‘The Wine Kingdom: Celebrating conservation in the Cape winelands’

It’s a book.   It’s a beautiful book.   And my first published images are in this book 🙂 🙂 🙂

A short intro ….   In November last year, when hubby and I were visiting family in the Cape, we decided to do a ‘walk through vineyards’ at Bouchard Finlayson in the Hemel en Aarde Valley.   We love walking .. and we love wine !!    Combining the two seemed a really good idea 🙂 🙂

We found it fascinating!  Not only did we walk amongst the vines but the route we followed went through fynbos (natural vegetation or Cape Floral Kingdom), through thick riverine bush along a stream, a steep climb to the top of a ridge, along the ridge, then down again along part of trail used, on that day, by hundreds of cyclists in an annual cycling event – Wines2Whales .. and then back amongst the vines again.   We had no idea the walk would incorporate for the most part, a fascinating and interesting diversion into environmental conservation where alien and invasive flora are being eradicated, thus encouraging indigenous vegetation to flourish.  My posts refer :

…https://momsmeanderings.wordpress.com/2014/12/14/walking-a-trail-through-vineyards-and-fynbos-bouchard-finlayson/

https://momsmeanderings.wordpress.com/2014/12/15/walking-through-vineyards-and-fynbos-part-2-bouchard-finlayson/

A few months ago, I was contacted by Sue Ras, Biodiversity Communications Co-ordinator at WWF-SA, if a few of my images from our walk at Bouchard Finlayson can be used for a coffee table book on the Biodiversity and Wine Initiative (BWI).  I nearly fell off my chair when I read the email !! 🙂  I didn’t tell anyone (except Jeanette as she had to help me with photo sizing etc)  .. just in case my photos weren’t included in the book

Well .. they were !!!   .. and I am delighted!!

Sue arranged for a copy .. for me (see smiley face :)).. of the book to be sent to their Johannesburg offices, which I collected a few days ago.  Wow !!  It’s amazing!!  I didn’t expect it to be that big .. and full of absolutely beautiful photographs !!  192 pages of stunning photos and   “a beautiful story of the power of people working together, re-remembering their role as custodians of the land”  Morné du Plessis – CEO,WWF-SA

What an interesting book !!!   It’s the story of conservation in the Cape Winelands … reclaiming our natural heritage by committed wine landowners and their communities

“ Within only 10 ‘short’ conservation years, between 2005 and 2015, nearly a third of the Western Cape’s wine farms stepped up to be part of this immense restoration of the fynbos and protection of all the associated creatures that call it home.  This has been a wonderful example of how large-scale change can happen collaboratively to have a positive impact at river-catchment level, and landscape-scale – well beyond individual farm gates ”  Morné du Plessis – CEO, WWF-SA

I could go on and on, quoting from the book, as each page I turn is as interesting as the last.  Let’s flip through it  …

BWI members commitment to conservation :  list of all BWI Champions and Members, including Producer Cellars, and their hectare contribution to conservation …

11 pages of Conservation Champions : “Over the last decade a third of industry wine producers have committed to reducing their overall environmental impact.  And 10 percent of these are producers who have showcased their efforts as global leaders of environmental sustainability and conservation”

 

.. and herein lies my full page spread  …  see big smiley face 🙂   … walking through the vineyards and fynbos at Bouchard Finlayson ..   (do you spot hubby in large pic? 🙂 )

I am so pleased to see Vergelegen Estate here : (“under the owner-ship of Anglo American, the estate was the first to be awarded BWI Champion status in March 2005”) I am pleased because this Estate was always my Mum’s favourite.  Whenever I went down to Somerset West to visit her in the Old Aged Home, I always took her there for tea or lunch and a walk-about the beautiful gardens (she loved beautiful gardens), particularly the rose garden where there is a huge bed filled with Sylvia roses .. her namesake 🙂

Super book isn’t it?  I’m sure you’d like a copy 😉

“This book is for the passionate wine lover who wants to learn more about their favourite farm and it’s unique terroir, the curious armchair conservationist keen to look beyond the vineyards, as well as those who love the splendour of the Cape Floral Kingdom and have the privilege to call this home or the adventurous tourist keen to explore all corners of the exquisite Cape winelands!”

To purchase :
Please contact Vongani Rikhotso at :   info@wwf.org.za
Tel: 021 882 9085

Price : R400 excl. VAT    –  or R456 incl. VAT

… and … blowing my own trumpet here … there’s my name 🙂  .. in print … in a book !!! 🙂 Yay !!

…