Incredibly beautiful and rare, but hidden jewels can be discovered within a radius of 200 meters around Flycatcher Castle: a biodiversity of veld flowers, insects, amphibians, birds and small animals. Make them your own …perpetuate this magic with macro-photography!
The unique grasslands, wetlands and forest types around Graskop is home to endemic and threatened species (eg. blue swallow), it is the centre of plant endemism, the home of golden moles, endemic reptiles and bat species. Scientists have labeled this area as irreplaceable, which means that it is “an area of highest biodiversity that support endangered species” or are habitat patches that do not occur anywhere else in Mpumalanga. These features have already been so reduced by loss of natural habitat, that 100% of what remains must be protected to achieve biodiversity targets. All land in this area must be managed for biodiversity conservation to meet the targets set. All development must be strictly controlled in line with biodiversity conservation objectives”. Sadly, this issue is not treated as a priority of any kind. Pressures such as alien plant invasion, mining and urban development as well as timber plantations represent an ever present danger.
Please click on one of the images below to view the larger version.
