‘Nature’s World of Wonder’

Environmental educator, Joan Young loves to stimulate people’s interest in the natural world. She shares her series titled: Nature’s WOW (World of Wonder) and she does this by educating on the full spectrum of South African fauna and flora.

Carpenter Bee – family Anthophoridae:

Carpenter bees get their name because of their annoying (to humans) habit of excavating living galleries in all kind of wood to create a nest. Although they do bore into wood, carpenter bees generally do not cause structural damage. Although carpenter bees are good for pollinating plants, they can also be a nuisance to humans who live and work around them. They are noisy and will dive-bomb and fly erratically around humans who walk nearby. The male bees are extremely territorial and may fly aggressively. They do not have stingers, however, so the male bees are completely harmless and the female bees are docile and only sting if they are handled.

Paintbrush Lily (Scadoxus puniceus):
In the spring and early summer these flowers start to show themselves in the coastal ravines and forests of the Eastern Cape and Natal with each stalk bearing only one flower. The stalk appears before the leaves and may reach up to 50-60cm in height and is often spotted with purple near the base. The plants are dormant in winter and use large bulbs and roots to store moisture during this period. Birds love to feed on the nectar produced by the flowers and both they and monkeys eat the ripe berries which form once the flower dies off. Although this species is widely used in traditional medicine to treat coughs and gastro-intestinal problems, its bulb is poisonous and deaths have been reported following the ingestion of it. -Joan Young.

Like the South Coast Fever’s Facebook page