September 7, 2006

Greetings, everyone! I'm afraid I have been playing hooky from the daily diary -- there have been just too many wonderful things to see and take in... I hardly know where to begin!

Our self-catered accommodation is a cozy, 1-room apartment right next to the Botanical Garden. We can actually see the Research Buildings where we are working from our front doorstep -- they are directly up the side of the mountain above us! There is a street running up to the Research buildings, but they are cut off from us by a gate which is usually locked. We have to go around the "long way" to get in but that's hardly a chore!

We started in here at the Garden on Monday morning. I am doing volunteer work with GISP, the Global Invasive Species Programme, whose work it is to educate and lobby for the maintainence of biodiversity by preventing the wholesale spread of invasive species. The unchecked numbers of invasive organisms -- plants, animals, insects, viruses, whatever -- reduce the biodiversity of any given area, allowing less room for native species to develop and outcompeting the natives for water and nutrients.

At present I'm doing internet research on management plans for control of invasive species -- seeing where plans have actually been put into place so that the plans can be compared. It is hoped that this will result in an accepted model of what constitutes a good management plan.

I can't begin to tell you of the delight I have everywhere we go of seeing all the magnificent flowers. Red bottlebrush trees are in full bloom and everywhere are clumps of birds-of-paradise, the Strelitzias. The protea are blooming all over the upper reaches of the mountainside in a glorious riot of reds and pinks and oranges and whites -- many like pincushions and many other other-worldly looking flowers with playful fuzzy edges!

There are kids out at the traffic lights ("robos" in this part of the world -- short for "robots!") selling bunches of the hugest white calla lilies I've ever seen! Yes, I know they grow like weeds here and that the locals refer to them as "pig lilies", but I love them still!

In our room here I have a beautiful basket of protea flowers that Katie and Juli sent. Have a look see.



Cheers.

Marcia