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RUWAMI NATURE RESERVEPart of our farm consists of a plateaux on top of the mountain, with spectacular views of the Kogelberg and HottentotsHolland mountains which lie between us and the Cape Peninsula. In places we overlook the lush apple orchards of the Grabouw and Elgin Valleys. It is located in what is termed by botanists as the Kogelberg Mountain Complex. This region is the heart of the Cape Flora, with staggering numbers of species of all the characteristic fynbos groups, many of which grow nowhere else. The decision to declare the top of the mountain a game reserve was taken in 1999 and after extensive investigation and consultation with authorities, the Ruwami private nature reserve was declared in the Western Cape Provincial gazette on 9th June. Our 425 ha reserve has been rezoned to Open Space III, meaning that its conservation status will be upheld in the title deed and no future owner may have it rezoned for any other use. The name RUWAMI is in honour of our founders Ruth and Walter Middelmann. Ruwami abuts the Kogelberg Nature Reserve, which is managed by CapeNature and forms a continuous link. We form part of the buffer zone of the Unesco declared Kogelberg Biosphere Reserve. Visually the natural vegetation consists mainly of low grasses (sedges) everlastings, heaths, pelargoniums and a host of individual species, amongst them a rare and endangered species of Serruria (relative of the famed Blushing Bride, Serruria florida, or Pride of Franschhoek. Particularly in February the reserve looks spectacular when the rare blue flowered Nivenia is in flower. Until a few years ago the area was badly infested with pine trees that invaded the ground from the adjacent state forest, "Highlands" as well as the pine forest planted by Walter on recommendation of the Department of Agriculture extension officers during the late 1940's. The infestation has now been cleared with much effort and at considerable expense and the area has reverted back to pristine Fynbos. The recovery of the area has astounded us. One of our favourite spots is the natural cave (more of a rocky overhang really) at the bottom edge of the Reserve (strictly speaking it is just below the reserve) from which we have spectacular views of the Hemel en Aarde (heaven and earth) valley, the Botriver lagoon and the ocean, while our extensive plantings are clearly visible just below us. We are now in the process of clearing the last section of our pine forest, which means that the chances of reinfestation of pines will be much decreased over the next few years. But first it will take some time to eradicate the young pines that will inevitably come up from the seed source that has built up over many years. We have had some walking groups using the trails from time to time and we ourselves celebrated the first sunrise of this millennium with breakfast in the cave. |