Latest News
Penguin Festival 2010
 |
Calling All Creatures GREAT and small!
Visit Simon’s Town on the weekend of 2 – 3 October 2010 and join in the fun at the annual Penguin Festival |
|
Dates: 2 – 3 October 2010
Location: Boulders Beach Lodge parking area, Simon’s Town The Simon’s Town penguin festival promises a weekend of fun for kids and adults alike in celebration of a group of very special ‘Capetonians’ who, sporting their black and white tuxedo’s, charm the crowds with their endearing mannerism. To remind us all that 2010 is the International year of Biodiversity – the festival theme is ‘All Creatures Great and Small’. Come dressed for the occasion and stand a chance to win a prize for your outfit. The highlight of the weekend is the release of rehabilitated African penguins back into the wild to celebrate African Penguin Awareness Day on the Saturday morning – to officially declare the festival open. Times and the location of the beach release will be announced in the press closer to the time. It is truly a day of celebration as penguin lovers across the globe host their own activities to celebrate these wonderful creatures and to raise awareness about their fragile status in the wild. For the 10th consecutive year Boulders Beach Lodge and Restaurant continues to raise funds for SANCCOB (Southern African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds) at an annual auction. SANCCOB is the sole beneficiary of this prestigious event where business people and individuals bid with their hearts in a show of generosity - to raise funds for the conservation of these precious penguins. Educational Weekend provisional program – Co-hosted by SANParks and SANCCOB’s Education Department. Location: Boulders Beach Lodge and parking area, Simon’s Town The weekend is aimed at children primarily and SANParks puts up a great show for the kids. SANParks and SANCCOB’s Education Department, are joined by their partners in conservation, to provide innovative educational entertainment. The 2010 line-up includes - · African Penguin Awareness Day – 2 October 10am : SANCCOB releases rehabilitated African penguins back into the wild · Meet SANCCOB’s African penguin ambassador · Snake show · Raptor show · Jumping castle · Games i.e. pop a balloon · Food stalls · And more...!! SANCCOB saves seabirds 365 days a year. Since they started in 1968 SANCCOB has admitted more than 86 000 seabirds. To find out more about the valuable rehabilitation and emergency services which they provide, visit www.sanccob.co.za. SANCCOB runs educational programmes, with a special outreach to children in the poorer communities in and around Cape Town, offers centre-based tours for groups, is actively involved in research, contributes towards advocacy on seabirds and has a Training Institute. Should you wish to donate towards the auction, or to support SANCCOB financially, please contact the SANCCOB Fundraiser, Margaret Roestorf at 021 557 6155 |
Add a comment
August and September specials
 |
|
|
NEW SPECIALS - All of the below valid from 10 August to 30 September: English Breakfast: R20.10 Mon to Sunday - 08h00 to 10h00 21 August Full moon Extravaganza - three party zones. R30.00 plus shooter 21 August 2010 OTHER SPECIALS: |
Add a comment
Mount Nelson Hotel's earthworms and Southern Right
The famous earthworms at the Mount Nelson Hotel have made a lot of news since they got their nice new worm hotel in 2007, (after a trial period set up in 2006). What is not generally known, is that the earthworms of the Mount Nelson Hotel were originally from the Southern Right Hotel, where they had been merrily munching the Southern Right Hotel and Restaurant's waste since 2004.
In fact, the decendants of those earthworms are still processing all the 'clean' organic waste from the Southern Right Hotel in Glencairn. (The plate scrapings are fed to some pigs on a farm near Cape Point Nature Reserve).
Southern Right Hotel received green accreditation some years ago through the “Western Cape Hospitality Industry Cleaner Production Pilot Project” organised by the Department of Environmental Affairs and Development Planning. The project involves an initial audit by specialist consultants in the categories of Water, Waste and Energy Usage, with subsequent recommendations and implementation of chosen aspects. There is ongoing monitoring to assess the effectiveness of the implementation process and the intended consequence of the project is to develop a green-rating system in the South African Hospitality and Tourism industry.
 |
How it works... Organic waste from Southern Right Hotel's kitchen is collected, mixed with shredded cardboard, ripped up newspaper and other scraps and then fed in layers to the earthworms at their state-of-the-art worm farm. Given enough space, the earthworms will eventually breed to around a similar mass to the food being fed to them, so are always up to the task of processing all the waste. |
 |
The earthworms get straight to work eating up the scraps, resulting in no smell or unpleasant effects from the vermicompost. The material on top will attract fruit flies and should ideally be covered to avoid them (with sawdust etc. or a lid). The composting process itself is an aerobic process, which generates no methane or smells associated with anaerobic rotting as what happens at landfills and dumps, or even conventional composting in heaps. It is important to make sure the worm farm is well drained to ensure aerobic conditions. |
 |
<---- Some nice fat worms getting stuck into food from a couple of weeks ago. The organic waste material is converted into worm castings, which is high quality organic fertiliser. It is far superior to conventional compost, and is in fact pretty much the humus that is found on the floor of a tropical rain forest. A by - product is the liquid leachate, which can be collected from the bottom of the worm beds. This has been shown to be effective in controlling pests when used as a leaf spray and also reduces root nematodes and other soil pests. |
 |
After all the food has been digested, all that is left is the vermicompost. The remaining worms are removed and the compost is ready for sowing into the garden or used as a potting mix where it can be used in place of loam. 'Worm tea' or vermitea liquid fetriliser can be made by steeping the vermicompost in water. <---- At this stage the finished compost has no smell and is perfectly safe to handle.
|
To find out more about earthworm farming and how to get your own worm farm going in the South Peninsula, get hold of Grete at 021 782 1305 or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
We have worms for sale, we have lots of compost and we know a lot about worms.....
Add a comment
Penguin Awareness Day
 |
|
|
Did you know... Penguins live at the tip of Africa? There is a group of penguins living in sunny Southern Africa who are at risk of becoming extinct. This charismatic species has declined by 90% over the past 100 years. The latest statistics released indicate that there are just over 25000 breeding pairs of wildAfrican Penguins living in colonies across South Africa and Namibia. Let's work together to save these precious penguins. How can YOU help? Visit www.sanccob.co.za or contact your local zoo, aquarium or penguin conservation centre and join us in our efforts to save tha African Penguin. |
Add a comment
Southern Right's bench
 |
|
|
Southern Right Hotel has sponsored a new bench for Glencairn Vlei. At the opening 'ceremony' are Janine (GM of Southern), Phil Jaques, who made the bench, Grete, Guest manager at SRH and Sir Rupert and Lady Cilla Bromley - who look after the vlei for us (and their dog, Truffles). Find out more about the vlei and what the G.E.E.S.E. (Glencairn Education and Environment Support Enthusiasts) have done to turn your vlei from a wasteland into a park.... http://www.geeseglencairn.org |
Add a comment
Dolphins visit Glencairn Beach
 |
|
| This pod of Dolphins was spotted playing just offshore at Glencairn beach. We like to think they were interested in our whale tail buoy, but they were probable chasing a school of fish... |
Add a comment
Southern Right Hotel
Southern Right Hotel has been one of the Far South's watering holes since 1904. Initially a private residence, it was later established as a grand hotel.
The requirements of the modern traveller have been worked into the rejuvenation of the Southern Right Hotel in a commitment to creating a venue that feels “Just Right”.
DID YOU KNOW? Southern right whale populations are showing a slow increase since international protection in 1935 when over-exploitation nearly eradicated the species. There are estimated to be approximately 3 000 to 4 000 currently surviving in the southern hemisphere.
Add a comment
