What a wonderland! Thanks for describing it so eloquently and for giving the reader a glimpse into the genius of Cliff Moran. His keen observational skills and ingenuity remind me of you.
Wonderful and fascinating, Walter. Thanks, including gratitude for Cliff.
With all of that herbaceous diversity, besides ant diversity I’m wondering if it was immediately or obviously clear to you that the fynbos exhibited, overall, unusually high invertebrate diversity and abundance.
It's kind of hard to judge diversity when you are a newcomer to the area. I think you would have to collect some group of insects or other. I know ants are very diverse. Hamish Roberts at the Capetown Museum has inventoried a lot of the ants.
How fascinating your eloquent descriptions of adversity leading to amazingly specific plant adaptations, Walter. I have forwarded your newsletter to my son, Noah Booker, who is a passionate native plant specialist here in the Pacific Northwest, heading large remediation projects with his dedicated crew.
Thank you Pat! I hope Noah gets to go to the Cape Floral Kingdom some day. Guaranteed to love it. Nothing wrong with the Pacific Northwest, of course, but a botanist can go nuts in the Cape.
What a wonderland! Thanks for describing it so eloquently and for giving the reader a glimpse into the genius of Cliff Moran. His keen observational skills and ingenuity remind me of you.
Thanks Dennis. Cliff was an entomologist's entomologist.
Wonderful and fascinating, Walter. Thanks, including gratitude for Cliff.
With all of that herbaceous diversity, besides ant diversity I’m wondering if it was immediately or obviously clear to you that the fynbos exhibited, overall, unusually high invertebrate diversity and abundance.
It's kind of hard to judge diversity when you are a newcomer to the area. I think you would have to collect some group of insects or other. I know ants are very diverse. Hamish Roberts at the Capetown Museum has inventoried a lot of the ants.
so sorry for the loss of your friend! and nice pic of Erika (is it not?) and long ago? wonderful essay and beautiful pictures!
Thanks, Marylee. Yes, that is Erika with the protea.
How fascinating your eloquent descriptions of adversity leading to amazingly specific plant adaptations, Walter. I have forwarded your newsletter to my son, Noah Booker, who is a passionate native plant specialist here in the Pacific Northwest, heading large remediation projects with his dedicated crew.
Thank you Pat! I hope Noah gets to go to the Cape Floral Kingdom some day. Guaranteed to love it. Nothing wrong with the Pacific Northwest, of course, but a botanist can go nuts in the Cape.