Tree Concert held to plant 10 000 trees in Hoedies

“It all started when TryGive Nxumalo and I decided that we want to start planting trees,” Steve told the Herald during a visit to the lodge. Nxumalo is well-known in the Hoedspruit and Acornhoek area providing community relief and food aid to school children. “John Varty said to me that the area where the dancers in his band (John Varty and the Tigers) reside, is doomed as the trees have been cut down for firewood.

“I asked him what we can do, and he said let’s have a concert to raise funds and awareness towards this cause,” said Steve. Varty is a renowned maverick conservationist and filmmaker and is known amongst others, for his mission to create a free-roaming sanctuary for tigers outside of Asia.

Among his many projects is Tiger Canyon in the Free State. He told the Herald that at one stage he followed a tiger for 36 days, and broke his ankle in his pursuit until doctors told him to scale down as it is too physical. Steve and John decided to keep the tree planting initiative in the Hoedspruit area. “We want to plant the trees in Hoedspruit and surrounding areas, not in any other areas such as Hazyview.

He said his mission is to reforest the slopes of the canyon on Mariepskop. “It used to be a forest but it now looks terrible.” “If I plant a 10 000 trees now, in 20 or 30 years there will be a huge difference. “They don’t need to be watered because there is enough cloud for precipitation at the top. “We can plant them, and leave them,” John told the Herald that he started his band in 2017.

“I do storytelling from the daily lives of the girls in the band. “The aim with my music tonight is to make the audience aware of how humans can change the influence we have on nature. We are able to take care of nature as it does for us,” said John. Thandeka Mathebula, a member of John’s band, said that working with John has been insightful as they get to learn a lot about environmental issues.

Also read: Hoedspruit and I: Steve Trollip

“He gives us two trees each month which we plant where we live to replace the trees cut down for firewood. I hope our performance will leave the audience with a positive message,” said Thandeka.

Another musician that permormed at the concert, was a fellow conservationist from KwaZulu-Natal, Don Clarke. He told the Herald that he has been a professional musician for the last 32 years. “I have my own studio where I do recordings. “I am a writer and most of my songs are on the serious side about the problems in our country.”

He said John Varty found him on YouTube and loved his work. “I have never looked back. For tonight’s show, I want to reveal to the audience how humans are destroying nature,” said Don. Don’s partner, Leigh MacMillen, explained that they use visual images to bring the message to the audience. “The reason we use images and videos is for the audience to see and feel how badly we have been treating the natural environment,” she said.

The other performers were the band, The Hat Streamers with the talented Don Edmundson. Tzaneen singer, Danny Shade, was also in the line-up. He has been making a name for himself since the lockdown ended. “The whole event was planned beautifully. Great food, great view, and once-in-a-lifetime performances with visuals, sound, and lighting to boot. “We have a lot to learn about conservation,” he said.
• Approximately R50 000 was raised during an auction of trees at the concert.

Steve, SA’s cycad king

Conservationist Steve Trollip says he has the biggest collection of books on palm trees and cycads. His palms alone stand at well over 200 species and he owns cycads from China, Mexico, Cuba, Belize, Australia, and Hawaii. He currently has 200 E.laevifolius of coning size and approximately 100 seedlings. Of E.cupidus he currently has 50 of coning size.

“Initially I had palm trees only. Someone approached me and asked me if I grow cycads, and I said no, it’s palm trees only, and he said, go
home and start growing them. I started reading each and every book about cycads, and within two years I had a show on SABC called Gardens Wonder and Wonderful and overnight became South Africa’s famous cycad “king” Steve aims to collect one tree from every country in Africa.

STEALING THE LAST specie FROM MARIEPSKOP MOUNTAIN

Encephalartos laevifolius was first described in 1969 and was then found in seven localities in South Africa. The seven locations are disjunct from one another and locally included Mariepskop mountain, Lekgalameetse Nature Reserve, and close to the Strydom tunnel. The other four localities are in Mpumalanga and Natal.

In 1989, a study was conducted on Mariepskop mountain and between 40 and 60 colonies were identified, totaling approximately 200 plants. Due to extensive poaching, the species declined dramatically on Mariepskop. In 2005, the last 11 plants were stolen off of the mountain. Thankfully and coincidentally, the airforce was carrying out a training exercise over the mountain at the time and observed the perpetrators scattering through the bush.

All of the plants were taken to Moholoholo ya Mati for replanting but only three were to survive the process. As a true kicker for the future of the species, all three of the remaining plants were identified as female. However, by a miracle thought to have been brought about by the stress put on the plant during the rehabilitation process, one of the plants turned into a male plant, allowing Steve and a team of knowledgeable enthusiasts to collect the pollen.

His aim is to re-populate the mountain of Mariepskop with the plants endemic to the mountain, namely E.laevifolius and E.cupidus.