2010/06/09 - Newsflash
9 June 2010

Dear Friends,
Quickly writing to catch up with the latest news; we now have 6 Roan calves; the firebreaks are ready to be burnt, but the tractor has sprung a leak so the burning has been postponed for a week or so. Natasha has linked up with the local rural safely committee. She says she will look after Nylsvley with love while Ron and I are away. We have made a submission to Digby Wells the consultants handling the prospecting for coal on the Nyl floodplain issue. As far as we are aware none of the landowners that we know of are keen to have this happen.
The Ramsar Workshop hosted by Birdlife South Africa was most worthwhile. As well as an excellent presentation by Dr Warwick Tarboton, from Stanley Tshitwamulomni we learnt the finer details of the Ramsar Convention. Willeen Olivier also of DEAT gave a presentation on the new categories that landowners can apply for, for some sort of protection. They include: Conservation Areas, Biodiversity Management Agreements, Protected Environment and the final category is a Nature Reserve. I will elaborate on them in the next newsletter. We met the charming new CEO of Limpopo Tourism and Parks Board Rob Tooley; he is very supportive of our initiatives.
Friends of Nylsvley will be celebrating 20 years of work parties next March, I think it’s about time we updated our logo. Do we have any designers who might like to think about trying? We welcome new members Maurice Frank, Henning du Plessis and family and Bush Pigs Environmental Centre in Modimolle. Those who knew Herman van Dijk may like to contact Jo van Dijk on her 80th Birthday, 7 July: 014 743 2491 or 083 658 3020. Our neighbours Dinonyane Guest Lodge are offering ‘specials’ for 10 ore more guests for the month of June please contact: Jan at 014 743 0957
Ron and I will be back in town by (hopefully) 16 July.
Meanwhile keep well and enjoy the football!