The mission of the South African National Biodiversity Institute is to champion the exploration, conservation,
sustainable use, appreciation and enjoyment of South Africa's exceptionally rich biodiversity for all people.

  1. Garden News
  2. A new Children’s Garden just in time for Easter
  3. Garden entry fee increase from 1 April
  4. Biodiversity Features
  5. Trimens Copper Butterfly
  6. Nylandtia spinosa (Tortoise berry)
  7. In the Garden
  8. Eagle’s Fare Restaurant
  9. Our Nursery at the Garden
  10. Imbizo Curio Books & Gift shop
  11. Events
  12. SAPPI: Mothers’ Day Concert
  13. Free yoga class
  14. Art in the Garden
  15. Botanical Society Events (Bankenveld Branch)
  16. Join the Botanical Society now and attend one event for FREE
  17. Vredefort Dome 2 day sleep-over nature outing
  18. The Okavango Delta
  19. Hike over the ridge
  20. Useful links and General Information
/ Join us on


A new Children’s Garden just in time for Easter
Parents would be pleased to know that their children will soon be able to enjoy the natural surroundings of the Garden whilst being in a secure place where they can play and relax. The long awaited Children’s Garden is nearly completed–the final touches are now added and it will hopefully be ready for Easter Weekend. This multi-faceted playground is made of wooden structures, a suspended tyre and a 20 m tunnel where children can climb, crawl and swing to their hearts delight while they can simultaneously learn about and experience the outdoors. /
Garden entry fee increase from 1 April
/ Though our entry fees to the Garden will increase with R2 (effective from 1 April 2012), the good news is that the admission fees to our Sappi Sunday Picnic concerts and Old Mutual Music in the Garden events will remain the same.
New admission fees from 1 April are:
Adults / R27
Seniors citizens (60+) / R22
Students (with valid student cards) / R22
Scholars (grades 1-12) / R12
Children under six years - free
More good news is that senior citizens will still be able to enjoy the Garden for free on Tuesdays—a privilege we gladly extend to our elders who has the time and make the special effort to enjoy the peace and quiet of the Garden amidst the city hustle and bustle that surrounds us.

Trimens Copper Butterfly
Trimens Copper Butterfly (Aloides trimeni) is a common summer resident in the Garden and is also found in the coastal areas of Kwa-Zulu Natal, the Drakensberg, Mpumalanga and Limpopo. It is closely related to and easily confused with the rare Roodepoort Copper Butterfly (Aloides dentatis). The caterpillars of both species use rooi-opslag (Hermannia depressa) as a larval food plant. The male’s wingspan is 22–33 mm and the female’s wingspan is 24–35 mm. Adults are on wing from September to December (with a peak in October) and from January to April (with a peak in February). There are two generations per year.
Further reading: Woodhall, S. 2005. Field Guide to Butterflies of South Africa. Cape Town: Struik. /
Nylandtia spinosa (Tortoise berry)
/ The tortoise berry is a striking plant which bears masses of dainty purple flowers. It has unusual spiny foliage and bears pretty red, edible fruits. This is a water-wise plant and is a great choice for the discerning gardener. Look out for it in the Succulent Rockery section, especially from April to September.

Eagle's Fare Restaurant
Location, Versatility, Home-made Cuisine!
Open daily from 09:00 to17:00
The Stargazers–dinner date with the stars
Date: Saturday evening 21 April
Join us foran hour long illustrated talk featuring exquisite Hubble Space Telescope Images.
A wise old philosopher once asked: ‘Do we gaze at the stars because we are human, or are we human because we gaze at the stars?’
Early Hominids must have looked up to the night skies and wondered what the stars were, and possibly what lay beyond them. Modern man still asks the same old questions today, but uses sophisticated technology to try and find the answers.
Our resident astronomer, Vincent Nettmann, will provide an interesting insight into the role astronomy has played in the development of humanity and what we have learnt about the starry skies during this process.
Join us for a laser-guided star tour and get the opportunity to do stargazing through a large-aperture telescope after dinner (subject to weather conditions). /
Journey to the Moon
Saturday 30 June—more details to follow next month
Daily à la carte menu available as well as a buffet served on Sundays for breakfast and lunch.
Popular wedding and evening functions venue.
Kiddies parties and kiosk/tuck shop.
For restaurant enquiries and bookings:
Tel.: 0826718382 or 0834149843
E-mail:
Website:
We apologize for problems caused by faulty telephone lines. Please notify us via e-mail of any problems experienced.
Our Nursery at the Garden
/ We stock a big range of garden décor, steel trellising, pots and ornaments that will enhance your garden and patio as well as a variety of interesting gifts and curios, unique postcards and small photo books of plants and scenes in the Botanical Garden.
Kiosk
Many visitors enjoy something refreshing from Our Nursery’s Kiosk upon leaving the Garden. To chase the cold, we will be offering take-away tea, coffee and something to munch on during winter not to mention our yummy home-made cookies.
For more information please contact Suzette:
Tel.: 082 330 9751
E-mail:
Website:
Imbizo Curio Books & Gift shop
Pay us a visit and buy a book for research and reading pleasure. We stock a variety of books on different topics such as Sasol’s field guides on butterflies, birds, fishes and more.
Indulge in a special gift from our art collection. We also stock tablecloths, placemats, ceramics, beaded artwork and carvings.
For all your enquiries please contact Vaughan:
Tel: 078 495 8771
E-mail: /

SAPPI: Mothers’ Day Concert
This is a concert that celebrates all mothers—the most important people in everyone’s life. Please arrive early and bring along your picnic baskets, blankets or chairs. The City Swing Fever Big Band will be performing.
Date: Sunday, 13 May
Time: 13:00
See next edition for details
Free yoga class
/ Free yoga classes are presented on the concert stage in the Garden. Bring a friend and enjoy exercising in beautiful, natural surroundings. Normal entrance fees apply.
Vinyasa Flow Yoga presented by Eloise Day of Indigo Yoga.
Date: Saturday, 21 April at 09:00 and 12 May at 14:00
For more information regarding the yoga events, please contact Eloise Day:
Tel.: 0829297264
E-mail:
Art in the Garden
Come along and browse art in the stunning outdoor setting of the Garden. 10% of all sales go to the Botanical Society’s Garden Development Fund.
Date: Sunday 29 April and Sunday 13 & 27 May
For more information, e-mail: /

Lectures, outings, guided walks and courses organised by the Bankenveld Branch of the Botanical Society of South Africa.
Join the Botanical Society now and attend one event for FREE
Are you a member of the Botanical Society? Members enjoy reduced fees on all the lectures, walks and talks listed below and there are other benefits too: the privilege of free entry into any of South Africa's NationalBotanical Gardens as well as reduced rates at concerts and other events. Members also receive the Society's excellent quarterly journal Veld & Flora.
For more details, ask for a membership form at the entrance or visit our website:
Booking for the events listed below is essential as places are limited. Enquiries about these events should be directed to Karen Carstens (unless otherwise specified):
E-mail:
Fax 2 e-mail: 086 694 9636
Please note that at some outings there may be an entrance fee into the reserves. Prices for the different events are as follows:
Members (adults) / Non-members (adults) / Children (12 years and younger)
R30.00 / R60.00 (unless otherwise stated) / Half price (depending on membership)
*WSNBG—WalterSisuluNationalBotanical Garden
NB: Please arrive in time to register and pay for events. Members please bring your membership cards. Booking is essential for all the BotSoc events.
Vredefort Dome 2 day sleep-over nature outing
The tour will involve the geology and ecology of the Vredefort Complex and will be led by Tony Bloomer. The outing can be made into a family weekend.
In addition to the geology/ecology tours during the day, Tony will present an illustrated talk on Saturday evening, covering the ecological effects of meteorite impacts, particularly as a possible cause of mass extinctions. When you book & prepay (very important) the time & venue for meeting on 14 April will be supplied.
Meet at the venue. Directions and map available on booking.
Date: Saturday, 14–15 April
Time: 07:00
Cost: R100 for members, R200 for non-members, children U/12 free. Information about overnight venues with prices ranging between R450 to R750 per chalet/night will be supplied on booking. Attendees to book their own accommodation.
The Okavango Delta
Prof Terrence McCarthy will present this talk to explore the Okavango Delta and its place in the evolution of the southern African landscape
Meet at the Nestle Environment Centre at WalterSisuluNationalBotanical Garden
Date: Saturday, 21 April
Time: 09:00
Hike over the ridge
/ A popular easy hike led by Andrew Hankey, Tony Bloomer and Ella Roberts. Topics such as geology, trees and birds will be discussed.
Meet at the parking area to the WalterSisuluNationalBotanical Garden.
Date: Saturday, 19 May
Time: 07:00


Useful links
Visit the Garden on-line at
For Indigenous Plant Information, visit
General information
FOR RESPONSES TO THIS NEWSLETTER CONTACT US:
WalterSisuluNationalBotanical Garden
End of Malcolm Rd, Poortview, Roodepoort
Email:
Website:

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