH E S T FR A N C IS RE S ORT A M A N Z I CHA LLE N G E CO N S I S TE D O F T HE I N FLATA BL E S E V E N T, TH E BODY B O A R D IN G 64

C HA M P I ONS HI PS , T HE THULA M O YA TRAI N R U N O F VARI OUS D ISTANCES , THE N IG H T S W I M AND T HE PADDLI NG C HA LLENGE! It was a helluva weekend.

I N FLATA BL E S E V E N T

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TH E BODY B O A R D IN G C HA M P I ONS HI PS

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TH ULA M O YA TRA I N R UN

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T H E N I G H T SWIM

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