Come and see the spring flowers
THE Umtamvuna Nature Reserve is staging its spring flower display and Walking in Nature ramblers are offered a ringside seat to this spectacular annual show.
All nature lovers are invited to take part in the Tony Abbott Memorial Walk through the Umtamvuna Nature Reserve, which was extensively explored and its floral wealth documented by Tony, a celebrated botanist and conservationist from Port Edward. Meet at the Clearwater viewing deck on Sunday, October 4, at 9am. The route will finish at the Clearwater Café where food and refreshments will be available. Entry is R20, which includes your entrance fee into the reserve. Proceeds go to the Environmental Education Trust.
The organisers are hosting the walk to promote Umtamvuna and to draw attention to its floral wealth and scenic beauty. October is a particularly good time to visit the reserve as the spring flowers are a treat that should not be missed. Botanist and author Elsa Pooley will be available to sign copies of her books and to answer any botanical questions you might like to ask.
Walkers will have three options, starting with an easy stroll through the cliff top grassland and down to the clivias. The route is flat except for a steep but short descent to where the clivias are growing. The ‘Continue with Clivias’ option offers a similar route but continues down to the river after the clivia stop.
More energetic walkers who would like a bit of a challenge should try the third option, the reserve’s Fish Eagle trail, A mixture of grasslands, forest and a descent to the river, it takes about four hours. Walked as a round trip it is about 10km in length but if you detour and leave the reserve at The Pont it is only 6km. You would need to leave a vehicle at The Pont.
