Pearly Beach Conservancy

The Pearly Beach Conservancy is a non-profit organisation that focuses on the conservation, protection and restoration of nature and the upliftment of the community in it. Run by volunteers, the Pearly Beach Conservancy works closely with the Overstrand Municipality, CapeNature and other local conservancies. Projects include the eradication of invasive alien plants, indigenous water-wise gardening and the prevention of light pollution in the Pearly Beach Conservancy area. Furthermore, Pearly Beach Conservancy strives to instil an appreciation for the environment by being involved in various community upliftment projects aimed at the area’s youth.

About

The Pearly Beach Conservancy was founded as the Pearly Beach Conservation Society in 1991 and was registered as a Conservancy with CapeNature in 2006.

Aims and Objectives:

To promote nature conservation on private land and public open spaces
To protect indigenous fynbos, its fauna, insects, pollinators and birds.
To preserve the terrestrial biodiversity and ecological infrastructure of the frontal dune system and inland support areas
To cooperate with local government and present options for achieving conservation and development goals

To rid fynbos areas of invader trees and plants
To evaluate and give feedback to authorities on new developments in the area
To nurture, educate and work together with all communities to enjoy the splendour nature has to offer

Projects

The Pearly Beach Conservancy spearheads various projects that include, but are not limited to:

Maintaining the Herbarium and Fynbos Garden in Pearly Beach
Clearing alien vegetation around Pearly Beach
Cleaning beaches
Encouraging water-wise, indigenous gardening
Preserving dark skies without light pollution

Promoting the Pearly Beach Meander and coastal benches
Protection of the black oystercatcher
Managing the Eluxolweni Youth Nature Club and Recycle Swop Shop
Organising of fund-raising markets

Herbarium and Fynbos Garden

The Pearly Beach Conservancy is the custodian of a Herbarium that was established in the early 1990s by the Pearly Beach Conservation Society in conjunction with the local Municipality, CapeNature, Grootbos Private Nature Reserve and Fernkloof Nature Reserve.

Initially, the plant collection was kept in a temporary wooden structure, which is now the Marine Kiosk at the entrance of Pearly Beach. Today, the collection is housed in a purpose-built brick building in the Fynbos Centre. The plants were collected at all times of the year by Heilie Mostert, a dedicated amateur botanist and resident of Pearly Beach.

Heilie Mostert

Heilie recorded the GPS coordinates of every plant she picked and identified with the use of research books. She would then press the plant on a specimen card, which she numbered and filed. As a result, a total of 316 indigenous plants have been identified to date.

Although Heilie left Pearly Beach, her legacy lives on. Every week a group of fynbos enthusiasts continue to pick flowers in Pearly Beach with the permission of CapeNature (fynbos may not be picked without a permit) and meticulously record and display them in the Herbarium. Everyone is invited to come and have a look!

Indigenous Gardening

The Pearly Beach Conservancy promotes indigenous gardening and is always on hand with sound advice to help you get yours established.

Tips To Grow Your Indigenous Garden

Clear only the footprint of your house and the minimum of your planned lawn area when preparing to build on your plot of land. It is wise not to allow too much of your plot to be cleared of vegetation. Keep the topsoil which is full of fynbos bulbs, corms and seeds. By doing this all species of fynbos will be preserved when used in your future garden. Sand and wind erosion will also be reduced.
Advise builders to tread lightly to protect the natural indigenous landscape.
Consider planting Strandveld shrubs as hedges instead of building walls along the perimeter of your plot. Hedges are permeable and create open corridors for small fauna to move through.
Plant buffalo grass (it requires the least watering and mowing).
Refrain from foraging young plants in the veld (no matter how tempting, this is illegal and carries a heavy fine).
Buy plants that are indigenous to the Pearly Beach area when shopping at nurseries.
Avoid digging around indigenous plants. Digging will damage the small surface-feeding roots and will kill the plants If it is necessary to remove weeds, do so by pulling them out by hand.
Learn how to identify and control invasive alien plants, some of the plants you think are fynbos could be invasive.
Join or form hacking teams to remove invasive plants from your area.

Category 1b Plant Invaders

Category 1b Plant Invaders are invasive species that must be controlled and, whenever possible, removed and destroyed. Selling and planting these plants is strictly prohibited.

Deemed Category 1b:

Rooikrans (Acacia cyclops)
Port Jackson (Acacia saligna)
Long-leaved wattle (Acacia longifolia)
Bloekom (Eucalyptus)

Category 2 Plant Invaders

Category 2 Plant Invaders are deemed to be potentially invasive. A permit is required to carry out a restricted trade.

Deemed Category 2:

Black wattle (Acacia mearsnii)

- The Conservancy recommends that it not be planted and be removed.

Category 3 Plant Invaders

Category 3 Plant Invaders can remain in prescribed areas. However, further planting, propagating and trade is prohibited.

Deemed Category 3:

Manatoka (Myoporum tenuifolium subsp. monatum)
Felicia echinata (observed as invasive)

- The Conservancy recommends that it not be planted and be removed.

Indigenous Strandveld Hedges and Windbreakers for Windy Coastal Gardens

Euclea racemosa (Sea guarri, 3.5m)
Morella cordifolia (Wasbessie or waxberry, 1.5m)
Searsia crenata (Rosyntjiebos or crowberry, 3m)
Searsia glauca (Blou koeniebos, 1.5m)
Searsia leavigata (Duine taaibos or dune currant, 1.5m)
Olea exasperata (Slanghout, up to 2m)

Indigenous Strandveld and Limestone Fynbos for Windy Coastal Gardens

Protected Strandveld Tree:
- Sideroxylon inerme (white milkwood)

Strandveld Shrubs (can be pruned into small trees):
- Cassine peragua (lepelhout)
- Colpoon compressum (basbessie))
- Euclea racemosa (sea guarri)
- Pterocelastrus tricuspidatus (kershout)

Spring to Summer Flower Shrublets:
- Agathosma cerefolium (anys buchu)
- Anisodontea scabrosa (sand rose)
- Felicia amoena
- Geranium incanum (vroue bossie)
- Otholobium bracteolatum (skaapbos tee)
- Pelargonium betulinum (kanferblaar)
- Helichrysum crispum (kooigoed)
- Zaluzianskya villosa (drumsticks)
- Gazania pectinata (ogies gousblom)
- Lampranthus (dew plants)
- Drosanthemum intermedium
- Senecio elegans (strandblommetjie)

Autumn to Winter Flower Shrublets:
- Coleonema album (cape may)
- Metalasia muricata (wit blombos, 2m)
- Osteospermum moniliferum (bietou 1.5m)
- Phylica ericoides
- Polygala myrtifolia (Augustus bossie 1.5m)
- Pteronia uncinata (strand-gombos)

Wild Herbs:
- Aloe arborescens, kransaalwyn (leaf sap for burns, wounds, eczema)
- Bulbinella nutans, geel katstert (leaf sap to treat itches)
- Carpobrotus acinaciformis, sourfig (leaf sap for sore throat, wounds, eczema)
- Eriocephalus paniculatus, wild rosemary (leaf tea for colds)
- Lessertia frutescens, cancer bush (leaf tea for tonic)
- Salvia africana-lutea, brown sage (leaf tea for coughs)

Winter Geophytes:
- Brunsvigia orientalis (candelabra)
- Chasmanthe aethiopica (suurpypie)
- Haemanthus coccineus (paintbrush lily)
- Lachanalia bulbifera (rooi viooltjie)

Proteaceae (only suitable for areas with limestone soil):
- Protea obtusifolia (limestone sugarbush)
- Leucospermum patersonii (silver edge pincushion)

Waterwise Turf:
- Stenotaphrum secondatum (buffelskweek/buffalo grass)

Local Plant Nurseries (stock selections of recommended species)

Municipality Policy of Intent

The Pearly Beach Conservancy wishes to make you aware of the Municipality Policy of Intent for clearing vegetation to maintain fire-wise privately-owned vacant land within residential areas that must comply with the following prescribed standards:

Clear deadwood and other combustible material
Cut down all invasive alien vegetation and remove it from the plot of land. The remaining stumps must be treated with herbicides under the direction of the landowner or municipal appointed contractor
Maintain indigenous vegetation and grass at a height of 0.5m

Retain desired trees, but clear / prune from ground level to 1.5m below the canopy
Thin out indigenous vegetation by 50% to 50mm below the top level of walls around plots of land that have boundary walls reaching up to 1.8m
Create fire breaks on plots of land larger than the standard size
Clearing must not contribute to soil erosion
Remove all vegetation refuse within three days

Dark Sky Policy

The Pearly Beach Conservancy promotes a dark sky policy for Pearly Beach.

Light pollution is classified as artificial light after dark that negatively affects the environment by disrupting the natural light cycles that species are cued into. Plants and animals depend on Earth’s daily rhythm cycle of light and dark to govern life-sustaining behaviours such as reproduction, nourishment, sleep and protection from predators.

One collective goal is to avoid the introduction of light to previously dark areas with the following goals:

• Reduce sky-glow
• Increase night sky visibility
• Reduce the impacts of outdoor lighting on people and wildlife
• Conserve energy and reduce the consumption of electricity

Membership

The Pearly Beach Conservancy invites you to become a member if you are interested in the conservation of Pearly Beach.

Annual Membership Fees

R60 per person / per family

Banking Details

Pearly Beach Conservancy / Bewarea
ABSA Bank
Hermanus Branch Code: 334-812
Account Number: 9201379257
Reference: Your Name

The conservancy is a registered NPO: 080-366-NPO

Membership Form

Find the membership form, here.

Committee Members

Pearly Beach Conservancy’s committee members are as follows:

• Chairperson - Susanne Fuchs
• Vice-Chairperson - Charleen Brunke
• Treasurer - Barry de Vaal
• Secretary - Elrina Versfeld
• Members Secretary - Sheryll Steyn

Committee:

• Gerald Henrici
• Ivy Hartman
• Judi Rabe
• Vivien Burton-Moore

Co-opted - Pieter Reyneke

Pearly Beach Ratepayers Association

Pearly Beach Conservancy is associated with the Pearly Beach Ratepayers Association.

Pearly Beach Ratepayers Association is a non-profit organization that aims to preserve the beauty and integrity of Pearly Beach. The ratepayers association serves as a link between the ratepayers and the Overstrand municipality when it comes to all community affairs. Added services provided by the association is the Pearly Beach Emergency Room.

Contact the Pearly Beach Ratepayers Association, here.