February 2011 Lepsoc News

This is the month of love...

February is the month of love, and we all need to show it this month, as well as the rest of the year! So let's make February butterfly awareness month.

You can do your part by sending this newsletter to all your friends and family and encourage them to join our enthusiasm toward butterflies and nature to conserve our area and all the butterflies' habitat! It's never too late to join this fun society by becoming a member and make new friends as well. It is easy, just go to our website and join today...

Elusive Wolkberg Zulu

I think we will all agree that there is just something remarkable about the Magoebaskloof area with its mystique atmosphere and green surroundings...especially in the spring when all the azaleas are in full bloom. Even the scarce Blue Swallow has made this one of its preferred spots in our country.

Every year the community of Magoebaskloof have their annual spring festival and it is defnitely worth to visit. Van Gogh would have had an absolute ball painting the sceneries there...

Bennie and Andrè Coetzer visited the area late December to look for the Wolkberg Zulu (Alaena margaritacea)...

Magical Zambia

Peter Sharland and his wife Jenny visit Zambia in December. They visit a small little forest in Kasanka National Park and came across a few beautiful butterflies.

They also visited Mauritius early January. A visit was made to the Black River Gorge National Park as well as Bras d'Eau forest. At the two localities they have found Junonia rhadama, Euploea euphon, Neptis frobenia and Henotesia narcissus...

The Widow of Kokstad

Steve Woodhall together with Karin Cockburn and Rob Dickenson went on a road trip to Kokstad where the visited the lovely farm of Chris and Thebie Fey, called Fisherman's Bend mid February.

They were hoping to find Pondoland Widow Dira oxylus, Star Blue Lepidochrysops asteris and a few other interesting butterflies

Edible "Tips"

If you enjoy figs as much as I do, then you have to try this recipe.

There is many different ways of cooking mushrooms, but this is one of my favourite ways.

This is one of my many creations and is something that I really enjoy and I hope you will too...

Suitcase "Blues"

This will also be one of the regular article on our Newsletter where we will be sharing places visited and accommodation tips on where to stay and places that should rather be avoided. So please write us a short description of the place as well as a picture of it and place it on the forum under General discussions.

Malalotja_Huts

In this months newsletter we visit Swaziland's Malolotja National Park...

Classi-Flies

If you have something for sale, like second hand equipment of cabinets or books or would like to advertise your time-share for sale of holiday home at the coast, place your advert in our classifieds. And don't forget a picture and to update the status of your advert.

Branch News

Gauteng:

Every year the Gauteng branch gets together and has a "lekker" braai and just relax and enjoy each others company. For the last two year we had the braai at Hermann Staude's farm in Magaliesburg.

KZN:

Ever thought about the life cycle of one of the Junonia species? Well Steve Woodhall has an overactive mind when going into the field and looking for all this small and wonderful and interesting... Hopefully more species life history will follow soon on our forum.

On occasions, the team of the KZN branch, also gets a bit crazy and just have a few laughs together...the best way of cause is to go butterflying...

Western Cape:

This will be the province where our next Conference will take place! The Conference will take place at the Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens from 23 to 25th September 2011. So put your fun hats on, because we are going to have lots of fun this year... And hopefully the Stormers will take the Super 14 and Currie Cup this year. Go Stormers!!!

Andrew Morton, the Chairman of the branch, will be organizing the event, but any input or ideas from other Council members or fellow members of the society will be appreciated.

Some of the Western Cape branch members went on a few trips to De Hoop and Blombos where they have found some interesting butterflies...

Suggestion Box

If member of the society or public have any suggestions on how we as the Council can improve our society and club, please feel free to post your suggestions in the forum... We welcome all ideas!

Regards,

Newsletter Editor

Yolande Bode