Egoli Granitic Grassland Flora

Green Smith Farm lies within the greater Egoli Granitic Grassland and on a registered wetland. Being aware and conscious of these circumstances, it is committed to conservation and has established an environmentally sensitive footprint for its farm by integrating operations with the local areas biodiversity. The Egoli Granitic Grassland is a sensitive and highly threatened plant species community. Large areas within Green Smith Farm allow for the protection and natural propagation of a wide and diverse range of natural flora species.

A Registered Wetland

The Farm’s wetland is being regenerated, a lengthy, costly and time consuming exercise, and is being replanted and maintained to enable it to manage and digest both effluent^[1] and seasonal stormwater, simulating the function of the nearby Sand River, as an important habitat for a host of wetland dependant species. Amongst a myriad of indigenous species are:

The Giant African Bullfrog – Pyxicephalus Adspersus

The farm’s wetland encourages one of the largest frogs in Africa – the endangered African Bullfrog. It hibernates in the adjacent grasslands, during the colder, drier months of the year and breeds within this wetland in the warmer, wetter months. The male of this species is a giant and can grow to 250 millimeters in length and has been known to feed on reasonably sized rodents, amongst others, insects and some reptiles. The much smaller female could reach as much as 140 millimeters in length.

These frogs are naturally drawn to this wetland because they prefer shallow water pans of 50 to 100 millimeters in depth, for the males to carry out their territorial defence and for serenading prospective mates.

Spotted Eagle Owl – Bubo Africanus

Currently we have at least one breeding pair on the property. Viewing thus far has been vertically. From below. The adults have been most resourceful in hiding the nest. It is 10 to 15 meters up in a Johannesburg Gold tree. This species is medium in size, one of the smallest of the eagle owls. Its length is 45 centimetres and its weight is from 454 to 907 grams. It has a 100 to 140 centimetres wingspan. Spotted eagle-owls are regular bathers and during summer thunderstorms may be seen on tree limbs or on the ground with spread wings, bathing.

Scops Owl – Otus Senegalensis

One of Africa’s few ground dwelling owls, It is a very small, fully nocturnal and a mostly insectivorous owl. It is a bird of scrub and bush territory, and often uses ground nest sites for breeding. A well camouflaged owl species, the head is grey while its bill is black. It has a white throat, brown legs, a greyish back and its eyes are yellow.

Wise Words

You cannot begin to preserve any species of animal unless you preserve the habitat in which it dwells. Disturb or destroy that habitat and you will exterminate the species as surely as if you had shot it. So conservation means that you have to preserve forest and grassland, river and lake, even the sea itself. This is not only vital for the preservation of animal life generally, but for the future existence of man himself — a point that seems to escape many people.

-Gerald Durrell, naturalist and author (7 Jan 1925-1995)

[1] Do unto those downstream as you would have those upstream do unto you.

-Wendell Berry, farmer and author (b. 5 Aug 1934)

The Wendell Berry quotation immediately triggered my long-held appreciation of the Seventh Generation Principle. One of the descriptions reads, The Seventh Generation Principle is based on an ancient Iroquois philosophy that the decisions we make today should result in a sustainable world seven generations into the future.

I believe that a deep seed of behavioural shifting lodged in my psyche when I first tripped across the concept twenty some years ago. It gave me cause to pause. My description reads, It is our obligation to work towards preparing the world for those who will be here in seven generations. While it is difficult for many of us to place some of our thoughts and strategies into the more distant future, it is, I believe, within our cognitive and moral capacity.

Upstream, downstream, we are all in the Humanity Stream.

-Norman Holler, Whitehorse, Canada

By the people, for the people needs to include those yet unborn. Otherwise it is a selfish and self serving premise in which we think we can do just what we want to, to our environment, without consideration nor remorse for the quality of life, as a result of our actions, of our grandchildren and their children’s children. The seventh generation.

– mostly Jeffrey Smith, Farmall A. H., South Africa.